Letter to PetSmart

April 4, 2023

J.K. Symancyk
President and CEO
PetSmart

Dear Mr. Symancyk:

I’m writing on behalf of PETA and its more than 660,000 supporters in California. One of our supporters recently brought to our attention that PetSmart is selling Whisker City Furry Mice Cat Toys that are believed to be made with real animal fur. Since this product is being sold in California, PetSmart appears to be in violation of the state’s ban on fur sales that went into effect on January 1 of this year. We urge you to stop selling this product immediately.

California’s prohibition on the sale of fur is clear: “It is unlawful to sell, offer for sale, [or] display for sale … a fur product in the state.” Cal. Fish & Game Code § 2023(b)(1). A “fur product” includes “toys or trinkets … that [are] made in whole or in part of fur,” which in turn is “any animal skin or part thereof with hair, fleece, or fur fibers attached thereto.” Id. § 2023(a)(1)-(2). A first violation is subject to a civil penalty of up to $500, with escalating penalties of up to $1,000 for each additional violation.

For decades, PETA entities have exposed horrific cruelty to animals on fur farms around the world: Investigators have documented that animals are electrocuted, bludgeoned, gassed, and even skinned alive. Much of the world’s fur comes from China—the country in which the cat toys in question are made—where millions of dogs and cats are also killed for their fur and skin, which are intentionally mislabeled and sold to unsuspecting customers here in the U.S. and elsewhere.

Please investigate this matter immediately and if these items are made with real fur, as they appear to be, stop selling them in your California stores and across the country.

Thank you for your attention to this important matter. I look forward to your response.

Sincerely,

Tracy Reiman
Executive Vice President