Where Does Petco Get Animals in 2024?

With over 1,500 stores across the United States, Mexico, and Puerto Rico, Petco needs reliable sources to supply the hundreds of thousands of live pets sold through their retail channels each year. As one of the largest pet retailers nationwide, Petco partners with suppliers, breeders, and rescue organizations to offer a wide selection of pets.

In recent years, Petco has shifted their sourcing practices towards more ethical and sustainable models for certain animal categories. However, activists continue to call for increased auditing and higher standards from some controversial suppliers.

Millions of Pets Sold Annually

According to Petco‘s 2021 annual report, the company sold around 157,000 reptiles, 79,000 birds, and millions more fish and small animals last year alone. With millions of pets sold each year across over 1,500 stores, Petco‘s sourcing network is massive.

Focus on Pet Adoptions

For cats and dogs, Petco partners with local animal shelters and rescue organizations. This adoption program has helped over 6.5 million homeless pets find new families since 2000.

By funding nonprofits through donation drives, Petco has aimed to improve animal welfare and reduce euthanasia rates for cats and dogs nationwide.

Small Animals: Vendor Standards

Petco has specific guidelines and required inspections for vendors that supply small animals like guinea pigs, hamsters, rabbits, and ferrets. Their Approved Small Animal Vendor List outlines housing, sanitation, and healthcare requirements.

However, organizations like PETA have called out Petco for buying from suppliers like Marshall Farms, a controversial ferret and chinchilla breeder. Despite over 20 USDA violations, Petco still partners with Marshall for ferret sales.

Birds: Kaytee Partnership

Kaytee’s Preferred Birds network supplies most pet birds to Petco stores. The availability depends on what breeders Kaytee is partnered with at the time.

Some concerning complaints against Kaytee claim that their breeding practices prioritize mass production over animal welfare. However, Petco‘s partnership provides consistent supply of popular pet birds.

Reptiles: Large-Scale Suppliers

For reptiles, Petco partners with major suppliers like Segrest Farms, one of the largest reptile distributors worldwide. Activists note a lack of transparency around breeding conditions at some of these large-scale suppliers.

Fish: Aquaculture Networks

Petco sources fish from aquaculture networks and exotic fish farms internationally. Their primary supplier is Segrest Farms, the world‘s largest provider of tropical fish.

Sustainability concerns have been raised around sourcing ornamental fish that are captured from reef habitats rather than ethically bred.

Evolving Approach to Ethical Sourcing

While Petco still partners with some controversial large-scale breeders, they have shown a willingness to shift away from suppliers that violate animal welfare standards. Their transition to adoption programs for rabbits in 2009 demonstrated a commitment to work with activists on more ethical models.

However, many urge Petco to continue evolving and increase oversight of their suppliers through more frequent audits. Petco has an opportunity to push the entire live animal supply chain to focus on quality of life rather than mass production.