How many of the readership here have heard of the Code of Practice for UK Website Owners offering for sale Fauna & Flora?

If so how many UK website masters actually have adopted the CoP into the integrity of their website structure?

Do many of you know the actual content of the website code of practice?

I ask - for as many of you will possibly know - there are those that also do not just oppose the keeping of animals - but also are against the selling of animals over the internet, and there are many whom are in the process of trying to ban internet sales, advertising and so on.

2008 will not be year of the Yada Sheep as forecast, but will be the year of the CoP emergence, and as this is one such CoP that will undoubtedly affect many of you, l was curious as to whether you knew of its content?

Primate CoP's will be with us no doubt, and l do feel sure that this will indeed be set to be a severe practice, that may well lead to possibly keepers NOT keeping.

Dogs and Cat practices will also be with us and possibly Rabbits.

But perhaps we will start to see more arrive as DEFRA gets back into the upbeat of it all.

I myself am recently undergoing a stress syndrome with them all tbh, for l feel even tho they are drafts and proposals, l do see many obstacles to some of the ones submitted with way too many what if scenarios open to them.

Oh well we will see what transpires from them.

Rory Matier

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For the last two years l have been incorporating the CoP for website owners into the websites, well this year l am now making it a total action forwards, as l do believe that with the tweaking l have done on the original copy fromAugust 2005, it is the way forwards for website owners.

Once l have the initial document fully up in the website and the way we have adapted to it, l will make a link here, and would appreciate any feedback on/in either the form present or here in the forum.

Many Thanks

Ror

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Not sure what you are asking exactly but I will say that yes websites selling animals do need some sort of regulation possibly even something along the lines of a licence. Just because you are selling over the internet should not mean you are exempt from the regulations pet shops should adhere to. There are too many websites springing up selling alot of reptiles including WC stuff that have no regulation what so ever. Hence the websites sending out reptiles via Royal Mail etc etc.

There is a code of practice 'out there' at present and has been for the last two years - but because it has not been classed as an official CoP webmasters have not thought the need to pay any heed to it and have as such ignored it.

Two years l adopted it and tweaked it to work for us, in fact the reason behind our screening protocol was because of the 'prep stage' of this CoP. I think like you, that sites selling fauna, flora, taxi are in desperate need of regulation.

We need the code to back us up and almost act as a regulator as to what is allowed and what is not.

R

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