ONLINE MARKETPLACE DONE Deal has temporarily suspended the advertisement of dogs on its website in light of the recent string of dog thefts around the country.

Animals can still be bought and sold on the site, however, the dog section has been temporarily removed as Done Deal works on “further solutions to improve animal welfare and in light of unprecedented demand in Ireland”.

Done Deal said it is working with animal welfare bodies to improve transparency but believes removing the dog section altogether may push activity offline and lead to “reduced transparency” when it comes to advertising dogs. 

Up until now, the site says it has relied on users reporting ads they believe to be in breach of terms and conditions and on technical measures to block “improper content”. 

Due to the volume of advertisements on the marketplace, Done Deal said it is not possible for its customer service team to manually review every ad placed. 

“Our intention is to prevent the possibility of advertisers making false statements but in some cases we rely on users of Done Deal to report these advertisements to us. Our team of 13 customer service representatives are on call 7 days a week to handle queries or complaints from people visiting Done Deal,” Done Deal said in a statement.

“At Done Deal we will continue to work hard with animal welfare bodies to find the best possible solutions to maximise transparency and protect animal welfare when it comes to the advertisement of animals.”

In recent weeks, gardaí have cracked down on dognapping with several seizures of animals made. 

There is anecdotal evidence of an increase in thefts but the official reported number has not risen, which officers say shows a lack of reporting by people who believe their pet has been stolen.

Gardaí have urged people to report a potential crime to them so they can ascertain the scale of the problem and to remain vigilant. 

Following the seizure of ten suspected stolen dogs in Limerick on Wednesday, Crime Prevention Officer Sergeant Ber Leetch said: “We are advising everyone to take precautions for their dog’s safety. For your dog’s security, I would recommend they are microchipped so that they can be easily identified if found and returned to the owner. 

“If you have a high value breed of animal you may wish to consider CCTV and other crime prevention measures. If you are buying a dog, or returning a dog to its suspected owners, make sure the person is bona fide.” 

Note: Journal Media Ltd has shareholders in common with Done Deal Ltd.