A whistleblower who worked at Reptiles by Mack, an animal supplier for PetSmart stores, has revealed shocking video evidence to PETA, showing rampant cruelty and neglect. Bearded dragons at the facility reportedly shook and twitched uncontrollably due to a suspected virus; some had severed limbs and tails, and they were denied basic necessities like water. In less than eight weeks, the whistleblower discovered 69 dead bearded dragons.
In response, PETA has sent a letter to PetSmart’s CEO urging the company to stop selling bearded dragons as a first step toward ending all live animal sales. The organization is also encouraging the public to boycott PetSmart until these changes are made.
The eyewitness, who worked at Reptiles by Mack in Xenia, Ohio, for nearly a year, told PETA that he stayed at the facility to try to help the animals. However, he reached his breaking point, saying that every effort he made to care for the bearded dragons was met with threats of disciplinary action for being “off task.”
The former employee described conditions at the Ohio facility as appalling. More than 420 bearded dragons were reportedly killed in just eight weeks, gassed with carbon dioxide after being labeled as “slow growers” or otherwise unfit for sale. Injured reptiles were left to suffer for days, awaiting the facility’s veterinarian, who only visited once a week. In one instance, a dragon with a severely injured arm was left untreated after a supervisor dismissed her chances of recovery.
Breeding practices at the facility were equally inhumane. Female dragons used for breeding were forced to lay eggs in garbage cans, often left for up to six days without food or water. Staff also placed zip ties around the necks of some breeding dragons, further compounding their suffering.
Many bearded dragons exhibited violent shaking and twitching, a condition attributed to an adenovirus. Despite the virus being contagious and potentially painful, the facility took no steps to contain the spread. Sick or asymptomatic dragons were likely shipped to pet stores nationwide. Poor sanitation appeared to be a contributing factor. Sadly, the bins the reptiles were confined to were cleaned as infrequently as once a week, unless inspections by PetSmart were scheduled.
“PetSmart’s animal sales are the meal ticket for miserable breeding operations like this one, where a whistleblower reported vulnerable reptiles being left to suffer from injuries in filth without even a drop of water,” said PETA’s Senior Vice President Daphna Nachminovitch. “The bare minimum PetSmart can do is to stop selling bearded dragons—but it will continue to treat animals as cheap, disposable inventory as long as there is a demand.”
The whistleblower also documented that the facility imported thousands of baby bearded dragons from overseas, crammed into tiny plastic containers without adequate space or care. Dehydrated reptiles scrambled to lap up water droplets during rare cleanings of their filthy enclosures and drank continuously when misted by the whistleblower.
