The Petting Zoo
The Petting Zoo, rebranded as Zoologee, is a B2B plush toy wholesaler selling nature-themed and lifestyle plush to zoos, aquariums, museums, national parks, and gift shops across North America, with 20+ sub-brands including the sustainable Earth Keeperz recycled plush line.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1994
- HeadquartersJessup, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What The Petting Zoo does
The Petting Zoo, now operating under the Zoologee brand, is a B2B plush toy manufacturer and wholesaler serving retailers throughout North America. The company distributes nature-themed and wildlife plush products to zoos, aquariums, museums, national parks, and specialty gift shops through a wholesale registration process, with direct-to-consumer online shopping announced for 2027. Operations are private, with no disclosed investors, headcount, or revenue figures.
The product portfolio is organized across four main categories—Plush Animals (including flagship Wild Onez and the sustainable Earth Keeperz line made entirely from recycled materials, diverting 8 plastic bottles per purchase), Wearables (backpacks, purses, and accessories), Grab & Gos (portable collectibles including Scoopz, Nuggetz, and Squishiez), and Dolls (Zookeepers, Mermaids)—spanning more than 20 sub-brands. Products are merchandised taxonomically by region (Africa, Asia, Australia, North America, South America, Southwest) and environment (Aquatic, Beach, Farm, Rainforest, Space). The technology backbone is a Shopify-based e-commerce platform, and the company maintains a multi-channel social presence on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Pinterest, and LinkedIn, plus trade show participation for B2B outreach.
The wholesale-first go-to-market model is the sole current revenue mechanism, with quote-based pricing, a $100 free-shipping threshold on wholesale orders, and no public pricing listed. The customer base is exclusively SMB specialty and institutional gift shops, with no enterprise contracts, recurring revenue infrastructure, or disclosed top-customer concentration. Sustainability positioning (Earth Keeperz recycled line) and brand breadth across nature, farm, fantasy, and lifestyle themes are the principal value propositions.
The Petting Zoo firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Petting Zoo
- Website
- https://pettingzooplush.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1994
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- The Petting Zoo, rebranded as Zoologee, is a B2B plush toy wholesaler selling nature-themed and lifestyle plush to zoos, aquariums, museums, national parks, and gift shops across North America, with 20+ sub-brands including the sustainable Earth Keeperz recycled plush line.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Petting Zoo industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Plush Toy Manufacturing
- NAICS
- Hobby, Toy, and Game Retailers (459120)
- SIC
- Retail-Hobby, Toy & Game Shops (5945), Dolls & Stuffed Toys (3942)
- akta.pro primary industry
- General Pet Supplies Retail (Multi-category) (CRALAHAA)
Keywords
Where The Petting Zoo is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Jessup
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
The Petting Zoo business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Wholesale Plush Toy Sales: B2B wholesale distribution of plush animals and toys to retailers including zoos, aquariums, museums, national parks, and gift shops across North America
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Wholesale pricing - quote-based |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels8 records
The Petting Zoo product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Petting Zoo (now rebranded as Zoologee) designs, manufactures, and wholesales plush animal toys and related merchandise to retailers throughout North America. Its portfolio spans four product categories—Plush Animals (flagship Wild Onez and sustainable Earth Keeperz), Wearables (purses, backpacks, clips), Grab & Gos (portable collectibles like Scoopz and Nuggetz), and Dolls (Zookeepers, Mermaids). The company sells primarily through wholesale channels to zoos, aquariums, museums, national parks, and gift shops, with direct-to-consumer online shopping announced for 2027.
Product overview
The Petting Zoo (now rebranded as Zoologee) is a B2B plush toy manufacturer and wholesaler serving retailers throughout North America, including zoos, aquariums, museums, national parks, and gift shops. The product portfolio centers on four main categories: Plush Animals (featuring flagship Wild Onez and sustainable Earth Keeperz), Wearables (bags and accessories), Grab & Gos (portable collectibles), and Dolls. New collections include Snugletz (expressive sitting plush) and Puffimalz (shape-retaining cuddly companions). The company emphasizes eco-friendly manufacturing, with Earth Keeperz made from 100% recycled materials. Online direct-to-consumer shopping is announced as coming in 2027.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Wild Onez: Flagship collection of plush animals
- Earth Keeperz
- Snugletz
- Puffimalz
- Scoopz
- Nuggetz
- Snuggle Palz
- Snugglerz
- Zookeepers
- Mermaids
- Bigfoot & Yeti
- Bright Eyez
- Bumblez
- Camo
- Cometz
- Fuzzlez
- Lash'z
- Lollyplush
- Mystical
- Ombrez
- Pirate
- Pocketz
- Preppy Pelican
- Purple Pazzion
- Reeferz
Products and services
- Wild Onez Plush Collection Flagship collection of realistic wildlife plush animals designed to inspire wonder and learning about nature. Sold wholesale to zoos, aquariums, museums, national parks, and gift shops.
- Earth Keeperz Recycled Plush Collection 100% recycled plush collection designed for sustainability, with each purchase saving 8 plastic water bottles from landfills. Sold wholesale to nature-themed and eco-conscious retailers.
- Snugletz Plush Collection New collection of adorably expressive plush that loves to sit, with each piece striking a pose for play, travel, or display. Sold wholesale to retailers across North America.
- Puffimalz Plush Collection New collection of cuddly companions that retain their puffy shape and bounce back after every squeeze. Sold wholesale to retailers.
- Wearables Plush Accessories Category of wearable plush accessories including Purses, Backpacks, Backpack Clips, SlapStix, and Puppetz. Sold wholesale to retailers across North America.
- Grab & Gos Portable Plush Category of portable plush collectibles including Scoopz, Wild Onez Babiez, Wild Onez Babiez Sealife, Nuggetz, and Squishiez. Sold wholesale to retailers.
- Novelty Dolls Collection Doll collections including Zookeepers (zookeeper characters) and Mermaids. Sold wholesale to retailers across North America.
Companies that use The Petting Zoo
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
The Petting Zoo technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
The Petting Zoo partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators1 record
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights4 records
The Petting Zoo competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Wild Republic: Nature and animal-themed plush toy manufacturer selling to zoos, nature stores, aquariums, and educational retailers. Closest direct peer given identical distribution strategy into cultural and educational institutional gift shops.
- Aurora World: Global plush toy manufacturer offering a broad portfolio of animal-themed plush across multiple sub-brands. Comparable in product breadth, sub-brand strategy, and B2B wholesale distribution model.
- Douglas Company: Plush toy manufacturer with extensive animal collection organized by category and region. Comparable product mix (realistic animals, dolls, themed collections) and similar B2B distribution to gift shops, museums, and specialty retailers.
- Jellycat: Premium plush toy brand known for quirky animal characters and broad sub-brand portfolio. Comparable in sub-brand proliferation strategy, premium positioning, and gift-shop distribution model.
- Folkmanis Puppets: Manufacturer of plush puppets and animal toys with strong wholesale distribution to gift shops and specialty retailers. Comparable in B2B model, nature/wildlife product themes, and museum gift-shop distribution.
Broad incumbents
- GUND (Spin Master): Established plush toy brand owned by Spin Master offering premium animal plush and licensed characters. Comparable in core product category but operates as a broader toy conglomerate with significantly larger scale and IP portfolio.
- Squishmallows (Jazwares): Viral plush collectibles brand owned by Jazwares dominating the trendy plush category. Comparable product format but vastly larger scale with strong DTC, licensing partnerships, and viral brand momentum that smaller plush manufacturers must compete against.
- Ty Inc. Iconic plush manufacturer (Beanie Babies) with broad animal character portfolio. Comparable in plush toy manufacturing and sub-brand model but operates at significantly larger scale with established collector markets.
- Melissa & Doug: Broad-line toy manufacturer offering plush and stuffed animal products alongside wooden toys, puzzles, and crafts. Comparable in plush category and B2B distribution but operates a much wider product portfolio spanning multiple toy categories.
Emerging players
- Build-A-Bear Workshop: Plush toy retailer and brand offering customizable stuffed animals. Comparable in plush product category but operates an experiential retail model rather than wholesale distribution to cultural institutions.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat2 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
The Petting Zoo social profiles
Digital presenceThe Petting Zoo financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Petting Zoo leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
The Petting Zoo funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Petting Zoo M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Petting Zoo
What does The Petting Zoo do?
The Petting Zoo (now rebranded as Zoologee) designs, manufactures, and wholesales plush animal toys and related merchandise to retailers throughout North America. Its portfolio spans four product categories—Plush Animals (flagship Wild Onez and sustainable Earth Keeperz), Wearables (purses, backpacks, clips), Grab & Gos (portable collectibles like Scoopz and Nuggetz), and Dolls (Zookeepers, Mermaids). The company sells primarily through wholesale channels to zoos, aquariums, museums, national parks, and gift shops, with direct-to-consumer online shopping announced for 2027.
Is The Petting Zoo a public or private company?
The Petting Zoo is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was The Petting Zoo founded?
The Petting Zoo was founded in 1994. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is The Petting Zoo based?
The Petting Zoo is headquartered in Jessup, United States, in the North America region.
How does The Petting Zoo make money?
One revenue line is on record: wholesale Plush Toy Sales.
Who are The Petting Zoo's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Wild Republic, Aurora World, Douglas Company, Jellycat and Folkmanis Puppets. Broad incumbents are GUND (Spin Master), Squishmallows (Jazwares), Ty Inc. and Melissa & Doug. Build-A-Bear Workshop is listed as an emerging player.
Does The Petting Zoo have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Petting Zoo.
What industry is The Petting Zoo in?
The Petting Zoo's product category is Plush Toy Manufacturing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRALAHAA, General Pet Supplies Retail (Multi-category). Its NAICS code is 459120 and its SIC code is 5945.