The global pet industry encompasses billions of dollars in animal product supply chains including live animal trade, food, accessories, and veterinary products, with welfare implications at each stage.
The pet supply chain is a complex welfare landscape that most pet owners rarely engage with. The animals visible in the pet shop represent the survivors of supply chains with substantial mortality, and the food in the bag represents farming systems with all their associated welfare challenges. Welfare-conscious pet ownership involves asking questions about supply chain welfare, choosing captive-bred animals from verifiable sources, and selecting pet food brands that disclose and address the welfare of their source animals. The rapid growth of the pet industry in emerging markets creates both welfare challenges and opportunities to establish higher welfare norms before low-welfare practices become entrenched.