Facts Millions of animals, ranging from monkeys to mice enter the pet trade every year through retail stores around the world. Investing in either pet or pet products industry was only restricted to traditional main players until recently. According to Travis (2007), more players are cultivating for themselves a niche in what has now become a lucrative business – selling pets and pets’ products. It is now estimated that the business is worth more than $42 billon every year in America alone, according to Schmidt (2005). One of the very many companies dealing with sale of pets and pets’ product is PETCO. It s a renowned company in the United States, offering a complete selection of pet-related products and pet services. According to their official website, PETCO (2008), the services offered includes canine education, grooming, and vaccination skills, all offered at very competitive prices. The company boasts of being conveniently located, and offering superior customer services. The company is operational in 850 stores around 49 states, and offer in excess of 10,000 high-definition pet related products. To give some useful insights about the company, it is the second biggest pet, pet food and supplies in the United States, after PETsMART. Its mission according to PETCO Animal Supplies, Inc (1999) is to “become the leading category-dominant national chain of community pet food and supply superstores by offering its customers a complete assortment of pet-related products at competitive prices, with superior levels of customer service at convenient locations.” Though PETCO’s success story may feel like music to the ears of investors, it has not been all that rosy. This is because engaging in pet business raises very serous ethical considerations, which if not well addressed can bring an entity down in the brink of an eye. PETCO’s have had its share of troubles with Animal Welfare groups and other interested parties. According to the coordinators of some of these groups, companies such as PETCO only capitalize on the people’s love for the pets. According to Engelbretson (2004), the pet retail industry has nothing to do with giving individuals happiness nor do they have the welfare of the individual pets at heart. It is all because of money that these retail stores engage in this “illegitimate” business. According to Engelbretson, a senior programme coordinator at Animal Protection Institute (API), people unknowingly support cruelty by shopping for animals at these pet stores. Animals are treated as commodities in these retail environments in order for industry players to realize a profit. This should not be the case as animals are living, feeling beings, which must not in any way be treated like mere merchandise. Across the pet retail industry, there is concern that the public or some animal welfare groups may uncover some damning activities, which may be used by the mass media, interest groups, or critics to undermine an entity’s reputation. Moreover, according to Ferrell and Fraedrich (2006), some disgruntled individuals will always distort the truth to serve their own self interest. To this extent, managers of pet retail shops must at all times observe ethical decision making. They must integrate ethics into vital s