Austin is facing an unprecedented winter chill, which forecasters are predicting will bring 2 feet of snow. The prospect of snow can be exciting for some, but, for those who experienced the worst parts of Texas’ great freeze, hearing the news can feel anxiety-including.
In 2021, said freeze caused multi-day outages across the state of Texas, resulting in 246 deaths. The death toll was severe for household pets as well, which had little protection against the frigid weather. Power outages resulted in many pets dying in the safety of their homes or outside, simply because there was no infrastructure support to keep them warm during the frigid and unsustainable conditions.
This was especially true for cold-blooded species: Frogs, lizards, and fish all have specific temperature requirements that pet owners were unfortunately unable to maintain. It led to hundreds if not thousands of fish dying in tanks across the state, alongside millions of sea creatures freezing in the water.
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While PetSmart and Petco have made no public admissions that their in-store fish perished during the local power outages, questions were raised as to how they took care of fish during this time. Power outages would have inevitably affected fish in-stores, and one Petco worker told an Austin-based Patch editor at the time that many fish available for sale didn’t make it in his store.
In 2021, the situation completely shocked the whole of Texas, making it difficult to prepare for as it was happening.
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But, with a new, recent chill in the air in Texas, have these stores changed anything to ensure that fish and other cold-blooded pets will be safe in the case of a power outage? What specific policies exist to protect unsold, pet store animals?
Are animals at PetSmart, Petco at risk?
Animals at commercial pet stores are most likely not at risk considering efforts across Texas to ensure the state is prepared for winter storms in the near future, but, in the event of a power outage, pets left at commercial stores could be susceptible to freezing.
Some species, like the White Tree frog, need to be kept between 64–72 °F. Without power, it’s very easy for a frog’s internal cage condition to creep toward 40–50 °F, making the creatures susceptible to greater health issues.
Aquariums generally should remain between 60–80 °F to prevent long-term issues. Tropical fish need warmer environments. Often, they require a small heater to maintain a temperature of 70–82°F. Cold water fish are more comfortable in temperatures from 60–75°F. Generally, some fish species can adapt to colder temperatures and temporarily be in less-than-ideal conditions. The problem is sustained, local power outages.
4.5 million Texas homes and businesses lost power in 2021. Many for several days. At least one expert is warning that this freeze will bring more devastating weather than the last time.
Contrast this to this week’s projected local temperatures: There are areas in Texas where outside temperatures are 2°F, which is below freezing.
What are conditions like for animals at Petsmart and Petco?
There is no conclusive evidence that local PetSmart’s or Petco locations in the Austin area will have power outages, nor that individual stores will not try to preserve their pet inventory if a power outage occurs.
Ultimately, stores may act independently to manage the pets on-site and ensure they remain safe and well-cared for in the event of power outages or severe weather.
But, reports from animal rights organizations have indicated that stores like many commercial pet stores fall behind when it comes to the welfare of the pets. PetSmart has been a longstanding target for undercover PETA operations. Those operations have uncovered situations where employees refused to give sick or dying animals necessary veterinary attention.
PetSmart’s suppliers have also been charged numerous times for animal abuse allegations.
And Petco? Well, it uses the same suppliers as PetSmart. In a 2023 investigation, the USDA found guinea pigs with skin lesions, parrots with scabbing, and animals with various open wounds in the company’s facility.
There’s also longstanding issues with the way that both companies sell Beta fishes. There are even campaigns to “demand that Petco stop killing Beta fish,” which is active.
We called a PetSmart location on S I-35 frontage road and asked, “were there any specific protections after the 2021 freeze implemented to care for reptiles and fish at this location?” An employee at the location was unable to comment.
Similarly, we called a Petco location at 1000 E 41st, Suite 820, but they had no further insights they could add. Both locations indicated that its corporate policy is not to discuss press-related matters.
We’ve reached out to Petco and Petsmart’s corporate emails for more information.
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