Join Us for a National Day of Action Against PetSmart

On October 21, National Reptile Awareness Day, advocates across the US are urging PetSmart to recognize that animals aren’t products and don’t belong on store shelves. Whether they’re caught from the wild or bred in cruel mills, these animals are suffering. By selling wild animals specifically, PetSmart is also profiting from the deadly wildlife trade—hurting individual wild animals and threatening biodiversity and public health.

We’re coming together on October 21 to urge PetSmart to take the first step by ending the sale of reptiles and amphibians in its stores. Together we can change the way the pet industry works and protect countless animals.

Here’s how to participate:

Sign up to deliver an information packet to your local PetSmart store(s) on or around October 21
Participate online through a variety of digital advocacy actions listed below.

Below are seven ways you can increase the pressure on PetSmart and prevent countless animals from cruelty:

1. Send a message directly from your email account to PetSmart CEO J.K. Symancyk at jksymancyk@petsmart.com. These personal emails make a huge difference in advocacy. Use the below as a jumping-off point to customize your message:

“I’m writing because I’m very concerned about the continued sale of animals, especially wild animals, in PetSmart stores. Just like puppy mills, pet stores rely on cruel mills to source animals. Please take the first step to ending animal sales by phasing out the sale of reptiles and amphibians.”

2. Tweet at PetSmart and ask the company to phase out the sale of reptiles and amphibians in its stores.

Use our automated alert to send a message to executives at PetSmart and PetSmart Charities and then email 10 friends and family members and ask them to do the same.

3. Share our alert on your social media.

Ask your friends and followers to participate.

4. Download “Banning Retail Sales of Wild Animals: A Toolkit for Animal Advocates.”

The toolkit breaks down how to work with your city or county legislators to pass a law banning the retail sale of animals. Send an email to your local city or county representative and ask them to consider introducing a retail pet sale ban in your community.

5. Comment on PetSmart’s latest Instagram or Facebook post. Sample messages:

Wild animals don’t belong on store shelves. Turtles and parakeets aren’t products. Do better and end animal sales. #AnythingForPets

I can’t believe PetSmart still sells animals in its stores. Animals aren’t products, and every animal sold pushes an animal into a shelter. Do better and end animal sales. #AnythingForPets

6. Call PetSmart’s customer service at 888-839-9638. Let them know you don’t support animal sales. If you’ve shopped at PetSmart before, be sure to tell them. Sample script:

Hi, I’m calling to ask PetSmart to stop selling animals. Wild animals like turtles and parakeets don’t belong in captivity.

7. Share the VICE article where PetSmart workers reveal how unsafe working conditions are resulting in the neglect and deaths of animals at PetSmart stores. Tag @PetSmart. Sample post:

PetSmart claims to do #AnythingForPets but animals and workers are suffering in its stores. PetSmart must do better. @PetSmart