talbotlucas.org: a word to the wise is sufficient

Reader alert: I'm on my soapbox. The object of my rant is at left (click to make larger.)

Word is spreading among the online pet owner and breeder communities about amazon.com's acceptance of "sponsored links" from puppy mills and other operations which offer puppies for sale via the web. I have no problem with seeing a sponsored link for, say, espresso machines if I'm looking at books on making espresso at home, but given the problems associated with poor breeding and overbreeding, I don't like amazon.com's acceptance of sponsored links for puppy mills and online animal vendors. Placing an animal in a home should not be done in this way, and this type of (usually) uninformed purchasing combined with the breeding-for-profit mentality of breeders who advertise and sell in this manner is a recipe for disaster. In this case, disaster = untrained or unwanted dogs that end up in shelters (or meet other unpleasant fates) once their novelty has worn off.

eBay restricts its sellers from offering domestic animals for sale (with a narrowly defined exception for tropical fish, certain types of aquatic snails, and certain types of insects and crustaceans). Amazon.com already places restrictions on its affiliates and others who link to and use the site as a sales tool, and I hope they'll consider a prohibition on these types of sponsored links.

I'm all for lower priced books, and I've certainly taken advantage of amazon.com's discounts and free shipping and encouraged others to do so by establishing a wish list and linking to amazon.com to share more information about a book or CD I recommend, but I strenuously object to amazon.com's acceptance of income from these types of sponsored links. They suggest that these links are responsible for their lower prices. Maybe they are, in part, but I don't see how a modification of their policy with respect to live animals will put a dent in their business plan.

If you agree, please let them know: on the amazon.com main page, scroll down and click "Contact Us," then "Web Site and Product Suggestions," and then the button labeled "Email Us." Then (because that email page is only for comments that don't require a response), click on "General Questions" in the first paragraph of the "Send Us Your Suggestion" box. That will launch a form where you can type your comments and ask amazon.com to end this practice.