Vendors on E-commerce Site Pinduoduo Under Fire for Selling Live Puppies in Mystery “Blind Boxes”

Vendors on China’s second-largest online shopping platform Pinduoduo were caught selling live puppies in surprise “blind boxes”, sparking heavy criticism and accusations of animal abuse online.

Screenshots from the e-commerce platform shared by a Weibo user on Tuesday shows businesses advertising “live blind boxes”, which contain live puppies inside, but the breed is not known to buyers until they open the box after it is delivered.

“Dogs will be issued at random. Buyers are not allowed to choose the gender of the dog,” product descriptions on the images read, adding that “no refunds or exchanges are allowed.”

One vendor is shown to retail its “live blind boxes” at 36 yuan ($5.5) each, and promises buyers that the puppy will be either a purebred or mix-breed husky, Golden Retriever, Labrador, Shichon, Pomeranian or Chihuahua.

The “live blind boxes” containing the live puppies are then delivered to customers via courier service, just like any other package — despite risking the animal’s life and it being illegal to send a live animal by mail in China.

The image also shows that the vendor has already completed a total of 5,038 transactions on the platform. An update on Thursday from the Weibo user who shared the images said the product listing pages for the live animals had been taken down.

Sales of mystery “blind boxes” containing figurines and toys are soaring in China, where intrigued buyers will not know which doll they have bought until they open the box.

SEE ALSO: Chilean Cherries on Pinduoduo Attract Nearly 500K Viewers During Live-stream

The incident sparked outrage among Weibo users, with many blaming Pinduoduo for failing to intervene. 

“Would someone who spent 36 yuan on a pet take good and proper care of it?” one user questioned. 

“People who are selling this and people who are buying this are the worst,” one comment read.

“How come there is so little supervision from Pinduoduo on its own platform?” another person asked.

Other users also reported similar product listings on other platforms, including Taobao, China’s biggest e-commerce platform.

Reports in 2019 indicated that live animals, including ducklings, puppies, birds, and hamsters were being sold on Alibaba-owned Taobao, and delivered to customers via mail. Some customers have claimed that their pet arrived dead in the box, or passed away within days of delivery.

“Dogs are not prizes. They are not ‘things’ to be won like stuffed toys, then tossed aside when they’re no longer interesting. Pinduoduo should shut this page down,” Jason Baker, PETA Asia’s senior vice president, told Pandaily.

“Many of these dogs are not going to be the ‘prize’ these buyers wanted and will end up being neglected or tossed out on the streets. China already has an overpopulation of unwanted dogs, and this will make it worse,” Baker added.

For those who are looking to add a dog to their family, PETA encourages adopting a dog in need of a home from a local shelter.

While China has legislation safeguarding land-based and aquatic wildlife, it currently lacks legislation protecting animal welfare or preventing cruelty to animals. 

In September 2009, animal rights activists and legal experts began circulating a draft Law on the Protection of Animals and in 2010, a draft Law on the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals for the State Council's consideration, according to Human Rights in China, a Chinese non-governmental organization based in New York.

The draft proposes a fine of up to 6,000 yuan (£693) and two weeks' detention for those found guilty of animal cruelty, according to China Daily.