We monitor for and permanently ban vendors who attempt to post adverts that do not comply with legal standards, so please ensure you fully comply with our policies before placing your ad.

If ads are posted on DoneDeal in breach of this policy we reserve the right to remove them from the website without giving notice to the advertiser or refunding any fee paid.

General animal policies

There are some basic policies every advertiser of animals for sale or re-homing must abide by. We also have more detailed policies for certain types of animal. Read this first.

If ads are posted on DoneDeal in breach of this policy we reserve the right to remove them from the website without giving notice to the advertiser or refunding any fee paid.

Throughout our policy, we refer to companion animals. A companion animal is another name for a pet. We have a separate page listing companion animals and whether they can be advertised on DoneDeal.

If you are advertising an animal for sale on DoneDeal you must comply with the following policies:

Due to the obligation under the Animal Health and Welfare (Sale or supply of pet animals) Regulations 2019 (No. 681 of 2019) all advertisements of pet animals must include the following information:

One type or breed of animal per ad We only allow one type of animal or breed of animal per ad on DoneDeal. This ensures that animals appear in the correct search and helps rehome them quicker.

• The registration number of the seller/supplier of the animal.
• The age of the animal.
• The country of origin of the animal. 

If the seller/supplier is a charitable organisation (Charities Act 2009) the registration number issued under the Charities Act 2009.

Your ad must include

Photo Your ad must include a photograph of any companion animal or equine animal you are advertising.

Type of ads not allowed

No Christmas/Valentines/Easter/gift pets Pets are for life, not only for Christmas. Therefore ads must not contain any references that encourage people to buy a pet specifically for a gift e.g. Christmas or other seasonal events such as Valentine’s Day or Easter.

Dogs We do not allow the advertisement of dogs on DoneDeal.

Recycling animal ads We do not allow this practice on DoneDeal. Ads must be marked as sold when the litter/animal is sold. A new ad will need to be created for each litter/animal for sale.

Young animals No animal (other than a foal accompanied by its mother) should be advertised for transfer to a new owner before it is weaned.

No pets to be advertised under 8 weeks old As a classified ads website we have decided that in the best interest of the animals that no pet/animal should be advertised for sale before it reaches eight weeks old. In line with IPAAG minimum standards this is six months for foals.

Pregnant animals Adverts offering pregnant animals (excluding equines) for sale are not allowed. We advise that sellers contact an appropriate animal welfare organisation for advice instead (e.g. IHWT for equines, ISPCA for other animals).

No stud/in season ads We do not allow ads offering stud animals, animals in season or animals ‘for rent’, or ‘loan’ in the pet section. Note that adverts offering horses for loan/stud may be acceptable.

Swaps We do not allow ads which offer pets for swap with other animals, services or goods.

Transport You cannot advertise delivery of an animal through the postal system, national or international. Transport of any animal must comply with relevant legislation.

Tagging All sheep and goats must be tagged in accordance with the official NSIS/NGIS before they leave the holding on which they were born.

All sellers and buyers of sheep or goats must be registered with the Department of Agriculture Food and the Marine as Sheep/Goat Keepers.

All movements of sheep and goats must be recorded and notified to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine as required by the NSIS and NGIS.

There are no exceptions to these requirements for pet lambs or goats.

Guides to the NSIS and NGIS are available on the DAFM website at www.agriculture.gov.ie under Animal Health and Welfare/ Animal Identification and Movement(AIM/CMMS).

Jump to policy sections relevant to you

I am advertising

an equine animal

a cat

an exotic animal/another animal 

Animal welfare

I want to know more about DoneDeal and animal welfare

What is IPAAG

I want to read the Government legislation

I am buying an animal

Bring me to the buyers guides

Equine

Microchipping and passports By law all equine animals must be sold with a passport. An equine animal must be microchipped in order to get a passport. By placing your ad you are acknowledging you are aware that equine animals for sale must be microchipped.

Broken/ridden age We do not allow horse or pony ads where the horse or pony has been broken or ridden under the age of three.

For sale age Foals should be at least 6 months old before they are advertised on the site. Mares with foal at foot may be offered for sale.

No foster mares We do not allow ads for foster mares

Horse Factory ads As of 7th August 2012 we no longer accept Horse Factory ads.

For information on horse welfare please visit the Irish Horse Welfare Trust and ISPCA.

Read our guide for buyers

Read our equine health guide

Cats/kittens

Age No kittens under 8 weeks old. We do not allow ANY cat ads on our site for kittens under 8 weeks old as the sale of kittens before this age is not recommended by veterinary surgeons.

Other pets

‘Exotic’ animals are defined as species not normally domesticated in Ireland. We don't feel our site is the best platform for the sale of such specialised pets. While we allow ads for some animals we reserve the right to review and remove if necessary ads for certain species. Due to the lack of specific legislation or regulation in this area DoneDeal reserves the right to refuse to advertise animals on a case by case basis. Read our full list of allowed companion animals.

Age Generally speaking animals should not be weaned from its mother before 8 weeks old and should not be advertised for sale before it is 8 weeks old ie when it is ready to be re-homed.

Animal care advice If you are advertising an exotic animal you must include information on the care of that species in your ad. Some exotic or wild animals are by definition less domesticated, these animals may have needs that far exceed their owners’ capabilities.The average household does not understand how to look after some exotic or wild animals, which need specialised habitats in which to live a decent quality of life. It is hard to replicate the natural habitat of wild animals and even when it is done well, in many cases it may still not be adequate.

EU Wildlife Trade Regulations We do not allow ads advertising for sale any species covered by EU Wildlife Trade Regulations Annex A and listed by CITES Appendix I for sale without a valid Article 10 Certificate.

Marmosets and Lemurs We do not allow ads for non-human primates such as marmosets and lemurs as they are not suitable to be kept as pets due to their complex needs.

Live feeding We do not allow ads for live animals that are intended to be fed live to other animals (e.g. ban adverts for live mice to be fed to snakes).

Status of this Policy

This policy forms part of our Agreement with you concerning use of our Website hello.donedeal.ie/legal-policies/, all of which you should read carefully before you start to use this Website. By accessing and using this Website, you indicate that you have read, understand and accept that Agreement, and that you agree to abide by its terms and conditions each time you access and use this Website. If you do not agree to all of the terms and conditions of the Agreement you should not use this Website.

If ads are posted on DoneDeal.ie in breach of this policy we reserve the right to remove them from the website without giving notice to the advertiser or refunding any fee paid.