Pet Supplies was my FIRST article back in April 2025! I’ve gotten better at researching since then, so I’m taking a second look and refreshing my recommendations. I’ve added new alternatives, including for pet medications, and updated some existing ones.
I know there is a lot of nuance to pet supplies – whether it’s getting wild game food for your cat that was formerly feral, or finding the exact right food blend that your dog will finally eat, or just finding safe medications. On top of finding the right supplies, getting them at affordable prices can also be a major headache. The three major players beyond Amazon – Chewy, Petsmart, and Petco – are all majority-owned by private equity even if they’re publicly traded.
At the end of the day, do what’s best for your pet to ensure they have what they need – no judgements here.
A lot of people have asked me about vet alternatives as private equity ownership has exploded in the last few years. An estimated 25-50% of all US veterinary practices and 75% of specialty practices like emergency services owned by a corporate entity, including private equity, which results in rising costs and poorer pet health outcomes.
While I can’t review every vet practice across the US, thankfully a couple of amazing volunteers have worked to put together a map of Private Equity Vet Practices in the US, Canada, & the UK.
I checked my local vet against the list – I thought it was owned independently but it is in fact owned by Alliance Animal Health, which is backed by private equity.
Local: Definitely recommend supporting your local independent pet store if you have one!
Direct: Check to see if your pet food or other supplies have an option to order directly online through the brand vs. a retailer.
Free: If you’re getting a new pet and need a bunch of supplies or need something like a cat carrier, I highly recommend checking out Buy Nothing groups on Facebook or use their app. You can also see if they are other local free exchange groups near you. People will often give away crates, carriers, and other items.
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Petflow.com: This is what I use for my cats’ food! Their auto-ship feature makes it easy to get what you need consistently, and I’ve had no issues updating or adjusting my delivery windows for auto-ship orders.
The Details: Owned by Phillips Pet Food & Supplies, a family owned and operated business since 1938. They do not have a profile on OpenSecrets nor a public diversity policy.
What They Have: Dog, cat, bird, small mammal, & fish/reptile food, toys, and other supplies. They also have medications!
Shipping: Contiguous US only.
Store Locations: N/A
JeffersPet.com: A little more focused on livestock than pets, but still has food, treats, toys, supplies & medications for dogs and cats.
The Details: Founded by Dr. Jeffers in 1975 and held privately. Jeffers Pet does not have a profile on OpenSecrets or a public diversity policy.
What They Have: For dogs & cats, their food selection is a little limited but tends to be higher-end/speciality brands that might be harder to find at other retailers. Otherwise, they have all the basic supplies like treats, litter box items, collars, and more, and medications. They also have medications and/or supplies for horses, chicken, cattle, sheep, goats, and pigs.
Shipping: Generally the contiguous US, but they offer shipping to Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and Canada with some restrictions.
Store Locations: 2 locations, one in Alabama and one in Florida
PetMed Express: Good alternative to Chewy for pet medication.
The Details: Publicly traded with Silvercape Investments Ltd (~12%), a Singapore-based investment firm, and Moises Tache Galante (~12%), as the largest shareholders. Pet Med Express supports DEI and does not have a profile on OpenSecrets.
Owns: PetMeds.com, PetCareRx.com, 1800PetMeds.com
What They Have: Dog, cat, & horse medications and supplements. They also have food, treats, and pet supplies for dogs & cats.
Shipping: Across the US, no noted restrictions.
Store Locations: N/A
PetSuppliesPlus.com: Now that Pet Supplies Plus is independent, I’m including them as an option. But their reviews in general aren’t great, so shopper beware. They’re also generally set up as a franchise business model, so some stores may be amazing and others…not so much.
The Details: Pet Supplies Plus and Wag N’ Wash are now independent from the Franchise Group as of December 2025, held privately and the transition was financed through Guggenheim Securities LLC. Pet Supplies Plus does not have a profile on OpenSecrets nor a public diversity policy.
What They Have: Dog, cat, bird, small mammal, & fish/reptile food, toys, and other supplies. They offer medications through VetSource.
Shipping: They have curbside pickup, local delivery & autoship to locations near their stores but no nationwide shipping.
Store Locations: Across the continental US
Feeders Pet Supply: Employee-owned regional pet store chain.
The Details: 100% employee-owned since 2023!! Feeders Pet Supply does not have a profile on OpenSecrets nor a public diversity policy.
What They Have: Dog, cat, bird, small mammal, livestock & fish/reptile food, toys, and other supplies. No medications.
Shipping: Only home delivery for areas near their stores.
Store Locations: Across the Midwest & Southeast
Family Farm & Home: Regional store chain similar to Tractor Supply with pet and livestock supplies.
The Details: Family owned and operated since 2002. They do not have a profile on OpenSecrets nor a public diversity policy.
What They Have: Dog, cat, bird, small mammal, & fish/reptile food, toys, and other supplies. They offer medications through VetSource.
Shipping: N/A
Store Locations: Across the Midwest & Southeast
CareALotPets.com: Regional pet store chain.
The Details: Family owned and operated since 1988 and they “strongly encourage a diverse team concept” though they do not seem to have a full diversity policy. Care-A-Lot Pets does not have a profile on OpenSecrets.
What They Have: Dog, cat, bird, small mammal, & fish/reptile food, toys, and other supplies. No medications.
Shipping: Technically you can order online and they offer shipping to the continental US, but shipping costs can be high. They offer local delivery in NC & VA near their stores.
Store Locations: 5 locations in VA, 1 in NC
WestPaw: Good option for dog owners interested in high-quality and healthy treats and toys.
The Details: Family owned and operated and a Certified B Corp. They do not have a public diversity policy but only have 5 full-time employees.
What They Have: Dog treats, toys, & accessories
Shipping: They ship to the US and internationally, though orders to Alaska, Hawaii, & other countries may have higher shipping rates or incur tariffs.
Store Locations: They don’t have their own stores, but you can find one of their retail partners on their store locator page.
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Pet Food Express: Privately held but with investment from private equity firm Rainier Partners.
My Thoughts: The press release notes it’s an investment, versus acquisition, so I don’t think they’re fully owned by private equity, but it’s enough to put them in the questionable category.
What They Have: Dog, cat, bird, small mammal, & fish/reptile food, toys, and other supplies. No medications.
Shipping: They offer delivery near their stores, but have no national shipping options.
Store Locations: California, mostly in San Francisco and Los Angeles
C-A-L Ranch & Coastal Farm & Ranch: Majority owned by Nolan Capital, which specifically notes on their website that they are NOT private equity, but the founder, Peter Nolan, is currently a Senior Advisor to Leonard Green, a massive private equity firm.
My thoughts: While the Nolan Capital website talks about how they approach investing in mid-size companies differently than private equity, the founder still made his money from private equity and remains associated with Leonard Green. I don’t love the setup, but it’s not technically private equity so I put it in the questionable category.
What They Have: Both stores are similar to a Tractor Supply. Dog, cat, bird, small mammal, & livestock food, toys, and other supplies. No medications.
Shipping: They offer shipping to the continental US, both stores have similar policies.
Store Locations: C-A-L Ranch, Coastal Farm & Ranch
Rural King: Family-owned since 1960, Rural King has not spent money on lobbying and they do not have a public diversity policy.
My Thoughts: I put them as Questionable because they had a Better Business Bureau compliant against them in 2018 and nearly a decade later their BBB and Trustpilot reviews are still awful. Buyer Beware.
What They Have: Rural King is similar to a Tractor Supply, with a mix of pet, livestock, automotive and they also sell guns.
Shipping: US, though some of their shipping methods exclude California.
Store Locations: Across 15 states in the Southeast, Midwest, Mid-Atlantic
Petsmart: Majority owned by BC Partners and minority-owned by Apollo Global Management, both are private equity firms. Petsmart also owns OnlyNaturalPet.
Chewy: Publicly traded with BC Partners, a private equity firm, as the largest shareholder at ~74%.
Petco: Publicly traded with CVC Management Holdings, a private equity firm, as the largest shareholder (~59%).
Independent Pet Partners: Backed by private equity firm TPG, filed bankruptcy in 2023 but can’t find more updated details than that. My guess is that they are still owned by private equity in some form or private equity will benefit from their bankruptcy process.
Owns: Open Farm, Stella & Chewy’s, Chuck and Dons, Nulo, NutriSource, Origen, Primal, Roosevelt, Steve’s Real Food, Attachment Theory, Weruva, Zignature, Fromm, Kriser’s
Wellness Pet Company: Owned by private equity.
Tractor Supply Company: Dumped their DEI program in 2024 due to right-wing pressure campaigns, despite having a sizable base of queer shoppers before the change.
BudgetPetCare.com: I had included them in my original article, but people seem to have safety & other issues with the medications they order from there, so I’d stay away.
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