If you have a website about pets and are looking for pet supply drop-ship companies then you are in the right place. Here I will be going over 11 different companies that you can drop-ship plenty of pet items from directly to your pet-loving customers.
What Is Drop-Shipping?
I assume most people reading this already know this, but drop-shipping is when you sell products and have them shipped directly from the manufacturer, eliminating the need to hold inventory.
So for example: you have a Shopify store. Someone comes to your online store and buys a cat purse. They pay you directly through your online store. You then purchase the product from the manufacturer at a cheaper price and have it shipped directly to them... without them knowing this is what happened.
It's an excellent business model and very good for beginners because it involves much less startup cost and risk than your more traditional model, which is one of the reasons I included it in my list of top income ideas.
So anyways... let's get to the list.
Below is the list. Some of these drop-shippers are more general and sell lots of products besides just pet supplies, whereas others listed specialize in just pet supplies.
11 Pet Supply Drop-Shippers for Your Ecom Biz
1) AliExpress
If you are looking for an absolutely massive selection at the lowest prices then AliExpress is a good option, an they are all about drop-shipping.
AliExpress is owned by the Chinese ecommerce giant Alibaba. In a nutshell, they are a platform where Chinese manufacturers can sell their products directly to consumers.
With over 1 million pet products, there certainly isn't any shortage and you can find products for all pets. And besides the massive selection, you also have no minimum orders and no drop-ship fees.
What might be considered a downside is that these products ship from China, and you have to be careful because some product quality is questionable.
- Massive selection
- No min order
- No drop-ship fees
- Shipping from China
- Product quality can be questionable
2) ChinaBrands
ChinaBrands is pretty much a copy of AliExpress. They are also a platform for Chinese manufacturers to sell products worldwide--and the website even looks pretty much the same.
The product selection isn't quite as large here, but it is still massive and there is plenty to choose from.
There are also no drop-ship fees nor minimum order requirements here--and once again you have to be wary of low quality products that your customers will not be pleased with.
- Large product selection
- No min order
- No drop-ship fees
- Shipping from China
- Product quality can be questionable
3) ePetDiscount
ePetDiscount is located in Hungary and is solely focused on pet products, having over 10k to choose from in the categories...
- Dog
- Cat
- Aquatic
- Bird
- Small pet
- Horse
- Fishing (yes, as in hooks, bait, etc.)
- and exotic animals
While there headquarters are in Hungary, they offer fast shipping and can get products to USA & Canada customers in 2-4 days, but heavy shipments will cost a lot.
There is no minimum order requirement here and no extra fee for drop-shipping.
- Large product selection
- No min order
- No drop-ship fee
- Shipping from Hungary (fast)
- Shipping can be expensive
Those listed above all have a huge range of products and give you a large selection to choose from for your ecommerce business. However, shipping from China and other over-seas countries isn't always the best choice, although it is usually the cheapest, and you may want to consider drop-shippers that have pet supplies located in the USA.
Here is a list of some of the better ones...
USA Pet Supply Dropshippers
Pet Stores USA is based in Ohio and is a division of UTM Distrubuting Company, which was founded back in the 60's. They only offer a selection of around 2,500 pet products, but they are well trusted and only sell quality products--and according to them they are "the clear leader" when it comes to drop-shipping pet supplies.
Categories they have products in include:
- Dog
- Cat
- Bird
- Home
- Horse
- Pest control
- Reptile and more.
And within each of these areas they have many different types of products. Although the volume of products isn't massive, the variety they offer is plenty.
There is no minimum order requirement and packing slips will be branded with your company info.
The quality support this place offers is also worth mentioning.
- Good variety of pet products
- Lots of experience & highly trusted
- No min order
- USA drop-shipper
5) Pet Retail Supply
Pet Retail Supply is an excellent choice for USA pet products as well. They feature products that both ship from, and are made in the USA--over 20,000 products total from many brands.
The products you can drop-ship from here are for dogs & cats, and include things like:
- Clothing
- Collars & leashes
- Shampoo
- Toys
- Furniture
- Travel accessories and more.
The good news is that there is free shipping on all orders over $50... but they do charge a $5 handling fee per order.
There is no minimum order requirement and they ship out items in stock within a couple days, sometimes the same day.
As for branding, they will put your business address on the packing slip.
- Over 20k products
- Cat & dog products
- Free shipping on orders over $50
- $5 handling fee on drop-ship orders
- Made in USA
6) Majestic Pet
Majestic Pet started out in 1994 and is based out of California.
The product selection here isn't all that much, but what makes this place different than others is that they manufacture their products directly. You aren't dealing with a wholesaler who stores items for 30 different brands--this is one brand that drop-ships their products.
Their product lineup includes:
- Dog & cat beds
- Cat trees
- Treats
- Car seat covers
- Collars & leashes
- Pens/crates and more.
There is no minimum order here nor is there a drop-ship fee.
- One brand (trusted)
- Small product selection
- No min order
- No drop-ship fees
- USA manufacturer & drop-shipper
7) Essential Pet Products
With over 20 years experience, Essential Pet Products is a trusted company to drop-ship from in the USA.
They supply products from around 30 brands, which doesn't give you quite the selection as some of these other companies, however these products are very good quality and you won't find them everywhere.
Here you can find brand-name products for:
- Underground fences and shock collars
- Litter boxes
- Crates
- Strollers
- Reptile products
- Chicken houses
- And even some unusual items like treadmills, drinking fountains, electronic meal feeders and more
This place definitely has quite the variety, and as you can see they offer more than just the usual dog/cat products.
They charge no drop-ship fees and have no minimum order requirement.
However, in order to become an authorized retailer with them your business must be registered in the USA or Canada--and you must have an address here as well.
- High quality products
- Over 25 years experience
- More than just the usual dog/cat products
- No min order
- No drop-ship fee
- USA drop-shipper
8) Top Dawg
This place provides access to over 14k products from many brands that you can drop-ship to your customers. They do charge a $10/mo fee, but have a free 30-day trial and waive this fee if your account purchases total over $25 for the month--which is barely anything.
Products you can choose from here are vast--and include much more than just dog products as their name may lead you to think. You have things like...
- Dog toys
- Treats
- Bird foods
- Cages
- Breeding supplies
- Tanks, tube feeders, etc.
- Carriers
- Milking equipment
- Vaccines and much more.
The product selection here is really good... much more than just dog and cat products (fish, birds, rabbits, rodents, reptiles, etc.).
Your company information will be put on all packing slips for a better branding opportunity.
As far as I can tell there is no minimum order requirement.
- Large selection of products for all types of pets
- $10/mo fee, but waived if you have orders totaling over $25
- No min order
- USA drop-shipper
Others:
Some other drop-shippers in the USA, that aren't quite as good but still worth mentioning include:
9) National Dropshippers - Based in New Hampshire--more for small/cheap collars, bandannas, dog clothing, etc.
10) Four Seasons General Merchandise - Based in LA, California--more for small/cheap pet supplies
11) Dallas Wholesalers - Based in Dallas, Texas (only for pet carriers!)
*Note: for the 3 listed above much of their products are made in China, although they are stored in the USA.
Why Drop-Ship from The USA?
It's true that you can probably find products for cheaper on websites like AliExpress that ship from Chinese manufacturers... so then why would you want to choose a US drop-shipper? Well, I'll go over 6 good reasons it might be a choice worth making.
#1 - Faster Shipping Times = Happier Customers
First off, if you are reading this article in English without translating it then you are likely shipping to the Western world. With the exclusion of New Zealand and Australia, your customers will likely get their orders faster. Customers in the USA and Canada will without a doubt receive shipments faster, and as for those in the UK... it could be close to the same.
#2 - Easier Returns
Returning items to small manufacturers in Asian countries can be quite a hassle, which is why many ecom store owners will just tell customers looking to return an item to keep the unwanted product and they still refund their money.
#3 - Higher Quality Products
This certainly isn't true all the time, but generally speaking you are going to have better quality products if you drop-ship from the USA. Chinese manufactured products can be a hit-or-miss and if you are going to drop-ship from oversees I highly recommend you purchase and look at the products you will be drop-shipping first.
#4 - Less Damage
Shorter transit times + less transfers = less damage. And this equates to happier customers and a happier ecom store owner (you).
#5 - Less Lost Shipments
Tracking is much better the less shipments are switched between different carriers... and shipping longer distances usually results in different handlers.
Shipping to USA & Canada from the USA with just one carrier will lower the amount of lost shipments.
#6 - Better Support
USA drop-shippers also usually offer pretty good support if you are having any difficulties or have questions. This is something that is often severely lacking from drop-shippers overseas.
Why Not Drop-Ship from the USA?
#1 - Cost
The only real downside that I think is worth mentioning is the cost, which is higher for 2 reasons:
- The quality is usually better so naturally products cost more (and of course labor/raw materials often cost more when manufacturing in the US).
- Many of these wholesale drop-shippers aren't the actual manufacturer, but instead hold products for many brands. Compare this to Chinese manufacturers who ship out products directly on AliExpress.
Dropshipping vs Buying Wholesale Stock
Dropshipping is a great choice when starting out... you don't have to keep inventory, deal with shipping, etc., and it's a great way to test out different products to sell without any risk of them not selling and you being stuck with a bunch of unsold inventory.
However, it's not always the best choice necessarily.
Dropshipping is very limited when it comes to branding opportunities. Sure, some of these places will put your company name and address on a packing slip, but maybe you want more than that, which is why you may want to consider buying large quantities wholesale.
Pros v Cons
Pros
- Cheaper prices - While some companies claim to drop-ship at "wholesale prices", this isn't usually true. Even if there isn't a 'drop-ship fee', the fee is included in the product price. When buying large quantities at once you can get better wholesale prices.
- Branding Opportunities - When you ship out your own products you can customize packing slips, boxes, etc.
- Quality Control - You will know exactly what you are selling at all times because you get to see and feel your products.
Cons
- It's a Hassle - Now you have to deal with shipping.
- More Risky - You might end up with a bunch of products that don't sell, which is why I only recommend doing this if you already have a proven seller.
Top 3 Picks for Drop-Shipping Pet Supplies
In no particular order:
1) AliExpress - If you want a great selection a the cheapest prices then AliExpress is the way to go.
2) Pet Stores USA - If it is a trusted USA drop-shipper you are looking for with a massive pet product selection then this is a great choice. They are well trusted and you can rest assured that your customers aren't getting low-quality products.
3) Essential Pet Products - Another good choice for a USA drop-shipper with a large selection... and that can be trusted. No fees and min order of course.
Note: By no means should you only look at these top 3. While they all include many of the same products, some will have products that others will not. So you may want to look around.
Also, I know Majestic Pet (#6 on list) didn't make the list, but this is a good company if you want to only deal with one trusted and quality brand... in the USA.
*If you have any other suggestions to add to the list or any comments on those mentioned, please leave them below in the comment section. I like to hear back from my readers 🙂
Also: If you aren't heavily involved in drop-shipping yet you may want to consider affiliate marketing, which is a good alternative. With affiliate marketing you simply promote products and earn commissions when you help make sales... which is even less risky and involves even less start-up cost. If interested you can check out this program I highly recommend.