Animals don’t belong on store shelves. Yet PetSmart sells wild animals like turtles and birds, along with small mammals like guinea pigs and hamsters, stacked in cages and tanks near leashes and toys.
But animals aren’t products. And whether they’re caught from the wild or bred in cruel mills, these animals are suffering.
By selling wild animals, PetSmart is also contributing to the destructive multibillion-dollar wildlife trade that exploits wild animals on an industrial scale. Wild animals belong in the wild, not someone’s home.
Wild animal sales:
- Push more animals into shelters that struggle to find appropriate placements
- Disrupt ecosystems when animals are abandoned into unfamiliar habitats
- Increase zoonotic disease risk by pushing humans and animals into greater proximity
It’s time for PetSmart to take the first step to recognizing that animals aren’t products and exit the cruel wildlife trade. Urge PetSmart to phase out the sale of reptiles and amphibians in its stores.