In the increasingly competitive pet supplies market, product stability and safety have become core factors for U.S. retailers and wholesale distributors to succeed. As a pet supplies supply chain platform focusing on the U.S. market, Petfairs has always regarded “source quality control” as its core strategy. Through a rigorous 5-stage supplier screening system, we select high-quality suppliers with both strength and responsibility for our cooperative merchants. This enables you to enjoy the same quality assurance as industry-leading brands with the advantage of low MOQ (Minimum Order Quantity) of “one carton minimum”, helping you gain a favorable position in the competition.

Every supplier on Petfairs undergoes a 5-stage vetting process:

1. Qualification Verification and Experience Threshold: Selecting Capable Partners

We deeply understand that the basic qualifications of suppliers are the first line of defense for product quality. All suppliers applying to settle on Petfairs must pass strict qualification review: they are required to provide complete and valid legal qualification documents such as business licenses, industry production licenses, and import and export operation rights to ensure legal operation. Meanwhile, suppliers must have at least 3 years of experience in pet supplies production or supply, with no major quality complaints, safety accidents, or illegal operation records in the past. We will comprehensively evaluate the operational stability and market reputation of suppliers through methods such as cross-validation of industry databases and reputation surveys of cooperative customers, eliminating partners with questionable qualifications from the source.

2. On-Site Audit: Upholding Ethical and Compliance Bottom Lines

To ensure the social responsibility compliance of the supply chain, Petfairs will organize a professional audit team to conduct on-site factory audits on suppliers, focusing on labor practices and production standards that comply with SMETA (Sedex Members Ethical Trade Audit) requirements. The audit scope covers the four core pillars of SMETA:

• Labor Rights: Strictly verify the absence of child labor, forced labor, and discriminatory practices. Ensure that the employee age is not lower than 15 years old or the local legal adult age, the working hours comply with the standard of no more than 48 hours per week, and overtime wages are paid at the statutory multiple;

• Health and Safety: Inspect whether the fire-fighting equipment in the production workshop and the protective measures in hazardous areas meet the standards. Confirm that the enterprise provides free personal protective equipment (PPE) and regular occupational health checks for employees exposed to risks such as chemicals and noise;

• Environmental Management: Verify whether the discharge of wastewater and waste gas complies with local standards, and whether hazardous waste is handled by qualified entities to eliminate environmental pollution risks;

• Business Ethics: Investigate the absence of bribery, corruption, and intellectual property infringement to ensure supply chain transparency.

3. Independent Laboratory Testing: Guaranteeing Product Safety

All core products of Petfairs suppliers must undergo third-party independent laboratory testing to fully align with U.S. pet product safety standards. The testing scope covers multiple dimensions: for pet food, it focuses on detecting prohibited substances such as amaranth, carmine, and six types of antibiotics, as well as microbial indicators like Salmonella; for pet toys and supplies, it emphasizes testing of toxic and harmful substances such as heavy metals, phthalates, and formaldehyde. Only products with test reports confirming compliance can enter the next cooperation process.

4. Trial Production Runs: Validating Mass Production Capability

After passing the qualification review and laboratory testing, suppliers need to conduct small-batch trial production according to the standard production process. Our quality team will track the entire trial production process, focusing on inspecting whether the production line operation is standardized, whether the product consistency meets the requirements, and whether the packaging meets U.S. transportation and labeling standards (such as clear product ingredients, origin, and safety warnings). If problems such as unstable craftsmanship or inconsistent quality are found during the trial production, we will require the supplier to rectify within a time limit; those who fail to rectify will be disqualified from cooperation.

5. Quarterly Re-Audits: Maintaining Sustained Quality Standards

Quality management is a continuous process. Petfairs implements a quarterly re-audit mechanism for settled suppliers, combining off-site document review and on-site random inspections. The re-audit focuses on verifying whether the supplier’s quality control system is effectively implemented, whether there are changes in production conditions that affect quality, and whether the latest product test reports are up-to-date. Suppliers who fail the re-audit will be included in the key supervision list; if they still fail to meet the standards after rectification, their qualification to settle on the platform will be terminated to ensure that the quality of cooperative suppliers remains stable for a long time.

This ensures reliable quality for pet supplies wholesale distributors and U.S. retailers who demand consistency and safety.