Government Inspectors Find Birds and Other Animals Suffering at Apet Inc, a PetSmart and Petco Supplier
Blog
Government inspectors found multiple violations of the Animal Welfare Act at Apet Inc., a massive animal wholesaler that supplies PetSmart and Petco.
Animals sold in pet stores suffer from the moment they’re born. Parrots, lizards, turtles, guinea pigs, and other small animals are bred in large commercial breeding facilities called mills. Then they’re shipped to dealers, who in turn sell them to pet stores. Many animals die before even reaching the pet store shelf.
Apet Inc., along with Sun Pet and BPD, is a major small animal dealer that supplies pet stores across the country. Animal dealers who sell small mammals and birds are regulated by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). Unfortunately, the government rarely steps in to protect the animals it finds suffering. Instead, businesses with Animal Welfare Act violations are given a slap on the wrist or no punishment at all.
At its most recent inspection in December 2025 and January 2026, the USDA found multiple concerning violations.
Bird and Chinchilla With Broken Legs Ignored
The government inspector found a Gouldian finch with what appeared to be a broken leg. The bird was holding their leg up and was hesitant to walk. Their left leg was turned inward, swollen, and scabbed over the ankle. The scab appeared to be more than 24 hours old, yet the bird had been given no veterinary care.
During a separate inspection, a male chinchilla appeared to have a fractured leg. The card on his enclosure stated he had a ‘broken leg’ for several days, but it was not reported to a veterinarian and no care was provided. Due to his atrophied leg muscles, the inspector suspected the injury occurred much earlier than it was noted.
Parrots Crammed Together in Small Cages
Approximately 250 budgies, a species of parrot, were crammed into enclosures so small that they were unable to make normal movements. The birds were split between five cages, each with two to three perches. The perches were so full that some birds were forced to stand on the floor. This is abnormal behavior for budgies, who always rest on perches, unless they are eating or drinking.
The inspector also cited Apet for failing to provide rabbits and guinea pigs with enough space. Three enclosures holding seven to nine rabbits had a total floor space of only eight square feet. A guinea pig enclosure had at least 28 guinea pigs with only 1,450 square feet of floor space.
A History of Neglect
At a previous inspection of Apet in August 2025, the inspector found:
- A Djungarian hamster with a swollen and bloody nose.
- A Chinese hamster with injuries on his face, arms, and legs. He had open wounds exposing inflamed red and yellow flesh on the inside of his arm and thigh, and the area beneath his tail was covered with brown and black fecal material.
- Four guinea pigs in one enclosure and seven in another with crusty, raised lesions on different parts of their bodies.
- Three guinea pigs in an enclosure with abnormal ears.
- A guinea pig with a red, swollen ear with a black scab.
- A guinea pig with a raised black scab on his ear.
- A guinea pig with a persistent head tilt.
- A golden-faced parakeet on the floor, lying on his abdomen and unable to stand normally.
- A Djungarian hamster lying balled up, with their head down and eyes closed, severely lethargic.
Stop the Cruel Pet Store Pipeline
Apet isn’t an outlier. This is how the pet industry works. This cruelty will continue until pet stores stop selling live animals. Here’s how you can help: