A pet shop is a place where dogs, cats, birds, rabbits,
reptiles, rodents, fish, and other animals not born and raised on those
premises are kept for the purpose of sale to the public. While many people are
very satisfied with the pets they acquire from pet stores, critics of pet stores
argue that there are numerous problems with the way most stores acquire, care
for, and sell animals.
Many stores acquire most or all of their stock from
large-scale commercial breeding operations that may also supply animals to
industries that pet store patrons could find morally objectionable (such as
cosmetics testing). Though not all of these facilities breed dogs, most are
essentially the equivalent of puppy mills for other species. Overcrowded cages
and long, stressful journeys via air or truck can cause the spread of disease,
resulting in sick animals arriving in the store.