This story is for the birds!
In 1995’s “GoldenEye,” acclaimed actress Judi Dench delivered the unforgettable line: “You don’t like me, Bond… Good, because I think you’re a sexist, misogynist dinosaur. A relic of the Cold War.”
Now, she has delivered an equally spicy takedown of… Petco?
The Oscar-winning actress, 91, is calling on the retail giant to stop selling birds — a.k.a. feathered dinosaurs — after she saw a PETA undercover investigation that depicted alleged horrors at a so-called “mass breeding factory in Petco’s supply chain.”
But the connection to Petco is far from clear. According to PETA, the abuse they documented occurred at a supplier that provides birds to another dealer in the supply chain of a single Petco in Oklahoma.
Petco vehemently denies that claim, telling us in a statement: “Creekside Birds is not and has never been a Petco vendor. At Petco, the health, safety and overall well-being of pets is always our top priority. Our companion animal care standards were developed under veterinary supervision, with external counsel from experts in animal care, behavior, ethics and welfare. They are continuously reviewed and always extend to our vendors.”
Page Six Hollywood has obtained Dench’s angry birds letter — addressed to Petco CEO Joel Anderson — revealing her feathers are way more than ruffled.
“The footage revealed that thousands of parakeets were confined to cramped, filthy cages with no opportunity to fly, explore, or engage in the natural behaviours that make them who they are,” Dench wrote about the video PETA claims to have taken from an indirect supplier to Petco. “Some birds suffered severe injuries, including a bird who had lost an eye and a chick whose wing had shrivelled, blackened, and fallen off.”
And don’t think that Oscar-winning “Shakespeare in Love” actress is merely a fly-by avian advocate.
She has famously dished to reporters about her own beloved pet Sweetie — a foul-mouthed African grey parrot. (And don’t worry, Sweetie has been described as a rescue in the U.K. press.)
“We had a long chat just now. You shouldn’t ask what she says. She says: ‘You’re a slut,’ ‘You’re a slag,’” Dench told the Sunday Times of London in a 2024 interview.
Added Dench of her fine-feathered friend: “She has said, ‘Boris Johnson,’ but she didn’t get that from me. She listens to the radio. My god, she’s funny though. She’s very, very funny.”
PETA got its cameras inside a parakeet breeder said to be in Petco’s supply chain where staff were recorded allegedly killing sick and injured birds by crushing their necks, slamming them to the ground and ripping off their heads. Dench wrote that it was “so difficult to watch” the “heartbreaking” video.
In May, the US Department of Agriculture said in an inspection report, posted online by PETA, that it found “unsanitary conditions” at the same facility, and gave it a deadline to clean things up.
But Dame Judi is now putting heat on the publicly traded Petco, that’s listed as WOOF on the Nasdaq. The company, which has naming rights to Petco Park (home of the San Diego Padres), is something of a cash cow, with net sales of $1.5 billion in Q1 of 2026.
PETA claims in its investigation that nearly 1,400 birds were found dead in just 27 days. “Anyone who has ever shared their home with a bird knows they are curious, emotional, intelligent individuals with their own personalities and preferences. They feel joy, fear, loneliness, and excitement just like dogs, cats, and humans,” Dench wrote. “Please, take a hard look at what PETA uncovered and end the sale of birds in your stores to prevent future suffering for birds.”
When Anderson was named CEO of the pet supply giant in July 2024, executive chairman of the board of directors Glenn Murphy gushed: “Joel is an inspirational leader and a highly experienced retail CEO. Over the course of his impressive career he has demonstrated the ability to build and lead great teams while creating significant shareholder value.”
But it’s unlikely the Harvard Business School grad has ever had to stare down a Bond badass.
We’ve reached out to Petco and haven’t heard back yet.
Dench’s full letter to Anderson follows:
Dear Mr. Anderson,
PETA shared its latest investigation into the bird trade with me, and the footage was heartbreaking.
I live with a bird named Sweetie who I love just like family. Anyone who has ever shared their home with a bird knows they are curious, emotional, intelligent individuals with their own personalities and preferences. They feel joy, fear, loneliness, and excitement just like dogs, cats, and humans.
That’s why it was so difficult to watch PETA’s investigation exposing a mass breeding factory in Petco’s supply chain. The footage revealed that thousands of parakeets were confined to cramped, filthy cages with no opportunity to fly, explore, or engage in the natural behaviours that make them who they are. Some birds suffered severe injuries, including a bird who had lost an eye and a chick whose wing had shrivelled, blackened, and fallen off.
Perhaps most shocking of all: Instead of providing veterinary care to sick or injured parakeets in need of aid, an owner and worker killed them by hand, including by crushing their necks, slamming them to the ground, or ripping off their heads. No one confirmed the birds were dead, and some languished in misery before dying.
Please, take a hard look at what PETA uncovered and end the sale of birds in your stores to prevent future suffering for birds.
Sincerely,
Dame Judi Dench