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Animals Are Not Merchandise. Always Adopt. Never Shop.

Selling animals is costing many of them their lives.

Animals sold in pet stores are sourced from horribly cruel breeding mills, which have been exposed in numerous undercover investigations by organizations like PETA and World Animal Protection, and many are kidnapped from their habitats in the wild. Hermit crabs, for example, are exclusively kidnapped from the wild.

These animals have almost no legal protections. Reptiles, amphibians, and fishes aren’t even included in the Animal Welfare Act. They are extremely vulnerable to exploitation and abuse. It’s estimated that the vast majority of animals in the pet trade die in breeding mills or during shipping before they even make it to the store shelf.

Most “exotic pets” are actually wildlife and they languish in captivity, unable to express their natural behaviors and instincts. Pet stores sell animals to anyone, with no vetting process to ensure appropriate, life-long care for that individual. This contributes to the horrifying reality that 75% of “exotic pets” die within the first year after being purchased. Many others end up abandoned outside in ecosystems they are not native to or dumped at already overwhelmed rescues and shelters.

Activists with DxE are working to denormalize this commodification of animals and ban the retail sale of animals. We're also pressuring pet stores to stop selling animals and only host adoption events with local rescue organizations.