PetSmart has become the latest company to face backlash over LGBTQ merchandise and promotions for beloved household animals.
The announcement came ahead of June’s Pride Month and includes rainbow-colored costumes for dogs and cats as well as ‘Love is Love’ treats.
The North American pet chain released the new ‘You Are Loved’ collection of 2023 Pride-themed clothes, toys, and items for pet owners – with some social media users lamenting online – despite the company celebrating the event since 2019.
Critics bashed the company this month some even going as far as to call a boycott similar to brands like Bud Light and Target.
One user said: ‘From the ‘Pride Shop’ at Petsmart. ‘You are loved PRIDE Dog Dress and Bikini’. This is unacceptable. Please boycott.’
PetSmart has become the latest company to face backlash over LGBTQ merchandise and promotions for beloved household animals
The announcement came ahead of June’s Pride Month and includes rainbow-colored costumes for dogs and cats as well as ‘Love is Love’ treats
Another said: ‘You have got to be kidding. My Catahoula would turn on me.’
‘Another place to studiously avoid,’ one lamented.
‘To @PetSmart – Congratulations! We just added PetSmart to our permanent boycott list,’ someone else tweeted.
Meanwhile, another said it wasn’t about what was printed on the clothes as much as the clothing itself.
‘Don’t care what’s printed on the fabric, but my heart goes out to dogs whose ‘owners’ would put them in a freakin’ bikini. such puppers must be mortified,’ one user said.
But not everyone was critical of the move, noting that the store had been promoting pride for years.
‘How pathetic. PetSmart always has #Pride merchandise,’ the person tweeted in response to a Newsweek story about the backlash.
‘My dog’s favorite toy is a crinkle rainbow I bought several years ago.’
‘Good for you, @petsmart, for standing firm in your support of all people whoever they are and whoever they love,’ another said.
‘Our dogs will greatly enjoy their #Pride ‘donuts!’
PetSmart’s senior vice president and chief merchandising officer Kristin Shane said in a release earlier this month that the company is ‘proud to elevate the voices and experiences of the LGBTQ+ community.’
‘Our You Are Loved collection was initiated and inspired by our associate resource group team members to help pet parents and their pets celebrate the spirit of Pride and share our values of inclusion and unconditional love,’ said Shane.
The new merch marks the fourth consecutive year PetSmart has thrown their support behind Pride.
PetSmart recently announced a $200,000 donation to GLSEN as well – an LGBTQ advocacy group who faced criticism for pressuring school districts to not tell parents about how their children identify.
In total, the company have donated $600,000.
It comes after Target lost more than $10billion in market capitalization in the span of 10 days – as it continues to face backlash for Pride-themed merchandise.
The controversy stemmed over an LGBTQ-geared clothing campaign that touts ‘tuck-friendly’ bathing suits and pro-trans T-shirts for kids.
Prior to the backlash, Target shares were trading at $160.96, giving the retailer a market valuation of roughly $74.3billion.
By the time The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) closed last Friday, the blue-chip stock was trading at $138.93 – marking a market valuation of 64,2billion, and loss of $10.1billion.
The new merch marks the fourth consecutive year PetSmart has thrown their support behind Pride
Target has supported Pride – celebrated throughout the month of June – every year since 2013, with this year’s collection only the latest to prove polarizing.
In 2014, Target publicly endorsed marriage equality, and the following year announced it was ending their policy of dividing certain products, like toys, by gender.
The company also introduced a gender neutral line for children, and in April 2016 – amid a nationwide discussion about bathroom access – announced that transgender people were free to use whichever bathroom they chose.
The backlash to Target’s Pride range comes amid an ongoing controversy around Bud Light’s decision to use trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney to promote the beer and her partnership with Nike.
