#101 208-43, Buam-dong Jongno-gu Seoul, Republic of Korea
Aug. 04, 2010
eBay Inc.,
eBay Green Team
2065 Hamilton Avenue
San Jose, California 95125
San Jose, California 95125
Dear whom it may concern at Global Citizenship and eBay Green Team, eBay Inc.,
Korea Animal Rights Advocates (“KARA”) is an animal protection group based in Seoul, Korea.
We have received complaints from concerned Korean citizens as to the fact that eBay Korea (“Auction”, CEO: Ju-man Park, http://www.auction.co.kr/default.html) is listing and selling very young puppies for companion animals (Please check this example site for sales of companion animals:
Based on your corporate policies, pets and other animals are not allowed to be listed and sold (http://pages.ebay.com/help/policies/wildlife.html).
Although there are currently no specific laws prohibiting display, advertisement, sales, and delivery of companion animals via the internet in Korea, it is our firm belief that this type of trade is detrimental to enhancing our respect for animals and their rights and welfare. Furthermore, based on Auction’s Corporate Stipulation, the company may restrict or ban selling certain types of products in the event that a certain trade may involve ethical or social problems. In addition to this, Korea’s current Animal Protection Law requires all the sellers to be properly registered and comply with animal welfare guidelines. Based on our investigation and interviews, we have found that many of these companies and individuals listed in your Korean subsidiary’s website do not comply with these basic laws and rules. Also our visits to some of the shops have revealed that these shops are displaying very young animals (45 days old or younger while Korea’s law requires puppies to be at least 2 months old to be sold) in very poor conditions. Also the trade involves unnecessary suffering and death of animals in the process of delivery, return, and refunds (up to 5 times of delivery via cheap and poor transportation facilities that may endanger their lives and safety.) We believe that this type of trade works to mass-produce stray animals as the sellers and purchasers are not fully aware of the responsible pet ownership in Korea and may generate cruelty to animals as the identity of purchasers and sellers cannot be fully monitored based on Korea’s still poor animal welfare institutions.
It is to be noticed that eBay’s Korean subsidiary is most actively promoting this trade among other large internet shopping malls in Korea and we have decided to consistently raise this issue both nationally and internationally until this issue is resolved in good faith for promotion of respect for life and protection of humanity.
We are currently asking the government and related institutions in Korea not to allow display, advertisement, sales, and delivery of companion animals via the internet and the efforts are and will be vigorous. We are also planning to work together with prominent consumers’ groups to make this concern shared farther and wider.
While we are working to ban sales of animals via the internet, please share this concern and help your Korean subsidiary to stop this unethical and unnecessarily painful trade. This will enhance our awareness of your corporate responsibilities and foster the common development of citizens’ awareness based on the headquarters’ efforts to make the business more ethical and risk-free.
We urge you not to wait until the local legislation reaches its most desirable status for animals and citizens. As global and responsible citizens and consumers, we urge you to immediately stop this improper and unethical trade of young animals in the name of your company in Korea.
We will provide all the necessary information on your request and share Korean citizens’ concerns to resolve this problem. We look forward to hearing from you soon.
Sincerely yours,
YIM Soonrye
President
Korea Animal Rights Advocates (KARA)
