The pet trade industry is a frequently ignored form of animal abuse, resulting in the inhumane treatment of billions of animals annually and threatening the survival of many species.

When a product is offered for sale, the goal of the business offering the product is to cut costs to maximize profits. Without overdoing the economics lesson, anyone can see how a live "product" might suffer under this system. This often happens with animals offered for sale.

Exotic animals are trapped in great numbers and shipped as inexpensively as possible to maximize profits. Domestic animals, such as cats and dogs, are kept in low cost facilities and bred as frequently as possible. Pet stores cut costs by hiring young, untrained staff.