December 28, 2024, 9:40 am | Read time: 6 minutes

With more than 200,000 animals, Zoo Zajac was long regarded as the largest pet shop in the world. But now the company, which calls itself the “supermarket of animals,” has surprisingly filed for insolvency. What will happen now – and what will become of the animals?

Staff Promptly Informed

Nevertheless, the insolvency administration has said it wants to continue operations in the north of Duisburg without restrictions for the time being. The wages and salaries of the roughly 150 staff members are secured through the insolvency benefits provided by the Federal Employment Agency. In addition, all parties involved have already been informed – the employees and the most important suppliers, as explained by the insolvency administrator Sarah Wolf in a statement.

“We informed the employees immediately after the insolvency application was filed. The team is committed to supporting the collective path of restructuring, aiming for Zoo Zajac to have a secure long-term future.” In the coming weeks, the insolvency team will analyze the situation in more detail and concretize the restructuring concept. Wolf is quite confident about this. “The conditions for a successful restructuring are good, and we can continue with the sale without any restrictions. The team also remains motivated and is pulling together,” says Wolf. This ensures that all animals will continue to receive professional care.

What Will Happen to the Animals If Zoo Zajac Cannot Be Saved?

However, the pressing question remains: what will happen to the animals if Zoo Zajac cannot be saved, contrary to expectations? This is a question that must be asked despite all the confidence. After all, we are talking about living beings here. In this case, the large number of animals in the range would quickly become a disadvantage. In addition, many animals that not everyone can or should keep, such as particularly exotic animals, can also be purchased from this provider.

Moreover, a reorganization plan would likely include changes aimed at phasing out ‘shelf warmers’ – animals that are difficult to sell and thus only incur costs. But what to do with them? Do they end up in zoos, rescue centers, or animal shelters? Considering that animal shelters and rescue centers are already at capacity, an influx of additional animals would exacerbate an already strained situation.

Animal Welfare Organization Peta Intervenes

This concern is also shared by the animal welfare organization Peta, as Lisa Redegeld explained in an interview with PETBOOK. “We have significant concerns about the estimated 200,000 animals in the store,” said the spokesperson. “Neither the authorities nor the animal shelters in the region would be able to accommodate such a large number of animals if the store were to close.”

That is why they now want to contact the insolvency administrator and the authorities and “make it clear that the rescue of the animals, i.e., the successive placement, must now have the highest priority.” Peta is also demanding that the ailing company stop adding new animals.

How the Crisis Came About

When asked by PETBOOK what will happen to the animals in case of doubt and whether they will now withdraw from the sale of exotic animals, Zoo Zajac said: “The foremost objective in the ongoing provisional insolvency proceedings is the preservation of Zoo Zajac GmbH to the fullest extent possible. This also serves to satisfy the claims of creditors as comprehensively as possible – because that is the primary goal of court insolvency proceedings.”

However, at this stage, it is still too early to say “which measures are sensible and necessary in the course of restructuring the company.” However, the search for suitable investors or buyers has already begun.

At least as interesting as the animals’ whereabouts is how this crisis at Zoo Zajac came about in the first place. In its heyday, the company had an annual turnover of an impressive 15 million euros^.2 The company cited the sharp rise in prices for the purchase of goods and transportation as well as increased energy costs as the main causes of the crisis, which ultimately led to insolvency. Several failed loan negotiations for further interim financing were then the concrete trigger for the insolvency application, it continued.

“The Day the Sale of Animals at Zoo Zajac Finally Ends Will Be a Good Day for Animal Welfare”

What the insolvency actually means for the company and its future remains to be seen. But if the animal welfare organization Peta has its way, the sale of animals on a grand scale will soon be over. “The cessation of animal sales at Zoo Zajac would mark a significant victory for animal welfare,” explained Peta spokesperson Lisa Redegeld.

“We have repeatedly exposed serious abuses in animal care within the store, and animal shelters, already at their capacity limits due to pet sales, are sometimes forced to impose admission bans. Those responsible at Zoo Zajac have proven often enough in the past that they are only concerned with profit and not at all with the welfare of the animals.”

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“We advise Every Potential Investor to Keep Their Hands off this Unscrupulous Business with Animals”

Peta recently received footage showing ferrets, a sloth, and rays with abnormal behavior. These were kept at Zoo Zajac “under inhumane conditions and degraded to visitor magnets,” complained the animal rights activist. “We advise every potential investor to keep their hands off this unscrupulous business with animals because the abuse of animals for profit has no future.”