Online Pet Research Articles

Scale of unregulated international trade in Australian reptiles and amphibians.

Reptiles and amphibians are popular in the exotic pet trade, where Australian species are valued for their rarity and uniqueness. Despite a near-complete ban on the export of Australian wildlife, smuggling and subsequent international trade frequently occur in an unregulated and unmonitored manner. In 2022, Australia listed over 100 squamates in Appendix III of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) to better monitor this trade. We investigated current trade and assessed the value of this Australian CITES listing using web-scraping methods to monitor the online pet trade in Australian reptiles and amphibians, with additional data from published papers, trade databases, and seizure records. Despite the export ban, we identified 170 endemic herpetofauna (reptile and amphibian) species in international trade, 33 of which were not recorded previously in the international market, including 6 newly recorded genera. Ninety-two traded species were included in CITES appendices (59 added in 2022), but at least 78 other traded species remained unregulated. Among these, 5 of the 10 traded threatened species were unlisted, and we recommend they be considered for inclusion in CITES Appendix III. We also recommend the listing of all Diplodactylidae genera in Appendix III. Despite this family representing the greatest number of Australian species in trade, only one genus (of 7 traded) was included in the recent CITES amendments. Overall, a large number of Australian reptile and amphibian species are traded internationally and, although we acknowledge the value of Australia's recent CITES listing, we recommend the consideration of other taxa for similar inclusion in CITES.

PET PARADISE : PET LOVERS HAVEN

Abstract: This paper explores the business strategies of the pet industry under the Internet economy from the perspective of service design, so as to improve the service quality, customer satisfaction, user experience and competitiveness of the pet industry. Based on the characteristics of the Internet economy era, this paper elaborates its concept, meaning and value, and discusses the development status of online pet transaction and the development trend of the industry. Combining with the design of a pet APP, an online and offline mutual complementary network platform is established. By constructing a map of target users, discovering key touch points in the service process, and creating usage “scenarios”, a relatively complete service chain can be formed, and pets can be integrated into the value form of personal life. Keyword: Html ,Css, Javascript, React js, Mongo db

MSR41 Unleashing the Power of Large Language Models: Using Zero-Shot Relevancy Classification on Social Media Posts for Enhanced Automated Understanding of Online Pet Owner Conversations About Canine Pruritus

MSR41 Unleashing the Power of Large Language Models: Using Zero-Shot Relevancy Classification on Social Media Posts for Enhanced Automated Understanding of Online Pet Owner Conversations About Canine Pruritus

PET PARADISE : PET LOVERS HAVEN

Abstract: This paper explores the business strategies of the pet industry under the Internet economy from the perspective of service design, so as to improve the service quality, customer satisfaction, user experience and competitiveness of the pet industry. Based on the characteristics of the Internet economy era, this paper elaborates its concept, meaning and value, and discusses the development status of online pet transaction and the development trend of the industry. Combining with the design of a pet APP, an online and offline mutual complementary network platform is established. By constructing a map of target users, discovering key touch points in the service process, and creating usage “scenarios”, a relatively complete service chain can be formed, and pets can be integrated into the value form of personal life. IndexTerms – Html, Css, Javascript, React js, Mongo db.

Trade in Prevost’s squirrels: legality, risk for introduction and disease transmission

Squirrels traded for pets or consumption have the potential to be vectors for zoonotic disease transmission and to establish themselves as invasive species. Callosciurus spp. (Greek for beautiful squirrel) are popular in the pet trade due to their medium size and many colour variants, though several feral populations have established themselves in various parts of the world and these wild-caught individuals can carry and spread infectious diseases. Here, we investigate the live trade in Prevost’s squirrels (C. prevosti) in Indonesia where they are naturally found on the islands of Sumatra, Bangka and Borneo. Between 2016 and 2024, we recorded 284 Prevost’s squirrels for sale, viz., 115 in the physical markets and 169 online. We detected the species for sale in Sumatra (13 individuals), Bangka (7) and Borneo (3), i.e. within their natural range, but also on Java (242) and Bali (4). The mean asking price per individual was US$63, and younger individuals commanded higher prices than older ones. Asking prices were not higher in cities further away from the species’ native range nor in cities with higher purchasing power. All individuals were wild-caught, and with a domestic quota of five individuals allowed to be traded as pets per year (45 over the study period) most of this trade is illegal under Indonesian law. This is distinctly different from trade in Prevost’s squirrels in for instance Europe or the USA where legally captive-bred individuals are offered for sale. In Indonesia the illegal trade happens in the open and despite the risk of the spread of zoonotic diseases wherever it is traded there appears to be little incentive on the side of the authorities to curb this trade. Their widespread availability on Java and Bali risks the accidental or deliberate introduction on these two islands. Better coordination is needed between the Indonesian authorities, online sales sites, pet traders and consumers to stop the sale of illegally obtained Prevost’s squirrels to limit the risk of them becoming invasive species or contributing to the spread of emerging infectious diseases.

Perlindungan Hukum Terhadap Konsumen Pada Jual Beli Hewan Peliharaan Secara Online Di Kota Jambi

Online buying and selling transactions are basically the same as buying and selling in person, the difference is the media used. Internet media makes buying and selling online more effective and efficient. Buying and selling pets online is one of the choices in using transactions through the world of the internet. The purpose of this research is to identify and analyze legal protection for consumers in online pet buying and selling transactions in Jambi City and to find out and analyze what legal remedies can be taken by consumers if their rights are harmed in online pet buying and selling transactions in Jambi City. The research method used in this thesis is a type of empirical juridical research, the nature of the research in this thesis is descriptive research, the data used consists of primary data and secondary data, the data collection method used is field study and library research, the data collection tools are carried out namely the study of documents and interview guidelines, and the analysis of the data used in writing this thesis is a qualitative analysis. The results of this study indicate that consumers in buying and selling pets online in Jambi City have legal protection which is explained in the Consumer Protection Act. Consumers whose rights have been impaired can also make efforts to get their rights back through BPSK or LPKNI. Several Internet media in the form of applications have also provided complaint services on their applications so that consumers can seek their rights which have been harmed by business actors. But only certain applications.

Who’s a pretty bird? Predicting the traded abundance of bird species in Australian online pet trade

Who’s a pretty bird? Predicting the traded abundance of bird species in Australian online pet trade

PetMoKo: An Online Pet Care Shop

This study develops and evaluates "PetMoKo," an innovative online pet care shop, responding to the rising demand for high-quality pet care products and services. Utilizing a mixed-method approach, we conduct market research and gather primary and secondary data to understand customer preferences and behavior. Based on our findings, we design a user-friendly PetMoKo platform with personalized features. Rigorous testing and customer feedback ensure its functionality and usability. The success of PetMoKo can positively impact the online pet care industry, offering convenience and meeting customer demands while contributing to market expansion. This research aims to enhance the industry through a comprehensive and customer-centric platform

Application of environmental sampling to investigate a case of avian chlamydiosis in a pet store and breeding facility leading to mass bird exposures.

Chlamydia psittaci is a bacterium that causes chlamydiosis in birds and can cause zoonotic psittacosis in people. In November 2017, we received notification of a suspected case of avian chlamydiosis in a captive cockatiel (Nymphicus hollandicus) that was sold by an online pet bird retail and breeding facility in Washington State. We describe the investigation with emphasis on how environmental sampling was used to guide veterinary and public health interventions. Bird samples were collected either from pooled droppings, pooled plumage or individual nasal and choanal swabs. Environmental samples were obtained by swabbing cleaning mops, tables and cage structures. All samples were tested by polymerase chain reaction and positive samples underwent genotyping. Approximately 1000 birds representing four taxonomic orders were kept within an open-space warehouse. Eight of 14 environmental samples and one of two pooled faecal samples were positive for Chlamydia spp. The contaminating strain of Chlamydia spp. was identified as genotype A. The facility was closed for environmental disinfection, and all psittacines were treated with oral doxycycline for 45 days. Ten of 10 environmental and two of two pooled faecal samples were negative for C. psittaci 11 months after the completion of environmental disinfection and antimicrobial treatment. This investigation highlights the importance of preventing and mitigating pathogen incursion in an online pet retail and breeding facility. Environmental sampling is valuable to guide animal and public health interventions for control of C. psittaci, particularly when large numbers of birds are exposed to the pathogen.

A snapshot of online wildlife trade: Australian e-commerce trade of native and non-native pets

The international trade of non-domesticated pets impacts both conservation and biosecurity via the harvest and release of live animals beyond their native distributions. The extent to which individual countries mitigate these impacts via regulation of trade is inconsistent, as is their capacity to monitor internet facilitated trade. We investigated the online trade of vertebrate pets within Australia, a country with a reputation for relatively stringent pet-importation regulations and world-class border biosecurity. Using semi-automated data mining (i.e., webscraping) techniques, we collected online pet trade data over the course of 14 weeks from 12 Australian e-commerce platforms selected using an a priori set of search terms. We analysed spatial, temporal and taxonomic biases in trade and identified instances of high rates of trade in: (i) threatened species, (ii) non-native species, (iii) and species not permissible for live import. We identified over 100,000 individual live animals across 1192 species, including: 667 non-native species for sale within Australia from 03/12/2019 to 20/03/2020 (mammals were excluded from our analysis). Our findings constitute a much greater scale (in terms of abundance and richness) of non-native species trade than previously recorded in Australia. Substantial changes to legislative control of domestically traded pets are needed at the national level to reduce the volume of non-native pets that may contribute to the establishment of invasive species in Australia. We suggest that contemporary examples of permit systems applied to native taxa may provide a valuable template for the implementation of such changes.

Monitoring the online ant trade reveals high biological invasion risk

Ants are traded as pets across the globe, but if introduced outside of their native ranges they could become invasive with dire environmental and economic consequences. We demonstrate how geotagged e-commerce information can be utilized for biosecurity risk assessment. We monitored online pet ant sales in China and found that 58,937 ant colonies from 209 species were sold by 206 sellers in 89 cities across the country in six months. More than a quarter of the traded species were not native to China. Trait-based analysis revealed that the most sought-after ants have higher invasive potential than less popular species. Climate-based distribution models suggest that 24.7 % of the non-native species could find suitable climatic conditions in the cities from which they were sold. If released, pet ants could interfere with urban ecosystems, rural agriculture, and spill over to threaten back-country habitats with high biodiversity. Based on our analysis we offer guidelines on wildlife trade policy and management: (1) we provide a list of potentially invasive ants sold in each Chinese city; (2) we identify the highest risk of a non-native ant introduction at the Greater Bay area of subtropical southern China; (3) we highlight the absence of within-country permitting requirements which resulted in invasive species being transported across Chinese provincial lines. Worldwide, similar wildlife trade records are only accessible to conservation practitioners cognizant of local languages and customs. We encourage grassroot web scraping of under-monitored, fast-developing economies to gather information crucial for guiding regional policy decisions.

Online sale of small turtles circumvents public health regulations in the United States.

In the United States (U.S.), pet turtles have been associated with outbreaks of salmonellosis, a serious and sometimes-fatal intestinal illness caused by Salmonella bacteria, with nearly 300,000 people being infected in some years. Children are particularly susceptible because of their propensity to put items, including small turtles, in their mouths. In 1975, a U.S. federal regulation prohibited the sale of turtles <4 inches (101.6 mm) in size, except for the purposes of export, scientific, or educational purposes. This regulation was established to reduce the incidence of salmonellosis, particularly in small children. Previous research has not evaluated the availability of turtles <4 inches in size on websites selling wildlife. We monitored 16 websites in 2021 and quantified listings of small turtles. We determined whether information on Salmonella, the 1975 federal regulation, or related state regulations were provided on the websites and determined legality of sales of small turtles by state regulations. We found that all 16 websites openly advertised and sold turtles <4 inches in size, but only half of these websites provided information about Salmonella and/or the federal regulation. These websites required buyers to confirm that they were not purchasing a turtle as a pet, thereby putting the onus on the consumer to adhere to the regulation. We documented 515 listings of turtles <4 inches in size, including 47 species and one hybrid. Our study has demonstrated that internet sales of small turtles currently represent part of the thriving online pet trade in the U.S. Enforcement of the federal regulation faces jurisdictional challenges in most states. Therefore, we recommend continued public education campaigns by public health agencies in the U.S. to help reduce the risk that pet turtle ownership presents.

Motivation of Portuguese-Speaking Pet Owners Seeking Online Pet Health and Husbandry Information

Internet use for pet health information is increasing in popularity among pet owners. So far, evidence on motivations and topics of interest is limited to surveys on English speaking countries. The objective was to evaluate the motivations of Portuguese-speaking pet owners when visiting a pet information website, written by a certified veterinarian. In situ needs and motivations of visitors were evaluated by classifying online questions (n = 202) and conducting a short questionnaire in the website sidebar (n = 453). Most pet owners were looking for general advice (73.9%), especially on systems with visible disease signs, being motivated by the lack of access to veterinary services due to costs (17.7%), support from other pet owners (11.3%), and complementing the insufficient information provided by the veterinarian (7.7%). Brazilians reported more lack of veterinary access due to costs compared to Portuguese respondents. Thus, Portuguese-speaking pet owners engaged in online searches to seek affordable veterinary care, better information, and emotional support.

Online pet shops are crawling with spiders captured in the wild

Online pet shops are crawling with spiders captured in the wild

Online and pet stores as sources of trade for reptiles in South Africa

The ever-increasing human population, globalisation, and desire to keep pets have resulted in the translocation of many species into non-native environments. As a result, some of the non-native reptile species have been introduced to South Africa through the pet trade. However, little is known about the extent of trade in reptiles via online and physical pet stores in South Africa and their potential climatically suitable areas. We assessed the physical pet store and online trade of reptiles in South Africa. We found 69 physical pet stores and 18 online advertising websites selling 1,912 individuals of 66 species and 859 individuals of 50 reptile species, respectively. In total, we found 88 unique species representing 18 families from both sources, of which 86.4% were non-native species and 32 species were CITES-listed. Snakes were the most dominant (76.1%) traded group. Ball python Python regius (n = 601), corn snake Pantherophis guttatus (n = 553) and central bearded dragon Pogona vitticeps (n = 419) were the most-traded reptiles. Prices ranged from ZAR100.00 to ZAR6,000.00, with sharp-nosed viper Deinagkistrodon acutus acutus being the most expensive species. For present distributions, the red-eared slider Trachemys scripta elegans, P. guttatus, and Western diamondback rattlesnake Crotalus atrox had the largest predicted climatic suitability. The future predictions for the latter two species were predicted to increase while red-eared slider suitability shifted. Most popular species were available in large volumes, sold at relatively low prices and had high climatic suitability, representing a high potential invasion risk. We, therefore, propose that the existing pet trade regulations should be revised to include a more restricted trade on the trade of endangered, non-CITES listed and potential invasive pet species.

Grains on the brain: A survey of dog owner purchasing habits related to grain-free dry dog foods.

Grain-free pet food options abound in the pet food market today, representing more than 40% of available dry dog foods in the United States. There is currently a dearth of information about the factors that contribute to a dog owner's choice of a grain-free dry dog food and if those factors are similar among countries. Therefore, the primary objective of the current survey was to identify the variables that are predictive of a dog owner's choice of a grain-free dry food across North America (Canada and the United States) and Europe (France, the United Kingdom and Germany). The survey consisted of 69 questions, took less than 15 minutes to complete and was distributed virtually via Qualtrics (Qualtrics XM, Utah, USA). A total of 3,298 responses were collected, equally distributed between countries. Multinomial logistic regression was performed in SPSS Statistics (Version 26, IBM Corp, North Castle, New York, USA). Male respondents, people from France, people who ranked the importance of ingredients in a pet food in the lower quartiles and people who do not rotate their dog's diet to provide variety were less likely to select 'no grain' when choosing a pet food. In contrast, people who believe that their dog has a food allergy, follow more than 5 specific dietary routines in their own diet, do not try to include grains in their own diet, get their information about pet food from online resources or pet store staff and look for specific claims on pet food (such as 'no fillers'), were all more likely to select 'no grain' when choosing a pet food. This survey provides insight into the similarities and differences in decision making among dog owners in North America and Europe and should be considered when exploring the effects of grain-free dog foods on canine health and well-being.

A New Market for Pet Food in China: Online Consumer Preferences and Consumption

The pet industry has grown tremendously in China, and pet food is a major product in the market. Although characteristics of pet food are important considerations for veterinarians and consumers, there has yet to be a holistic consumer study for Chinese pet food shopping behaviors. This study focuses on consumer stated preferences of online pet food and factors affecting their actual purchasing behavior. We have conducted a survey and explored factors affecting both consumers’ stated attribute preferences and factors affecting their consumption quantities. A total of 220 valid samples were collected online from pet owners with online shopping experiences in 2019. Our results reveal that younger, urban, higher educated, and married consumers with families tend to use more online channels to buy pet food. They care more about brand, ingredients, and retailer reputation, but not so much about imported products. We find little significant statistic difference between consumers’ online and offline shopping perspectives. This paper quantitatively investigates consumer pet food shopping behaviors, discovers recent trends in this line of research, and provides insight into the industry for future developing demand.

Illegal online pet trade in venomous snakes and the occurrence of snakebites in Brazil

Greater access to the Internet has boosted the online pet trade and especially enabled the trade in niche-targeted groups, such as venomous species. Despite their fearsome reputation, an array of venomous animals, such as snakes, spiders and scorpions arise interest among pet hobbyists, which exposes owners, sellers, and others involved in their transport and maintenance to potentially serious accidents by envenomation. To assess the potential risk to human health posed by the trade and ownership of venomous pet snakes, we examined social media posts trading or portraying native and exotic venomous species as pets (Facebook™ and YouTube™) and official seizures in Brazil between 2015 and 2020. In addition, we recorded all venomous snakebite events occurring in the country during the same period from the Brazilian Ministry of Health database. We compiled 114,931 venomous snakebite events resulting in over 600 human deaths. Bothrops spp. and Crotalus spp. were responsible for 86% and 10% of these events. We recorded 241 individual venomous snakes kept as pets of at least 16 species (seven native and nine non-native). The taxa with higher numbers of snakebites were also those most often kept as pets. Venomous pet snakes were sold at low prices, US$ 71.70 ± 18.44 on average. Our findings highlight a dangerous market, given the similarity of taxa raised as pets and those causing snakebites, combined with low availability of anti-venom for exotic species in Brazil. Additionally, several of the venomous pet snakes recorded are invasive species in many countries. Trade in venomous snakes is prohibited in Brazil, but the law is not well-enforced. To curb this illegal market and discourage consumer demand, we suggest that tougher penalties for sellers and owners should be considered, along with the development of awareness campaigns on the consequences of the snakebite injuries and the lack of antivenoms.

Pet owners' online information searches and the perceived effects on interactions and relationships with their veterinarians

Objective: To explore pet owners’ online search experiences for pet health information and the perceived effects on their interactions and relationships with veterinarians.&#x0D; Background: Few studies have examined pet owners’ online searches for pet health information; even less is known about how these search experiences may impact pet owners’ interactions and relationships with veterinarians, including any effects on bond-centered care.&#x0D; Methods: Qualitative study consisting of five focus groups conducted with 26 pet owners in the Greater Toronto Area, Ontario, Canada, between June to September 2016. All interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. QSR NVivo 11® was used to facilitate organisation of focus group data for thematic analysis.&#x0D; Results: Participating pet owners frequently referred to their relationships with veterinarians when discussing experiences searching online for pet health information. Owners reported choosing either to disclose or withhold declaring their online searches to veterinarians, depending on whether participants perceived a beneficial or detrimental impact on a “good” professional relationship with their veterinarian. Perceptions of veterinarians' reactions towards declaration of online searches were mixed, and influenced pet owners’ views of the existing relationship.&#x0D; Conclusion: Pet owners viewed their veterinarians as their most trusted source of pet health information, but many owners also wanted supplemental information from online searches. Owners preferred veterinarians refer them to online pet health resources, ideally those affiliated with the veterinary profession. Searching for pet health information online does not displace veterinarians’ guidance. Rather, the veterinarian-owner relationship was perceived to be strengthened when online searches were openly discussed with veterinarians.&#x0D; Implications: Findings offer insight into pet owners’ expectations of veterinarians within the context of online pet health information, providing ideas for veterinarians to strengthen bonds with owners such as; showing support of owners’ online pet health information searching by recommending resources and considerations about communicating professional opinions to owners regarding online information.&#x0D; &#x0D;

Veterinary allergy information has lower health readability than human allergy information: a comparative analysis of allergy education materials for pets and people.

Pet owners frequently consult online sources of veterinary health information. However, there are limited data on the readability of these resources and whether the readability is appropriate for pet owner education levels. To evaluate the education level of the US pet-owning population, and determine the readability of pet allergy information and compare the readability of online pet allergy information with online human allergy information. A subpopulation of 4,933 adults, representative of a population of 208,525,282, answering National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) demographic and pet questions. Allergy information in 54 articles (28 veterinary, 26 human) from six health websites (three veterinary, three human). An analysis was performed on 10,294 NHANES questionnaire responses to identify the subpopulation of 4,933 pet-owning adults. Flesch Reading Ease Scores and Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level Scores were calculated on the pet and human allergy information to evaluate readability. The age-adjusted prevalence of high school graduation was higher for adults with pets (85.8±1.33%) compared to adults without pets (78.5±1.5%, P<0.0001). Allergy information on veterinary websites was more difficult to read (P=0.0052) and written at a higher grade level (P=0.0047) than that on human health websites. The average veterinary health information readability score was 45.9 ± 8.7 ("difficult to read") and written at an 11th grade level or above (range: 8th grade-college level). Allergy information on veterinary websites was less readable than allergy information on human health websites. Online veterinary information may be written at a reading level that is inappropriate for pet owners.