This animal care checklist for pet stores is based on the Pet Retail Store Best Management Practices of the Pet Industry Advisory council.
The Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council (PIJAC) has developed the following Best Management Practices (BMPs) as a guide for retail pet stores in developing excellent husbandry and care standards for the animals in their care, now complete with sample forms and checklists in Appendix. – Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council
We encourage you to visit the Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council’s website for more guidelines and best practices for animal care.
STORE FRONT
If you are using Action Card, GoAudits, GoSpotCheck, Repsly, Safety Culture, VisitBasis, WorkJam, Zenput or Zipline, it is time to ⚡ save time, cut costs, and onboard fast with Bindy, the #1 rated audit/inspection, task and communication platform for retail and hospitality.
- Entry clear of debris
- Glass clean
- Surface clean
- Window ledges clean
STORE FRONT/ANIMAL DISPLAY
- Animals – On display
- Animals – Clean
- Animals – Healthy
- Cages – Bedding adequate
- Cages – Sufficient room
- Food/Water – Adequate quantities
- Food/Water – Appropriate to animals
- Food/Water – Containers clean
AVIAN AREA
- Birds – Clean, healthy
- Cages/Flight –
- Cages/Flight – Clean
- Cages/Flight – Good condition
- Cages/Flight – Enrichment devices
- Cages/Flight – Sizes adequate
- Cages/Flight – Sufficient room
- Cages/Flight – Doors secure
- Perches – Clean
- Perches – Adequate number/size
- Food/Water – Cups clean
- Food/Water – Adequate quantities
- Food/Water – Appropriate to species
- Food/Water – Internal surfaces clean
- Food/Water – External surfaces clean
- Food/Water – Floors clean
- Food/Water – All surfaces/walls clean
- Food/Water – Lights clean, operating
CANINE AREA
- Puppies – Appear healthy
- Puppies – Fed/watered
- Puppies – ID collars on puppies
- Puppies – More than 8 weeks old
- Puppies – Properly distributed
- Puppies – Well-groomed
- Cages/Kennels – Clean
- Cages/Kennels – Good condition
- Cages/Kennels – Enrichment devices
- Cages/Kennels – Sizes adequate
- Cages/Kennels – Sufficient room
- Cages/Kennels – Resting mats (If approp.)
- Cages/Kennels – Bedding adequate
- Cages/Kennels – Bedding clean
- Cages/Kennels – Doors/walls/grids feces-free
- Cages/Kennels – Pans/paper feces-free
- Cages/Kennels – Glass clean (in/outside)
- Cages/Kennels – Ventilation/temperature adequate
- Cages/Kennels – Kennel cards in place
- Food/Water – Adequate quantities
- Food/Water – Appropriate to species
- Food/Water – Containers clean
- All surfaces/walls clean
- Lights operating
- Records current, accurate – Health
- Records current, accurate – Registry
FELINE AREA
- Kittens – Appear healthy
- Kittens – Fed/watered
- Kittens – ID collars on kittens
- Kittens – More than 8 weeks old
- Cages – Clean
- Cages – Good condition
- Cages – Enrichment devices
- Cages – Sizes adequate
- Cages – Sufficient room
- Cages – Resting mats/platforms
- Cages – Litter trays clean
- Cages – Feces removed
- Cages – Glass clean (In/outside)
- Cages – Ventilation/temperature adequate
- Cages – Display mats clean/fresh
- Food/Water – Adequate quantities
- Food/Water – Appropriate to species
- Food/Water – Containers clean
- All surfaces/walls clean
- Lights operating
- Records current, accurate – Health
- Records current, accurate – Registry
FISH AREA
- Fish – Appear healthy
- Fish – Feeding on schedule
- Tanks – Functioning properly
- Tanks – Tanks good condition
- Tanks – Equip. good condition
- Tanks – Filters working
- Tanks – Lights on
- Tanks – Tops closed
- Tanks – Glass clean, spot free
- Tanks – Free of algae
- Display unit – Clean
- Display unit – Stain, water-spot free
- Display unit – Dust-free
- Display unit – Signage clean
- Water – Water clear
- Water – Water level topped off
- Water – Water quality checked
- Water – Gravel clean/distributed
- Floor clean/free of equipment/debris/water
- Plants – Labeled, priced
- Plants – Potted plants upright
- Plants – Dead foliage removed
- Plants – Tanks free of algae
- Plants – Glass clean/spot free
- Plants – Lights on
REPTILE/AMPHIBIAN AREA
- Reptiles/Amphibians – Appear healthy
- Reptiles/Amphibians – Fed/watered
- Cages – Clean
- Cages – Good condition
- Cages – Enrichment devices
- Cages – Sizes adequate
- Cages – Sufficient room
- Cages – Bedding (if needed)
- Cages – Bedding clean
- Cages – Feces removed
- Cages – Glass clean (In/outside)
- Cages – Free of noxious odors
- Cages – Tops secured
- Food/Water – Containers clean
- Food/Water – Adequate quantity avail.
- Food/Water – Appropriate to species
- All surfaces/walls clean
- Lights operating
- Records current, accurate
SMALL ANIMAL AREA
- Small animals – Appear healthy
- Small animals – Fed/watered
- Cages – Clean
- Cages – Good condition
- Cages – Enrichment devices
- Cages – Sizes adequate
- Cages – Sufficient room
- Cages – Bedding adequate
- Cages – Bedding clean/dry
- Cages – Litter level adequate
- Cages – Glass clean (In/outside)
- Cages – Free of noxious odors
- Cages – Tops secured
- Food/water – Containers clean
- Food/water – Adequate quantity avail.
- All surfaces/walls clean
- Medications properly stored
- Records current, accurate
PRODUCT AREAS
- Shelves – Clean
- Shelves – Point of sale signage Fresh and neat
- Product – Dust-free
- Product – Facings
- Product – Labels facings
- Product – Pricing visible
- Product – Shop-worn items removed
- Product – Spillage removed

This animal care checklist is incredibly helpful for pet store owners! It’s great to see such thorough guidelines to ensure the well-being of our furry friends. Thank you for sharing!