PetSmart campaign explained

Some data suggests that mortality rates in the exotic pet trade can be as high as 81% annually.[iii] And according to a court case in the U.S., a 70% mortality over a 6 week timespan is considered standard industry practice for exotic pet wholesalers.[iv] [v]

Whether captured from the wild or born in captivity, thousands of reptiles and amphibians suffer and die every year because of the exotic pet industry. Intensive breeding conditions, transportation in cramped containers, and being housed in small, barren, unnatural conditions are unacceptable practices, causing untold amounts of psychological and physical damage to these animals.

PetSmart is not transparent about how the exotic pet trade severely impacts the animals they sell.

Reptiles and amphibians pose a public health risk. They can be carriers of viruses, bacteria, and parasites. Approximately 46 zoonotic diseases in reptiles and amphibians are currently known.[vi] Zoonotic outbreaks related to keeping exotic pets in Canada have been reported for decades with the latest two outbreaks, in 2019 and 2020, traced back to the keeping of hedgehogs and snakes.[vii] [viii] Ten individuals were hospitalized.

It’s often difficult to determine if exotic animals are hosts to pathogens because many pathogens do not cause the animal to appear sick. For example, most reptiles are carriers of salmonella, and while the animal does not appear ill, reptiles, amphibians and other species can make humans ill. Furthermore, when an animal is stressed, pathogens are more likely to be shed, increasing the risk of transmission.

Health agencies, including the Public Health Agency of Canada, warn that reptiles and amphibians are inappropriate for families with young children, the elderly, or anybody who has a compromised immune system.

Despite the warning signs and guidelines from health agencies across the country, PetSmart continues to sell reptiles and amphibians to anybody who wants them, and without any veterinarian analysis indicating which diseases the animals might carry.

The majority of reptiles and amphibians at PetSmart are likely captive bred, but animals like anoles (lizard species) still have a close link to their wild counterparts. The wild capture of animals is at times cheaper than breeding them in captivity. [ix]  PetSmart also sells Ball pythons, who are protected internationally by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) to prevent their extinction in the wild.

By selling reptiles and amphibians in their stores, PetSmart supports the capture, breeding, and trade of wild animals which causes immense cruelty and is a driver for species extinction.

PetSmart is the corporate for-profit business. They are responsible for policies around the sale of animals and their products. They also allow use of their stores for adoptions and give customers an opportunity to donate to the charity when they pay for their purchase. PetSmart Charities was established in 1994. They are a charitable organization doing important work like providing grants to animal welfare organizations and collaborating with local shelters to get animals adopted. They are helping the same shelters that are struggling to take in the exotic animals PetSmart sells.

Yes, they are. A wild animal is a species without a history of domestication: a long process of genetic alteration over thousands of years through selective breeding by people for particular ‘desired’ traits. Generally speaking, it involves changes in the animals’ appearance and behaviour.

Reptiles and amphibians bred in captivity retain their complex social, physical, and behavioural needs, which are adapted to their specific natural habitats.

Reptiles and amphibians have far more physical and psychological needs than pet traders admits. Scientists have found that reptiles can experience, among other emotions, anxiety, excitement, fear, frustration, pain, and pleasure.[x] Portraying reptiles as ‘easy-to-keep pets’ fails to acknowledge the range of emotions and states these animals can experience, and can be extremely detrimental for the animal’s health and welfare. We need PetSmart to acknowledge the evidence and end the sale of reptiles.

By selling reptiles and amphibians in their stores, PetSmart supports the capture, breeding, and trade of wild animals which causes immense cruelty and is a driver for species extinction.

PetSmart is a prime example of how Canadian-based companies participate in the cruel wildlife trade. The trade supply chain for exotic pets is very problematic. Animals continue to be caught from the wild, bred in intensive conditions, and shipped long distances. Adding to the problem is the lack of transparency in the supply chain and the effect it has on the welfare and health of the animals caught within it. As Canada’s largest pet store, it is time for PetSmart to acknowledge their role in this destructive trade that puts animal welfare, human health, biodiversity, and our environment at risk. PetSmart needs to end the sale of wild animals.

Reptiles and amphibians come from natural environments where they have the freedom to decide what and when to eat, where to forage, when to bask, along with many other choices. Animals have evolved to make these decisions. At PetSmart, animals face the same small tank with unnatural features every single day. These conditions severely restrict the possibility to perform natural behaviours or to make choices that would give the animal control over its own life. It is generally accepted by animal welfare experts that space and providing choice are instrumental for good animal welfare. A lack of one or both can negatively impact the health and welfare of animals severely.