*In a previous publication of this story, the word “realtor” was used incorrectly. It has been edited.*
In recent years, big-box pet stores such as PetCo and PetSmart have become a topic of discourse amongst many regarding the welfare of the animals they retail. While they may often pride themselves as trustworthy places of business for pet owners to shop for their animal companions, recent incidents involving the animals they sell have shed light on the more than questionable business practices these companies engage in. Though there may not have been any official legal action taken against these companies as a whole yet; many consumers are still beginning to wonder: is shopping at major pet stores ethical?
Betta Fish
Betta fish are often seen as a cute, inexpensive solution to any young child begging their parents for a pet. PetSmart themselves even reinforce this narrative, stating on their website that “Bettas are great beginner pets that don’t take up a lot of space.” So, how much care do these little fish need? A lot, actually. According to the website bettafish.org, betta fish need a minimum tank size of 2.5 gallons, with 5 gallons being ideal, a water temperature of 76-81 degrees Fahrenheit, and only approved aquarium decorations for their tanks.
Surely pet retailers as major as PetSmart and PetCo must abide by these pet care operations, right? Well, not exactly. Betta fish are sold out of small, plastic cups, with no decorations for stimulation, no water temperature regulators, and no routine ‘tank’ cleanings. This improper care can often cause diseased, unhappy fish to be sold to customers. Betta fish sold from big-box pet stores end up only living an average lifespan of two to four years; when they could potentially live up to ten years with the proper care and environment.
Though improper care is nothing to scoff at, that may seem inconsequential compared to what TikTok user Kate Hahn discovered in a dumpster behind a PetSmart: a box of live betta fish.
In a TikTok uploaded in 2023, Hahn records several boxes in a dumpster behind a PetSmart in Idaho containing dozens of live betta fish in cups with less than an inch of water. In her video, Hahn exclaimed “They’re all alive. PetSmart literally threw them away.” Following the incident, in a post made several days later, Hahn claimed that store employees were able to save all but one.
In a statement to Insider, PetSmart claimed “This was an isolated incident, made in error, which we sincerely regret…” No confirmed incidents have occurred since.
Dog Strangled During Grooming Visit
According to Wikipedia, PetSmart has offered grooming services for cats and dogs in most of their locations since 1992. When AJ Ross, a 35-year-old woman from Pittsburg, Pennsylvania took her 12-year-old poodle Kobe in for grooming, she was not given the expert-level care she was promised.
As Ross dropped Kobe off for grooming, she left the salon to browse the rest of the store’s offerings. She claims she soon heard the store manager being called to the salon, and soon after she was called into the salon as well.
When she arrived, she claimed to have seen her lifeless dog on the table. In an interview with KDKA- a local news station in Pittsburgh, PA, Ross explained “I’m rushing out of the store, and I’m hoping maybe some fresh air will help him. If I just rub him and the fresh air hits him, maybe he’ll wake up…I’m saying, ‘Kobe, wake up, wake up,’ and he’s not waking up. And I just collapsed outside the store.”
Kobe then was rushed to a vet, where it was later revealed that CPR was attempted by the workers.
Following his death, Ross was able to access surveillance video through a regional manager of the store.
“They had him tethered to a leash and tethered to the end of the grooming table. So his neck is being hyperextended in different directions,” she recalled. “He was hanging. He was hanging for over a minute. He was struggling and being tortured. They didn’t do anything, they just kept cutting his nails.”
A veterinarian who reviewed the evidence concluded that Kobe passed due to a crushed windpipe due to being tethered harshly. Looking for further answers about this traumatic incident, Ross emailed PetSmart about its terms of animal care and protocols. The response she received from PetSmart was not as she desired; as PetSmart was clearly looking to cover up the incident.
The response reads, “We would ask you to sign an acknowledgement (sic) to keep these documents private because our training academy and policies and procedures are proprietary, and those documents are not generally available to the public. We are willing to make an exception here, and we want to share those with you, given these circumstances.”
Ross states reliving the experience of the incident has been hard, and she hopes that all pet owners will see the harsh realities of such companies. She hopes other people will be protected because of her incident.
What to Conclude
The incidents don’t stop there. On social media, similar concerns and events of animal abuse have been a hot topic of discussion for several years. From news sites to Instagram posts, stories of extreme neglect and the discourse surrounding them can be seen.
Take, for example, a post from Instagram in 2018. It discusses concerns about the death of nearly 50 dogs dying after their grooming services. Or, an article from the Independent that details PetSmart employees allegedly throwing a live hamster and bird into the trash.
These occurrences are not flukes; they’re continuously happening, so much so that it has gotten to a point where the general public is beginning to take note of it. On the website change.org, a petition to ‘Call on PetSmart to Stop Selling Animals’ has been created, and has amassed a total of 20,826 signatures.
In the words of PETA, “Petco treats the sentient beings it sells as disposable merchandise, but the buck can stop with us, the consumers. For all these… animals’ sakes, please don’t buy into the pain that Petco peddles.”
