A valued certification for humane animal care awarded to Petco Health & Wellness in March is now under attack by PETA, which contends it amounts to false advertising.
The animal rights group, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, filed a citizen's complaint on Tuesday with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission. It seeks an investigation and injunction. "Well-intentioned shoppers are getting duped into buying from Petco," PETA alleges.
The dispute centers on the American Humane Certified Seal of Approval. San Diego-based Petco is the first — and so far only — pet retailer to get the designation from American Humane — First to Serve. The 145-year-old organization is the world's largest certifier of animal welfare, including farm animal certification and the "No Animals Were Harmed" film certification.
Petco touted the designation as validation of its care and the overall condition of small animals, birds, reptiles, fish and other species provided by suppliers and sold at its stores.
But PETA alleges Petco has a documented history that discredits the designation.
In 2019, a dozen Petco stores were cited by the Colorado Department of Agriculture for more than 80 violations of the state's Pet Animal Care Facilities Act. Violations included filthy cages, belated veterinary care that led to the deaths of a gecko and ferret, excessive amounts of dead fish in tanks and inadequate temperatures in exotic reptile enclosures, according to PETA.
As recently as July 2021, a Petco supplier in Georgia was cited by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for neglect that included allowing cannibalization in hamster enclosures, the complaint alleges.
At a supplier in Pennsylvania, a manager pleaded guilty to animal cruelty in 2017 after the USDA initially found 117 violations and 36 animals in need of veterinary care.
"The fact that Petco is the first certified entity under this pet provider program is really telling — given the level of animal suffering and neglect that has been recorded at both Petco stores and its suppliers," said PETA Foundation Deputy General Counsel Jared Goodman. "PETA is calling on the FTC to investigate before any other companies as callous as Petco receive this meaningless certification."
A Petco spokeswoman reached by the Union-Tribune didn't provide a response by press time.
According to PETA, there are conflicts of interest between Petco and American Humane. The retailer's nonprofit organization, Petco Love, is a sponsor of American Humane's awards show and announced a $30,000 grant to the organization's sanctuary last month. American Humane's chief veterinary officer was previously Petco's vice president of veterinary medicine.
Based in Washington, D.C., American Humane's roots go back to saving horses in Europe during World War I. One of its missions today is animal rescue operations during wildfires, hurricanes and other natural disasters.
American Humane spokesperson Mark Stubis said the nonprofit has not seen PETA's filing. But he said the allegations are false.
"This appears to be a PETA stunt intended to generate a phony news cycle," he said.
American Humane's Pet Provider certification is new. Petco was the first pet retailer to open its doors to independent third-party audits by American Humane, which led to the company achieving the seal of approval, said Stubis.
"An independent Scientific Advisory Committee made up of highly respected experts in animal welfare, animal science, behavior and animal ethics developed comprehensive science-based welfare criteria to help ensure and verify good care of pets," he said. "Trained auditors spent months inspecting Petco pet care centers and their suppliers and found that Petco meets or exceeds our rigorous standards."
But Goodman, the PETA lawyer, said Petco continues to partner with the suppliers cited for violations in the past — to the best of his knowledge.
And while American Humane touts that all animals from certified pet providers receive the highest level of care, its standards generally adhere to the minimum in the industry, said Goodman.
"These are exotic animals, complex and intelligent individuals, who are denied everything that is natural to them, and they suffer as a result," said Goodman. "The best way to help suffering animals in the pet trades is simply to never shop at stores that sell living beings."
There is no statutory or rules-based timeline for the FTC to respond to PETA's complaint. It typically takes a year or more for the agency to decide whether it will investigate, said Goodman.
Petco's shares ended trading Wednesday down 5 percent at $17.90 on the Nasdaq exchange.
