12/04/2025
Interesting. Hopefully Chewy will fix it!
Today, something unexpected and upsetting happened. Chewy refused to fill our beloved Quincy’s prescribed medication simply because he’s a turkey.
We were informed that Chewy’s policy automatically classifies turkeys as “food animals” and states that they only dispense medication to “companion” animals. When we escalated the issue and explained that Quincy is a beloved family member and part of our sanctuary, we were told that Chewy follows FDA guidelines on what species are considered “food-producing.”
However, FDA regulations clearly allow a licensed veterinarian to designate an animal as a companion animal who will not enter the food chain, and even prescribe medications that would not be allowed for animals of a species typically considered “food producing.” The veterinarians we work with understand our mission and know that we do not assign worth to an animal based on someone else’s arbitrary definition of who qualifies as a “companion.”
Quincy is not a food animal.
He’s family.
He receives the same love and care from us as the dogs that also call our sanctuary home.
Chewy has a long history of compassionate service to people and their beloved animals, and we appreciate that. But this policy highlights a painful and discriminatory disconnect: dogs, cats, rabbits, and even typical “pet” birds such as parrots are welcomed as family, while animals like Quincy, Jenna, Pumpkin, Elton, Huckleberry, and others are treated as though they don’t count.
We believe Chewy can and should do better, and update policies that don’t reflect actual FDA regulations or the real-world experiences of countless people and animals.
We would welcome the chance to talk to Chewy leadership, and we invite them to reach out so we can discuss how to ensure companion animals of all species receive the care they need.
Our animals deserve access to the medications their veterinarians prescribe - just like any other beloved family member.
- Life With Pigs Farm Animal Sanctuary
