PetSmart Ends Sales of Turtles and Tortoises: PETA Statement

For Immediate Release:
April 8, 2026

Contact:
Sara Groves 202-483-7382

Following multiple PETA investigations into the large-scale breeding operations that supply PetSmart and other stores—each of which has revealed deprivation, immense animal suffering, and death—PetSmart has ended its sales of several live animal species, including turtles, tortoises, Cuban false chameleons, Bahamian anoles, and red claw crabs. Below, please find a statement from PETA Founder Ingrid Newkirk.

For years, PetSmart has bought small animals from breeding operations that confine them to filthy, crowded conditions and deprive them of even the most basic care, so PETA welcomes the company’s decision to stop selling turtles and tortoises, species with highly specialized needs. Pet shops must also end sales of bearded dragons, snakes, and all other live animals, and potential buyers are reminded that “adopt—don’t shop” is always the right choice, no matter the species.

PETA’s investigations into the pet trade have exposed systemic cruelty and neglect—including thousands of bearded dragons warehoused in filthy, barren plastic tubs and workers slamming a bag containing live hamsters against a table in an attempt to kill them. PETA notes that across the country, animal shelters and adoption groups for birds, small mammals, reptiles, and other animals are bursting at the seams with animals in need of loving homes—and reminds everyone to never buy an animal from a breeder or a pet store.

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to abuse in any way”—points out that Every Animal Is Someone and offers free Empathy Kits for people who need a lesson in kindness. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow PETA on X, Facebook, or Instagram.