Wild Birds Unlimited Franchise Failure Rate
SBA 7(a) loan default data, FY2010–FY2019 · Updated 2026
Wild Birds Unlimited franchisees defaulted on 3.0% of SBA 7(a) loans between FY2010 and FY2019 — 1 of 33 loans were charged off — according to U.S. Small Business Administration data. That is lower than the Pet and Pet Supplies Stores industry average of 10.4%.
- 3.0%SBA default rate1 of 33 loans
- 33loans resolvedapproved FY2010–FY2019
- 10.4%Pet and Pet Supplies Stores averageall SBA loans in the industry
- 1st lowestindustry rankof 3 Pet and Pet Supplies Stores brands
| SBA default rate | 3.0% |
|---|---|
| Loans approved | 33 |
| Loans charged off | 1 |
| Date range | FY2010–FY2019 |
| Industry | Pet and Pet Supplies Stores |
| Industry average | 10.4% |
| Data source | U.S. SBA 7(a) FOIA loan data |
Most SBA default figures published online use loans approved since 2020 — loans that have had six years or less to fail — so those rates are floors, not outcomes. Every rate on this site is computed from the matured FY2010–FY2019 cohort: loans that have been paid in full or charged off, so the result is settled. Loans approved since 2020 are shown as counts so early charge-offs are visible without being mistaken for a rate.
Source: U.S. SBA FOIA dataset, statuses as of June 30, 2026. Figures also in the comparison table below.
About 1 in 33 Wild Birds Unlimited SBA borrowers failed to repay — well below the Pet and Pet Supplies Stores average of 10.4%.
What is the Wild Birds Unlimited franchise failure rate on SBA loans?
Wild Birds Unlimited is a Pet and Pet Supplies Stores franchise. This page reports the outcome of every SBA 7(a) loan the U.S. Small Business Administration's public FOIA file attributes to Wild Birds Unlimited franchisees: 33 loans approved between fiscal 2010 and 2019, of which 1 was charged off. Loan statuses are as of June 30, 2026, and the cohort has matured, so these are settled outcomes rather than projections.
- SBA 7(a) loans approved FY2010–FY201933
- Charged off1
- Charge-off rate3.0%
- Pet and Pet Supplies Stores franchise benchmark10.4%
- Brand vs industry0.3x
- All-franchise SBA benchmark10.2%
- Average loan size, 2010s cohort$112,357
- New SBA loans since 202047
- Early charge-offs since 20200
How does Wild Birds Unlimited compare with other Pet and Pet Supplies Stores franchises?
The table sets Wild Birds Unlimited's charge-off rate beside its Pet and Pet Supplies Stores peers and the two economy-wide benchmarks. All figures use the same cohort — SBA 7(a) loans approved FY2010–FY2019, statuses as of June 30, 2026 — and the same denominator of resolved loans, so they are directly comparable.
| Measure | Wild Birds Unlimited | Pet and Pet Supplies Stores | All franchises | All SBA borrowers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Default (charge-off) rate | 3.0% | 10.4% | 10.2% | 8.0% |
| Loans in sample | 33 | — | — | — |
| Defaults | 1 | — | — | — |
| Average loan size | $112,357 | — | — | — |
What has Wild Birds Unlimited SBA lending looked like since 2020?
Since 2020, Wild Birds Unlimited franchisees have taken 47 new SBA 7(a) loans. None have charged off to date, though most remain outstanding and unresolved.
Loans approved since 2020, by fiscal year — counts only: 0 have charged off to date and most are still outstanding, so no rate is drawn.
Source: U.S. SBA FOIA dataset, statuses as of June 30, 2026.
Show the numbers behind this chart
| Fiscal year | Loans | Charged off | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY2010 | 1 | 0 | 0.0% |
| FY2011 | 2 | 0 | 0.0% |
| FY2012 | 4 | 0 | 0.0% |
| FY2013 | 2 | 0 | 0.0% |
| FY2014 | 9 | 0 | 0.0% |
| FY2015 | 2 | 0 | 0.0% |
| FY2016 | 6 | 1 | 16.7% |
| FY2017 | 2 | 0 | 0.0% |
| FY2018 | 3 | 0 | 0.0% |
| FY2019 | 2 | 0 | 0.0% |
| FY2020 | 1 | — | outstanding |
| FY2021 | 12 | — | outstanding |
| FY2022 | 11 | — | outstanding |
| FY2023 | 13 | — | outstanding |
| FY2024 | 3 | — | outstanding |
| FY2025 | 3 | — | outstanding |
| FY2026 | 4 | — | outstanding |
How to read this
A charge-off means a franchisee borrowed, operated, and failed severely enough that the SBA wrote off the government-guaranteed loan. Unlike franchisor marketing or Item 19 disclosures, this is an observed outcome recorded by a federal agency. One caveat cuts the other way: SBA borrowers are typically less capitalized than all-cash buyers, so these rates can overstate risk for well-funded operators.
How reliable is this number?
Wild Birds Unlimited's figure rests on 33 resolved SBA 7(a) loans approved between fiscal 2010 and 2019. That cohort has matured, so the rate is a settled outcome, not a projection. With 33 resolved loans, one default moves the rate by about 3.0 percentage points. Loans approved since 2020 are excluded from the rate because most are still outstanding; they appear on this page as counts only. Every Wild Birds Unlimited figure is recomputed from the public SBA FOIA file on each rebuild.
Based on 33 resolved loans — directional, not precise.
Is Wild Birds Unlimited in financial trouble? What the SBA data shows
Wild Birds Unlimited's SBA 7(a) default rate was 3.0% for loans approved FY2010–FY2019 (1 of 33 loans charged off) — the lowest of 3 Pet and Pet Supplies Stores brands tracked here. A default rate this far below the Pet and Pet Supplies Stores average of 10.4% is not, on its own, a sign of distress.
Frequently asked
- What is Wild Birds Unlimited's franchise failure rate?
- Wild Birds Unlimited franchisees defaulted on 3.0% of SBA 7(a) loans between FY2010 and FY2019 — 1 of 33 loans were charged off — according to U.S. Small Business Administration data. That is lower than the Pet and Pet Supplies Stores industry average of 10.4%.
- How does Wild Birds Unlimited compare to other Pet and Pet Supplies Stores franchises?
- Wild Birds Unlimited's 3.0% SBA default rate is lower than the Pet and Pet Supplies Stores industry average of 10.4%. See every Pet and Pet Supplies Stores franchise ranked on the Pet and Pet Supplies Stores industry page. Pet and Pet Supplies Stores franchises →
- What does 'SBA default rate' mean?
- An SBA default rate is the share of SBA 7(a) loans, approved FY2010–FY2019 and since resolved (paid in full or charged off), that were charged off — written off after the borrower failed to repay. It is not a measure of unit closures.
Source
Source: U.S. Small Business Administration, 7(a) loan program charge-off data, FY2010–FY2019. Franchise data is matched on the SBA's franchise code / brand name. "Failure rate" here means the share of approved loans (resolved: paid in full or charged off) that were charged off; it is not a measure of unit closures. Last updated September 30, 2026.
Every brand in one table, with percentiles and breakdowns by year, industry and loan size: franchise SBA default rates, all 415 brands.
Cite this page
Franchise Default Rates (2026). Wild Birds Unlimited franchise SBA 7(a) default rate, FY2010–FY2019 cohort: 3.0% (1 of 33 loans charged off). Derived from U.S. SBA FOIA data, loan statuses as of June 30, 2026.
https://franchisefailurerates.com/franchise/wild-birds-unlimited/ · Data & methodology · Download the dataset (CSV)