04/27/2025
Dear PetSmart Leadership,
I’m writing as someone deeply invested in the well-being of dogs and their guardians, recognizing PetSmart’s influential role in pet care practices nationwide.
Your stores provide valuable products and services to millions, myself included. I appreciate your accredited trainers’ dedication to positive, reward-based training.
Yet, a significant contradiction remains unresolved, which we, members of the professional dog training and behavior science communities, urge you to address.
In 2021, the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior (AVSAB), a leading evidence-based voice in veterinary behavior science, published their position statement explicitly opposing the use of aversive training methods. (Linked below)
AVSAB strongly advises against shock collars, prong collars, and choke chains, citing substantial evidence these devices cause stress, anxiety, and aggression, even when used as directed.
This declaration was our industry’s equivalent to the Surgeon General stating “smoking causes cancer,” or the American Psychological Association declaring “corporal punishment harms children,” prioritizing the mental and physical welfare of dogs.
This stance is unanimously supported by 100% of major veterinary behavioral organizations globally (see comprehensive list below).
Critically, these behavioral science organizations unanimously clarify these tools are unnecessary in any known training or behavior modification scenario, pose significant risks to animal welfare and public safety, fail to produce lasting behavior change, damage the human-animal bond, can increase aggression, and do not address underlying behavioral issues. These are profound, inherent problems, not minor concerns or rare side effects.
Such universal scientific consensus makes aversive tools inappropriate for anyone, pet guardians and those involved in animal training alike. Continued sale of these products exposes PetSmart to potential liability, as there remains no credible scientific evidence, reputable behavioral organization, or expert consensus supporting their use under any circumstances. A lack of awareness is no longer defensible, morally or scientifically.
We urge PetSmart to give this matter the careful attention it deserves and promptly discontinue the sale of these aversive products.
I recognize PetSmart’s continued sale of these products likely reflects policies that have not yet been re-evaluated against recent scientific advancements and evolving ethical standards over the past four years.
Given your stated commitment to modern, ethical training, the continued availability of these harmful devices in PetSmart stores and online remains problematic.
Though many locations secure shock collars behind locked displays and rely on associates to caution customers, this approach falls short in 2025. Availability, however restricted, implies endorsement and directly contradicts expert consensus.
Continuing to sell aversive dog training tools despite overwhelming scientific agreement is like a pharmacy still selling cough syrups containing he**in or diet pills containing amphetamines, products once common but now universally recognized as harmful.
Even with good intentions, stocking such products sends confusing and harmful messages, undermining consumer trust and established science.
These aversive tools suppress behavior through pain, fear, or discomfort, a fact grounded in decades of behavioral research, not hyperbole.
Arguments based on customer demand or educational outreach no longer hold, as modern behavioral science unequivocally rejects these tools without exception.
PetSmart has shown leadership on social issues, promoting diversity, inclusion, and compassion. In that spirit, we, the modern behavior science community, professional dog trainers, and concerned public, urge you to extend these principles consistently to animal welfare by eliminating aversive training products entirely.
Removing these devices from your stores is consistent with PetSmart’s stated values, clearly signaling to pet guardians that modern, ethical, scientifically sound training prioritizes dogs’ emotional well-being and positive reinforcement.
Countless advocates for animal welfare and ethical training stand ready to support PetSmart in making this critical change. Doing so will reinforce PetSmart’s legacy as a compassionate and forward-thinking leader.
A comprehensive list of scientific references follows. Additionally, I am available for good faith private discussions at [email protected].
Sincerely,
Zak George
Advocate for Humane Dog Training and Pet Welfare
Organizations opposing the use of aversive tools:
* American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior (AVSAB)
* American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA)
* American College of Veterinary Behaviorists (ACVB)
* American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA)
* European Society of Veterinary Clinical Ethology (ESVCE)
* British Veterinary Association (BVA)
* British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA)
* Australian Veterinary Association (AVA)
* Canadian Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA)
* Scottish Government (“Guidance on Dog Training Aids”)
* American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA)
* Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA)
* Association of Pet Behavior Counsellors (APBC)
* Dogs Trust UK
* Blue Cross for Pets
* Animal Behavior and Training Council (ABTC)
* Association of Professional Dog Trainers UK
* The Kennel Club (UK)
* Association of Professional Dog Trainers Australia
* Association of Professional Dog Trainers New Zealand
* New Zealand Companion Animal Council
* New Zealand Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (NZSPCA)
* The Gundog Trust UK
* Guide Dogs UK
* Pacific Assistance Dogs Society (PADS)
* Edmonton Humane Society
* British Columbia Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (BCSPCA)
* Pet Professional Guild (PPG)
* Companion Animal Welfare Council (CAWC)
* International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants (IAABC)
Links to statements from the above organizations and additional professional animal welfare and training organizations who have also publicly condemned all aversive training tools, plus an extensive list of scientific references is available at: https://www.zakgeorge.com/general-5
