✔️ Animal Care Checklist For Pet Stores

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

1. Entry clear of debris
2. Glass clean
3. Surface clean
4. Window ledges clean

STORE FRONT/ANIMAL DISPLAY

1. Animals – On display
2. Animals – Clean
3. Animals – Healthy
4. Cages – Bedding adequate
5. Cages – Sufficient room
6. Food/Water – Adequate quantities
7. Food/Water – Appropriate to animals
8. Food/Water – Containers clean

AVIAN AREA

1. Birds – Clean, healthy
2. Cages/Flight –
3. Cages/Flight – Clean
4. Cages/Flight – Good condition
5. Cages/Flight – Enrichment devices
6. Cages/Flight – Sizes adequate
7. Cages/Flight – Sufficient room
8. Cages/Flight – Doors secure
9. Perches – Clean
10. Perches – Adequate number/size
11. Food/Water – Cups clean
12. Food/Water – Adequate quantities
13. Food/Water – Appropriate to species
14. Food/Water – Internal surfaces clean
15. Food/Water – External surfaces clean
16. Food/Water – Floors clean
17. Food/Water – All surfaces/walls clean
18. Food/Water – Lights clean, operating

CANINE AREA

1. Puppies – Appear healthy
2. Puppies – Fed/watered
3. Puppies – ID collars on puppies
4. Puppies – More than 8 weeks old
5. Puppies – Properly distributed
6. Puppies – Well-groomed
7. Cages/Kennels – Clean
8. Cages/Kennels – Good condition
9. Cages/Kennels – Enrichment devices
10. Cages/Kennels – Sizes adequate
11. Cages/Kennels – Sufficient room
12. Cages/Kennels – Resting mats (If approp.)
13. Cages/Kennels – Bedding adequate
14. Cages/Kennels – Bedding clean
15. Cages/Kennels – Doors/walls/grids feces-free
16. Cages/Kennels – Pans/paper feces-free
17. Cages/Kennels – Glass clean (in/outside)
18. Cages/Kennels – Ventilation/temperature adequate
19. Cages/Kennels – Kennel cards in place
20. Food/Water – Adequate quantities
21. Food/Water – Appropriate to species
22. Food/Water – Containers clean
23. All surfaces/walls clean
24. Lights operating
25. Records current, accurate – Health
26. Records current, accurate – Registry

FELINE AREA

1. Kittens – Appear healthy
2. Kittens – Fed/watered
3. Kittens – ID collars on kittens
4. Kittens – More than 8 weeks old
5. Cages – Clean
6. Cages – Good condition
7. Cages – Enrichment devices
8. Cages – Sizes adequate
9. Cages – Sufficient room
10. Cages – Resting mats/platforms
11. Cages – Litter trays clean
12. Cages – Feces removed
13. Cages – Glass clean (In/outside)
14. Cages – Ventilation/temperature adequate
15. Cages – Display mats clean/fresh
16. Food/Water – Adequate quantities
17. Food/Water – Appropriate to species
18. Food/Water – Containers clean
19. All surfaces/walls clean
20. Lights operating
21. Records current, accurate – Health
22. Records current, accurate – Registry

FISH AREA

1. Fish – Appear healthy
2. Fish – Feeding on schedule
3. Tanks – Functioning properly
4. Tanks – Tanks good condition
5. Tanks – Equip. good condition
6. Tanks – Filters working
7. Tanks – Lights on
8. Tanks – Tops closed
9. Tanks – Glass clean, spot free
10. Tanks – Free of algae
11. Display unit – Clean
12. Display unit – Stain, water-spot free
13. Display unit – Dust-free
14. Display unit – Signage clean
15. Water – Water clear
16. Water – Water level topped off
17. Water – Water quality checked
18. Water – Gravel clean/distributed
19. Floor clean/free of equipment/debris/water
20. Plants – Labeled, priced
21. Plants – Potted plants upright
22. Plants – Dead foliage removed
23. Plants – Tanks free of algae
24. Plants – Glass clean/spot free
25. Plants – Lights on

REPTILE/AMPHIBIAN AREA

1. Reptiles/Amphibians – Appear healthy
2. Reptiles/Amphibians – Fed/watered
3. Cages – Clean
4. Cages – Good condition
5. Cages – Enrichment devices
6. Cages – Sizes adequate
7. Cages – Sufficient room
8. Cages – Bedding (if needed)
9. Cages – Bedding clean
10. Cages – Feces removed
11. Cages – Glass clean (In/outside)
12. Cages – Free of noxious odors
13. Cages – Tops secured
14. Food/Water – Containers clean
15. Food/Water – Adequate quantity avail.
16. Food/Water – Appropriate to species
17. All surfaces/walls clean
18. Lights operating
19. Records current, accurate

SMALL ANIMAL AREA

1. Small animals – Appear healthy
2. Small animals – Fed/watered
3. Cages – Clean
4. Cages – Good condition
5. Cages – Enrichment devices
6. Cages – Sizes adequate
7. Cages – Sufficient room
8. Cages – Bedding adequate
9. Cages – Bedding clean/dry
10. Cages – Litter level adequate
11. Cages – Glass clean (In/outside)
12. Cages – Free of noxious odors
13. Cages – Tops secured
14. Food/water – Containers clean
15. Food/water – Adequate quantity avail.
16. All surfaces/walls clean
17. Medications properly stored
18. Records current, accurate

PRODUCT AREAS

1. Shelves – Clean
2. Shelves – Point of sale signage Fresh and neat
3. Product – Dust-free
4. Product – Facings
5. Product – Labels facings
6. Product – Pricing visible
7. Product – Shop-worn items removed
8. Product – Spillage removed

OTHER RESOURCES FOR Pet Stores

Refer to the Pet Care category for checklists, how-tos and best practices for the pet care industry.

MORE CHECKLISTS

If you are looking for checklists to manage your operations and brand standards, you have two options.

1. Register for a free trial of Bindy and get access to a library of professionally vetted public forms you can use to audit your locations in seconds.
2. Refer to our checklists category of more than 33 checklists to manage every aspect of your operations.