Facebook has been a godsend to puppy mills and the darker end of the exotic pets trade. Anybody can advertise in the Facebook marketplace section, and this includes people involved in cruel and sometimes illegal practices.

A quick search of Facebook reveals countless sellers that show all the signs of being puppy mills - i.e. lots of breeds for sale, high-pressure sales speech and no indication the seller plans to check out the new home. You can also find exotic pets ranging from snakes to parrots.

With a few very limited exceptions, eBay does not allow the sale of live animals on its site. It is time that Facebook followed suit with a universal ban on the sale of pets. Puppy mills, dubious backyard breeders and people importing endangered animals should not have such an easy way to make money.

We the undersigned ask that Facebook show genuine corporate responsibility by following eBay's example with a ban on the sale of live animals. At the moment, the Facebook marketplace section is full of highly dubious breeders selling all manner of animals. Many of the sellers are almost certainly involved in extremely cruel and possibly illegal practices. Since it would be almost impossible for Facebook to police the sale of animals, we ask that a universal ban on the sale of live animals be introduced immediately.