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Pet Classified Script
What are the Legal Requirements to Start a Pet Classified Site in India?
By admin on Jun 30 2025
Domesticating animals has become quite a trend in India in current times. May it be to follow the fashion, or for companionship, a large number of Indian families are choosing to have at least one pet in their household. This scenario has made it a highly profitable business for startups and entrepreneurs to start a pet classified website. Such a platform enables users to buy, sell, re-home, or adopt pets in a smooth and hassle free manner.
However, when it comes to starting a pet classified marketplace in India, you will need to comply with a set of legal requirements. Here, in this post, we will have a detailed discussion on the legal requirements that you need to follow while launching your pet listing marketplace. Read on for further insights.
What is a Pet Classified Site?
A pet classified site is an online platform where sellers can advertise pets for sale, shelters and rescue organizations can list animals for adoption, owners can re-home their pet and prospective owners can buy or adopt an animal. A pet listing site can offer options to list pets, pet products, and services. When you start a pet classified website, you must ensure you are adhering to the necessary legal requirements to avoid any kind of legal complications.
Legal Requirements to Start a Pet Listing Site in India
To start a pet listing site and build trust with your users, you will need to complete the following legal requirements:
Register Your Listing Platform
The first step to launching a pet classified website is to register your marketplace. Register your business as a sole ownership, partnership, limited liability partnership, or a private limited company. Most companies choose to register as an LLP or Private Limited company as it offers protection from liabilities. You also need to obtain a PAN, TAN, and GSTIN, if your business generates more revenue than the millennium turnover for GST (usually 20 lakh INR in most Indian states).
Domain Name and Website Compliance
Choose a domain name for your pet classified site that reflects the uniqueness of your brand and is easy to remember. The next step is to make sure your platform follows the necessary Indian IT laws. It is essential that your listing site implements the following:
Make it clear in the terms and conditions that your platform is an intermediary, not a seller.
Mention the processes through which you collect, store, or use user data.
Strictly mention the responsibilities users must follow while listing pets on your platform.
State that you are not responsible for the health and legality of the pets listed on your platform.
Intermediary Compliance Under IT Act, 2000
As your pet classified site will be operating as a digital intermediary, you will need to comply with mandatory intermediary compliances under IT act, 2000. Under this compliance policy:
- Your users should be allowed to report illegal or suspicious listings
- Employ a Grievance Officer to resolve issues within a quick time
- Remove illegal or offensive content from your site when you receive a complaint from the government
- Publish rules and guidelines to post advertisements on your platform.
Avoid Legal Penalties with Animal Welfare Laws
Although your pet listing site will be operating only as an intermediary and not as a seller, it is essential that you must not allow posts on your site that violate Indian laws for pets.
- As per The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, you must not approve the selling of sick or underage animals on your platform.
- According to the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, listing of wild animals such as turtles, parakeets, or exotic birds must not be allowed on your website without proper licensing.
- Some cities have regulations about breeding, licensing, or selling of specific animals. Make sure your listing site adheres to all these regulations.
Advertising and Payment Related Compliances
If you monetize your pet listing platform by implementing streams such as premium listings, banner ads, featured listing etc., there are specific regulations you will need to follow:
Compliance with GST Norms
If your platform generates INR 20 lakhs annually, you will need to register your site for GST. You will also need to produce proper invoices for the paid listings.
Integration of Payment Gateways
Integrates secure payment gateways such as GooglePay, credit card, debit card etc. that comply with RBI guidelines. It is also essential for you to implement effective refund policies if you offer paid services.
Conclusion
To start a pet classified site in India, you do not need to acquire the licenses as a pet shop, however, as a mediator, you do need to adhere to specific compliances and regulations to avoid legal complications. If you are looking to launch a successful online pet classified marketplace within a small budget, you can easily build it with a pet listing script. Such a script is a pre-built website solution that comes equipped with all essential features of a pet listing marketplace and is fully customizable. You can simply customize the features and appearance to build a functional, unique, and user-friendly website.
At bestclassifiedscript.com, we offer superior quality, scalable, and fully customizable pet listing scripts designed for startups and entrepreneurs. Our prices are affordable and we offer round-the-clock dedicated customer support.
Connect with us today to request a free demo.
