Tag Archives: David Haworth

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PetSmart Charities celebrates as 29,739 pets adopted during its first National Adoption Weekend of 2018

North Americans Answered the Call to Bring Love Home this February

PHOENIX, 2018-Feb-21 — /EPR Retail News/ — It’s National Love Your Pet Day, and tens of thousands of pet parents and families across North America are celebrating after 29,739 pets were adopted during PetSmart Charities’ first National Adoption Weekend of 2018. It’s a fitting day to announce the second-most successful adoption event the leading pet specialty retailer and its sister nonprofit have hosted since beginning the in-store adoption program in the 1990s.

“At PetSmart Charities, we love pets — on National Love Your Pet Day and every day of the year. That’s why we’re committed to finding shelter pets the lifelong, loving homes they deserve,” said David Haworth, DVM, Ph.D., and president of PetSmart Charities. “Together with our adoption partners, their dedicated volunteers and our passionate PetSmart associates, we’d like to thank all of the adoptive pet parents and families for answering our call to Bring Love Home during this February’s National Adoption Weekend.”

Hosted Feb. 16-18, the weekend event saw 3,500 animal welfare organizations bring adoptable pets into nearly every one of the 1,600-plus PetSmart stores across Canada, the U.S. and Puerto Rico. These in-store adoption events are welcoming, conveniently located, and bustling with tens of thousands of adoptable pets of all varieties and scores of pet-loving people and families. Together, PetSmart and PetSmart Charities are providing homeless pets with a place where they have a better chance of meeting their perfect match and finding a forever home.

Arie Luyendyk Jr., the current “Bachelor,” knows a little bit about finding his very own perfect match. Luyendyk was on-site at a local PetSmart store in his hometown of Phoenix to help kick off PetSmart Charities’ first National Adoption Weekend of 2018. While he didn’t give away any secrets about the popular reality show’s season finale, he did talk about the joys of pet adoption and introduced many people to his faithful, four-legged canine companion, Bastian, who was adopted from a Phoenix-based shelter seven years ago.

There was more than one way to show a love of pets at PetSmart this weekend. During a pet food donation drive that took place in every store during National Adoption Weekend, more than 2,185,747 pet food items were donated by generous shoppers and pet adopters. The donated pet food will soon be delivered to local adoption partners, pet rescues and shelters to help feed pets in need. PetSmart and PetSmart Charities will host the next National Adoption Weekend on May 18-20, 2018.

A Free Gift for Those Who Adopted:
When pet parents adopt a kitten, cat, dog or puppy, regardless of whether the pet was adopted from a PetSmart store or a local animal welfare organization, PetSmart offers a free Adoption Kit* that provides important content to help integrate a new pet into the family. Click here for more information about PetSmart’s Free Adoption Kit.

Did You Adopt a Pet During National Adoption Weekend? Share it on Social!
Share your photos and stories with us! You can upload them to our website: www.petsmartcharities.org, or share them on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram using the handles below and include the hashtag #iadopted.

Follow PetSmart Charities on Twitter: www.twitter.com/PetSmartChariTs
Find PetSmart Charities on Facebook: www.Facebook.com/PetSmartCharities
See PetSmart Charities on YouTube: www.YouTube.com/PetSmartCharitiesInc

*Adoption papers are required.

About PetSmart®
PetSmart, Inc. is the largest specialty pet retailer of services and solutions for the lifetime needs of pets. At PetSmart, we love pets, and we believe pets make us better people. Every day with every connection, PetSmart’s passionate associates help bring pet parents closer to their pets so they, together, can live more fulfilled lives. This vision impacts everything we do for our customers, the way we support our associates and how we give back to our communities. We employ approximately 55,000 associates, operate 1,600 pet stores in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico, as well as more than 200 in-store PetSmart® PetsHotel® dog and cat boarding facilities. PetSmart provides a broad range of competitively priced pet food and products, as well as pet-focused services such as dog training, pet grooming, pet boarding, PetSmart™ Doggie Day Camp™ and pet adoption. PetSmart, together with non-profits PetSmart Charities® and PetSmart Charities® of Canada, invite more than 3,500 animal welfare organizations to bring adoptable pets into stores so they have the best chance possible of finding a forever home. Through this in-store adoption program and other signature events, PetSmart has facilitated more than 7.8 million adoptions – more than any other brick-and-mortar organization. The company’s portfolio of digital resources for pet parents includes PetSmart.com, petMD.com, Pawculture.com, AllPaws, an online pet adoption platform that helps potential pet parents find the perfect pet to adopt based on their home, family and lifestyle, as well as BlogPaws, the world’s first pet blogger and influencer network. Through these digital platforms, PetSmart offers the most comprehensive online pet supplies and pet care information in the U.S. In celebration of its 30th anniversary, PetSmart launched its Buy a Bag, Give a Meal™ program in March 2017. For every bag of cat or dog food purchased March 1 – Dec. 31, 2017, PetSmart donated a meal to pets in need and beat its goal of 60 million meals with more than 63 million meals generated through this leading philanthropic program. In May 2017, PetSmart acquired Chewy.com, a leading online retailer of pet food and products in the U.S., which operates as an independent subsidiary.

Find PetSmart on Facebook: www.facebook.com/PetSmart
See PetSmart on Instagram: @PetSmart
Follow PetSmart on Twitter: @PetSmart
See PetSmart on YouTube: www.YouTube.com/PetSmart
PetSmart homepage: http://www.petsmart.com/

Turn your passion for pets into a career you’ll love! Visit careers.petsmart.com to learn more about corporate, retail store and Distribution Center opportunities.

About PetSmart Charities®
PetSmart Charities, Inc. is a nonprofit animal welfare organization with a mission to find lifelong, loving homes for all pets by supporting programs and thought leadership that bring people and pets together. In addition to finding homes for almost 500,000 shelter pets each year through its in-store adoption program in all PetSmart stores across the U.S. and Puerto Rico, PetSmart Charities provides funding to non-profits aligned with its mission through four key areas of grant support: Preventing Pet Homelessness; Helping Shelter Pets Thrive; Supporting the Bond Between People and Pets; and Emergency Relief and Disaster Support. Each year, millions of generous PetSmart shoppers help pets in need by donating to PetSmart Charities using the pin pads at checkout registers inside PetSmart stores.  In turn, PetSmart Charities efficiently uses 90 cents of every dollar donated and has become the leading funder of animal welfare in North America, donating about $300 million to date. PetSmart Charities, a 501(c)(3) organization, has received the Four Star Rating from Charity Navigator, an independent organization that reports on the effectiveness, accountability and transparency of nonprofits, for the past 14 years in a row – placing it among the top one percent of charities rated by this organization. To learn more visit www.petsmartcharities.org.

Follow PetSmart Charities on Twitter: @PetSmartChariTs
Find PetSmart Charities on Facebook: Facebook.com/PetSmartCharities
See PetSmart Charities on YouTube: YouTube.com/PetSmartCharitiesInc

About PetSmart Charities® of Canada:
PetSmart Charities of Canada is a registered Canadian charity with a mission to find lifelong, loving homes for all pets by supporting programs and thought leadership that bring people and pets together.  In addition to finding homes for more than 25,000 shelter pets each year through its in-store adoption program in all PetSmart stores, PetSmart Charities of Canada provides funding to registered charities aligned with its mission through four key areas of grant support: Preventing Pet Homelessness; Helping Shelter Pets Thrive; Supporting the Bond Between People and Pets; and Emergency Relief and Disaster Support. Each year, millions of generous PetSmart shoppers help pets in need by donating to PetSmart Charities of Canada using the pin pads at checkout registers inside PetSmart stores.  In turn, PetSmart Charities efficiently uses 89 cents of every dollar donated and has become a leading funder of animal welfare in Canada, donating nearly $14 million to date.  PetSmart Charities of Canada is a member of Imagine Canada and is independent from PetSmart, Inc. To learn more, visit www.petsmartcharities.ca.

Contacts:
Virginia Hock
Golin for PetSmart
469-680-2611
vhock@golin.com

PetSmart 24-Hour Media Line: 623-587-2177

Source: PetSmart Inc.

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PetSmart offers pet parents four easy and impactful ways to help pets in need this holiday season

From Gifts that Give Back to Feeding Pets in Need, PetSmart and its Shoppers Will be Helping Pets in Need all Season Long

PHOENIX, 2017-Dec-01 — /EPR Retail News/ — With less than one month of shopping left before the holidays, millions of shoppers are on the hunt for the perfect gifts. With the season also reminding shoppers to consider giving back to the causes they are passionate about, PetSmart is sharing “Four Ways to Help” pets in need this holiday season, including gifts that are perfect for both people and pets.

“At PetSmart, we love pets and believe they make us better people. That’s why PetSmart Charities, the leading funder of animal welfare across North America, is our cause of choice this holiday season and all year-round,” said Michelle Friedman, vice president of corporate communications, PetSmart. “We know our shoppers love pets just as much as we do, so this holiday season we’re offering pet parents four easy and impactful ways to help pets in need just by stopping by at one of PetSmart’s nearly 1,600 stores and PetSmart.com.”

1. Buy Gifts that Give Back

When you purchase any item from PetSmart’s exclusive Holiday Philanthropic Collection, 10 percent of sales will be donated to PetSmart Charities. The line features seven commemorative Chance, Lucky & Friends plush toys perfect for kids and pets alike (they have squeakers!), as well as 12 pet-themed blankets with sayings like “I Wine, She Whines” and “Drinking Buddies,” great for cuddling up with pets during chilly winter nights. On Giving Tuesday, November 28, 100 percent of the sales from the entire plush toy line will be donated to PetSmart Charities. Gift cards are also popular holiday gifts, and PetSmart’s Chance and Lucky branded gift cards also give back 10 percent of the amount placed on them to PetSmart Charities. Last year’s Holiday Philanthropic Collection generated $585,000 for PetSmart Charities to help pets in need. Don’t need another plush toy at home? Consider purchasing and donating one instead. Every PetSmart store partners with a local charity in their community, and invites shoppers to purchase and donate a plush toy to their toy drive. Last year, more than one million plush toys were collected and delivered to pets and children in need in the local communities across North America.

2. Donate and Help PetSmart Charities Do Good

When PetSmart shoppers donate to help pets in need using the pin pads located at the registers in every store, 100 percent of the donations are given directly to PetSmart Charities. In turn, the leading funder of animal welfare effectively uses 90 cents of every dollar raised to fund its mission: to find lifelong, loving homes for all pets by supporting programs and thought leadership that bring people and pets together. From funding adoption events at PetSmart stores to help keep pets and people together during challenging life circumstances, and making pet therapy programs possible at children’s hospitals and other facilities, donations to PetSmart Charities makes a difference in the lives of both pets and people. To receive a tax receipt for a donation, you can also choose to give online at www.petsmartcharities.org.

3. Buy a Bag, PetSmart Gives a Meal to a Pet in Need

Together, PetSmart, PetSmart Charities and PetSmart shoppers are making sure no pet goes hungry this holiday season. Every time pet parents buy a bag of dog or cat food at PetSmart (through Dec. 31, 2017), the retailer donates a meal to a pet in need. This historic Buy a Bag, Give a Meal™ program was launched March 1 in celebration of PetSmart’s 30th anniversary this year. To date, this philanthropic program has generated 55 million meals. PetSmart Charities is the program’s pet food distribution partner and has so far delivered 250-plus semi-truckloads of more than 35 million meals – 3,683 tons of pet food – to animal welfare agencies and food banks across 35 states in the U.S. and five provinces in Canada. Additional truckload deliveries will take place in 2018.

4. Adopt a Pet, Give Them a Forever Home

Thinking about adding a four-legged member to the family? Many do at the holiday season and it’s a very special gift for the entire family. Adorable, adoptable pets can be found at the PetSmart Charities Adoption Center in nearly every PetSmart store. Experts from PetSmart Charities say adopting a four-legged friend before the holidays could help ensure a more successful new pet transition and enrich holiday celebrations with the new family member. Plus, when you adopt a pet, not only will you be saving them from their stay in a shelter, you’ll be giving them the forever family they deserve. Two out of every 10 pets adopted in North America are facilitated at a PetSmart store. In fact, since beginning the in-store adoption program in 1994, PetSmart, PetSmart Charities and its 3,500 adoption partners have found forever homes for more than 7.6 million pets. From finding the perfect pet for your household, to providing expert advice and savings through PetSmart’s free Adoption Kit, PetSmart is here to help every step of the way when a family decides to bring a new pet home for the holidays.

“We’re immensely thankful to our corporate partner, PetSmart, and its generous shoppers for their unwavering support of PetSmart Charities,” said David Haworth, DVM, Ph.D. and president of PetSmart Charities. “Together, this holiday season we’ll be enhancing the lives of shelter pets and the people who love and care for them through grants, pet food donations and helping pets to find the forever homes they so richly deserve.”

Since 1994, PetSmart Charities has granted more than $332 million to support animal welfare agencies and registered nonprofits who share their mission to find lifelong, loving homes for all pets by supporting programs that bring people and pets together.

For more information about PetSmart Charities, please visit www.petsmartcharities.org.

For more information about PetSmart, the Buy a Bag, Give a Meal program and the holiday philanthropic collection of products, please click here. To learn more about the Four Ways to Help and the Holiday Philanthropic Collection, please visit PetSmart.com.

About PetSmart®
PetSmart, Inc. is the largest specialty pet retailer of services and solutions for the lifetime needs of pets. At PetSmart, we love pets, and we believe pets make us better people. Every day with every connection, PetSmart’s passionate associates help bring pet parents closer to their pets so they, together, can live more fulfilled lives. This vision impacts everything we do for our customers, the way we support our associates and how we give back to our communities. We employ approximately 55,000 associates, operate more than 1,500 pet stores in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico, as well as more than 200 in-store PetSmart® PetsHotel® dog and cat boarding facilities. PetSmart provides a broad range of competitively priced pet food and products, as well as pet-focused services such as dog training, pet grooming, pet boarding, PetSmart™ Doggie Day Camp™ and pet adoption. PetSmart, together with non-profits PetSmart Charities® and PetSmart Charities® of Canada, invite more than 3,500 animal welfare organizations to bring adoptable pets into stores so they have the best chance possible of finding a forever home. Through this in-store adoption program and other signature events, PetSmart has facilitated more than 7.6 million adoptions – more than any other brick-and-mortar organization. The company’s portfolio of digital resources for pet parents includes PetSmart.com, petMD.com, Pawculture.com, AllPaws, an online pet adoption platform that helps potential pet parents find the perfect pet to adopt based on their home, family and lifestyle, as well as BlogPaws, the world’s first pet blogger and influencer network. Through these digital platforms, PetSmart offers the most comprehensive online pet supplies and pet care information in the U.S. In celebration of its 30th anniversary, PetSmart launched its Buy a Bag, Give a Meal™ program in March 2017. For every bag of cat or dog food purchased March 1 – Dec. 31, 2017, PetSmart will donate a meal to pets in need and expects to donate more than 60 million meals in 2017*. In May 2017, PetSmart acquired Chewy.com, a leading online retailer of pet food and products in the U.S., which operates as an independent subsidiary.

Find PetSmart on Facebook: www.facebook.com/PetSmart
See PetSmart on Instagram: @PetSmart
Follow PetSmart on Twitter: @PetSmart
See PetSmart on YouTube: www.YouTube.com/PetSmart

Turn your passion for pets into a career you’ll love! Visit careers.petsmart.com to learn more about corporate, retail store, and Distribution Center opportunities.

*Ends 12/31/17.  5 oz. dog food, 1.5 oz. cat food donated to PetSmart Charities to feed dogs and cats in need.  See details at petsmart.com/giveameal. The actual number of meals donated is based on dog and cat food bags sold.  The meal donation estimate is based on historic sales for similar time periods. No guaranteed amount. Rescue Bank and Feeding America will help distribute a large portion of the pet food donation in the U.S.

About PetSmart Charities®
PetSmart Charities, Inc. is a nonprofit animal welfare organization with a mission to find lifelong, loving homes for all pets by supporting programs and thought leadership that bring people and pets together. In addition to finding homes for almost 500,000 shelter pets each year through its in-store adoption program in all PetSmart stores across the U.S. and Puerto Rico, PetSmart Charities provides funding to non-profits aligned with its mission through four key areas of grant support: Preventing Pet Homelessness; Helping Shelter Pets Thrive; Supporting the Bond Between People and Pets; and Emergency Relief and Disaster Support. Each year, millions of generous PetSmart shoppers help pets in need by donating to PetSmart Charities using the pin pads at checkout registers inside PetSmart stores.  In turn, PetSmart Charities efficiently uses 90 cents of every dollar donated and has become the leading funder of animal welfare in North America, donating more than $300 million to date. PetSmart Charities, a 501(c)(3) organization, has received the Four Star Rating from Charity Navigator, an independent organization that reports on the effectiveness, accountability and transparency of nonprofits, for the past 14 years in a row – placing it among the top one percent of charities rated by this organization. To learn more visit www.petsmartcharities.org.
Follow PetSmart Charities on Twitter: @PetSmartChariTs
Find PetSmart Charities on Facebook: Facebook.com/PetSmartCharities
See PetSmart Charities on YouTube: YouTube.com/PetSmartCharitiesInc

About PetSmart Charities® of Canada
PetSmart Charities of Canada is a registered Canadian charity with a mission to find lifelong, loving homes for all pets by supporting programs and thought leadership that bring people and pets together.  In addition to finding homes for more than 25,000 shelter pets each year through its in-store adoption program in all PetSmart stores, PetSmart Charities of Canada provides funding to registered charities aligned with its mission through four key areas of grant support: Preventing Pet Homelessness; Helping Shelter Pets Thrive; Supporting the Bond Between People and Pets; and Emergency Relief and Disaster Support. Each year, millions of generous PetSmart shoppers help pets in need by donating to PetSmart Charities of Canada using the pin pads at checkout registers inside PetSmart stores.  In turn, PetSmart Charities efficiently uses 89 cents of every dollar donated and has become a leading funder of animal welfare in Canada, donating nearly $12 million to date.  PetSmart Charities of Canada is a member of Imagine Canada and is independent from PetSmart, Inc. To learn more, visit www.petsmartcharities.ca

Contacts:
Virginia Hock
Golin for PetSmart
469-680-2611
vhock@golin.com

PetSmart Media Line:
623-587-2177

Source: PetSmart Inc.

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PetSmart Charities Grants to Help Vulnerable Populations Keep their Pets

Grants from PetSmart Charities are helping vulnerable populations and people at-risk keep their pets close when they need them the most

PHOENIX, 2017-Nov-20 — /EPR Retail News/ — When PetSmart Charities expanded its mission to reach beyond pet homelessness, a key goal of North America’s leading funder of animal welfare was to support programs aimed at decreasing the number of pets entering shelters due to owner surrender, and increasing the chances that people and their pets could be kept together, even during challenging times.

In a 2017 survey funded by PetSmart Charities, and conducted by Wakefield Research, 97 percent of respondents agreed it is important to keep people and their pets together during difficult situations such as living in poverty, experiencing homelessness, escaping situations of domestic abuse or being deployed on military leave.

“Our experience and research has shown most people truly don’t want to give up their pets,” said David Haworth, DVM, Ph.D. and president of PetSmart Charities. “Most often, people surrender their pets because they feel like they have no other option, or because they need help and can’t find it. But with these recent grants and the support of our phenomenal partners in the animal welfare and social services sectors, we’re hoping to enable more people to keep their pets, no matter what life circumstances they may be facing.”

This year, PetSmart Charities earmarked $1.72 million specifically for non-profits and animal welfare organizations working to keep people and their beloved pets together. From coast-to-coast, here are some examples of grants that are helping keep more pets with the people who love them and rely upon their unconditional love and support.

Grants to Help Vulnerable Populations Keep their Pets

A $20,000 grant to the University of Wisconsin’s WisCARES Homeless Services program will help the organization provide preventive and basic veterinary care to the pets of low-income and homeless pet owners in the Madison, Wis. area. Recent studies and articles are proving that not only do pets provide individuals with a source of companionship and emotional support, but for those living on the street, they can also provide warmth, comfort, security and sense of purpose. WisCARES hopes to help 50 pets stay with their pet parents and out of pet shelters with this grant.

A $30,000 grant to the Anti-Cruelty Society in Chicago will support its Friends Who Care program, which works in collaboration with the Chicago Department of Aging to provide pet food, supplies and other resources, including low-to-no-cost veterinary care for pets living with elderly citizens. PetSmart Charities’ grant will help the society expand this program to help keep thousands of pets in the Chicago area with their senior pet parents, where they can live out their lives happily together thanks to the partnership between Chicago’s Anti-Cruelty Society and the Department of Aging.

Grants to Help Military Personnel and Victims of Violence Reunite with Their Pets

A $10,000 grant to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department’s Animal Care and Control Division will be used to create new partnerships with local branches of the National Guard, veterans hospitals and domestic violence shelters. Through these partnerships, military service personnel and domestic violence survivors can seek free, temporary boarding for their pets should they be deployed on active duty or leave an abusive relationship. This prevents the painful decision to surrender a pet when facing a life-changing situation, and gives people the chance to reclaim their pet once they have returned from a service mission or found a safer living environment. The department estimates this program will prevent at least 30 pets from entering local shelters this year.

An additional $10,000 grant was made to Animal Protection of New Mexico to support the organization’s Companion Animal Rescue Effort (CARE), which works in partnership with the New Mexico Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NMCADV). CARE empowers domestic violence survivors to escape dangerous situations by providing a temporary safe haven for their pets. According to their website, CARE was founded in 1999 to address the tragic reality that many domestic violence survivors delay leaving their abuser out of fear for the safety of their pets. This fear is well founded, since 71 percent of domestic violence survivors reported their abuser had injured, killed or threatened family pets in an effort to control victims . The organization believes this grant will help to prevent 100 pets from entering local shelters.

These are just four examples of the 71 grants PetSmart Charities made to organizations committed to diverting pets from entering shelters and keeping them with their pet parents and families. For more information on the work that PetSmart Charities does to support people and pets, please visit www.petsmartcharities.org.

About PetSmart Charities®

PetSmart Charities, Inc. is a nonprofit animal welfare organization with a mission to find lifelong, loving homes for all pets by supporting programs and thought leadership that bring people and pets together. In addition to finding homes for almost 500,000 shelter pets each year through its in-store adoption program in all PetSmart stores across the U.S. and Puerto Rico, PetSmart Charities provides funding to non-profits aligned with its mission through four key areas of grant support:  Preventing Pet Homelessness; Helping Shelter Pets Thrive; Supporting the Bond Between People and Pets; and Emergency Relief and Disaster Support. Each year, millions of generous PetSmart shoppers help pets in need by donating to PetSmart Charities using the pin pads at checkout registers inside PetSmart stores.  In turn, PetSmart Charities efficiently uses 90 cents of every dollar donated and has become the leading funder of animal welfare in North America, donating about $300 million to date. PetSmart Charities, a 501(c)(3) organization, has received the Four-Star Rating from Charity Navigator, an independent organization that reports on the effectiveness, accountability and transparency of nonprofits, for the past 14 years in a row — placing it among the top one percent of charities rated by this organization.  To learn more visit www.petsmartcharities.org

Follow PetSmart Charities on Twitter: @PetSmartChariTs
Follow PetSmart Charities on Instagram: @petsmartcharities
Find PetSmart Charities on Facebook: Facebook.com/PetSmartCharities
See PetSmart Charities on YouTube: YouTube.com/PetSmart

Source: PetSmart Inc.

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PetSmart Charities’ November National Adoption Weekend Saved the Lives of Nearly 27,000 Shelter Pets

With the Help of Adoption Partners, PetSmart, PetSmart Charities and Animal-Loving North Americans Saved the Lives of Nearly 27,000 Shelter Pets

Phoenix, Ariz., 2017-Nov-20 — /EPR Retail News/ — Nearly 27,000 shelter pets found their forever homes at PetSmart Charities’ November National Adoption Weekend, held at PetSmart stores across North America Nov. 10-12 — making it the most successful November National Adoption Weekend since PetSmart began its in-store adoption program in 1994 and its second-best to date.

While often referred to as National Adoption “Weekend,” the adoption efforts spanned the entire week of Nov. 6-12, with the vast majority of pets (approximately 90 percent) being adopted Friday through Sunday. A grand total of 26,823 lives were saved—representing a 17 percent increase over the previous November event.

“We are thrilled that 26,823 found their forever homes this past weekend,” says David Haworth, DVM, Ph.D. and president of PetSmart Charities. “At PetSmart Charities, one of the ways we support the bond between people and pets is by hosting our signature National Adoption Weekend events. Our mission to find lifelong, loving homes for all pets and keep pets and people together could not be achieved without the support of PetSmart stores, the work of our dedicated partners in animal welfare – some 3,500 across North America – and the compassion of tens of thousands of pet parents who decide to open their hearts and their homes to these deserving pets this past weekend.”

Held four times a year in February, May, September and November, National Adoption Weekend events showcase adoptable pets in nearly every PetSmart store in the United States and Canada, and usually feature several adoption organizations at each store location. On average, more than 25,000 pets find forever homes at PetSmart-PetSmart Charities National Adoption Weekend, and the event held this past September, where more than 30,000 pets found forever homes, was the most successful event in the retailer’s history.

The next PetSmart Charities National Adoption Weekend will be held on February 16-18, 2018.

About PetSmart®

PetSmart, Inc. is the largest specialty pet retailer of services and solutions for the lifetime needs of pets. At PetSmart, we love pets, and we believe pets make us better people. Every day with every connection, PetSmart’s passionate associates help bring pet parents closer to their pets so they, together, can live more fulfilled lives. This vision impacts everything we do for our customers, the way we support our associates and how we give back to our communities. We employ approximately 55,000 associates, operate more than 1,500 pet stores in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico, as well as more than 200 in-store PetSmart® PetsHotel® dog and cat boarding facilities. PetSmart provides a broad range of competitively priced pet food and products, as well as pet-focused services such as dog training, pet grooming, pet boarding, PetSmart® Doggie Day Camp® and pet adoption. PetSmart, together with non-profits PetSmart Charities® and PetSmart Charities™ of Canada, invite more than 3,500 animal welfare organizations to bring adoptable pets into stores so they have the best chance possible of finding a forever home. Through this in-store adoption program and other signature events, PetSmart has facilitated more than 7.4 million adoptions – more than any other brick-and-mortar organization. The company’s portfolio of digital resources for pet parents includes PetSmart.com, OnlyNaturalPet.com, petMD.com, Pawculture.com, AllPaws, an online pet adoption platform that helps potential pet parents find the perfect pet to adopt based on their home, family and lifestyle, as well as BlogPaws, the world’s first pet blogger and influencer network. Through these digital platforms, PetSmart offers the most comprehensive online pet supplies and pet care information in the U.S. In celebration of its 30th anniversary, PetSmart launched its Buy a Bag, Give a Meal™ program in March 2017. For every bag of cat or dog food purchased March 1 – Dec. 31, 2017, PetSmart will donate a meal to pets in need and expects to donate more than 60 million meals in 2017*. In May 2017, PetSmart acquired Chewy.com, a leading online retailer of pet food and products in the U.S., which operates as an independent subsidiary.

Find PetSmart on Facebook: www.facebook.com/PetSmart
See PetSmart on Instagram: @PetSmart
Follow PetSmart on Twitter: @PetSmart
See PetSmart on YouTube: www.YouTube.com/PetSmart

Turn your passion for pets into a career you’ll love! Visit careers.petsmart.comto learn more about corporate, retail store, and Distribution Center opportunities.

*Ends 12/31/17.  5 oz. dog food, 1.5 oz. cat food donated to PetSmart Charities to feed dogs and cats in need.  See details at petsmart.com/giveameal. The actual number of meals donated is based on dog and cat food bags sold.  The meal donation estimate is based on historic sales for similar time periods. No guaranteed amount. Rescue Bank and Feeding America will help distribute a large portion of the pet food donation in the U.S., while four large animal welfare agencies will distribute it in Canada.

About PetSmart Charities®

PetSmart Charities, Inc. is a nonprofit animal welfare organization with a mission to find lifelong, loving homes for all pets by supporting programs and thought leadership that bring people and pets together. In addition to finding homes for almost 500,000 shelter pets each year through its in-store adoption program in all PetSmart stores across the U.S. and Puerto Rico, PetSmart Charities provides funding to non-profits aligned with its mission through four key areas of grant support: Preventing Pet Homelessness; Helping Shelter Pets Thrive; Supporting the Bond Between People and Pets; and Emergency Relief and Disaster Support. Each year, millions of generous PetSmart shoppers help pets in need by donating to PetSmart Charities using the pin pads at checkout registers inside PetSmart stores.  In turn, PetSmart Charities efficiently uses 90 cents of every dollar donated and has become the leading funder of animal welfare in North America, donating about $300 million to date. PetSmart Charities, a 501(c)(3) organization, has received the Four Star Rating from Charity Navigator, an independent organization that reports on the effectiveness, accountability and transparency of nonprofits, for the past 14 years in a row – placing it among the top one percent of charities rated by this organization. To learn more visit www.petsmartcharities.org.

Follow PetSmart Charities on Twitter: @PetSmartChariTs
Find PetSmart Charities on Facebook: Facebook.com/PetSmartCharities
See PetSmart Charities on YouTube: YouTube.com/PetSmartCharitiesInc

About PetSmart Charities® of Canada:

PetSmart Charities of Canada is a registered Canadian charity with a mission to find lifelong, loving homes for all pets by supporting programs and thought leadership that bring people and pets together.  In addition to finding homes for more than 25,000 shelter pets each year through its in-store adoption program in all PetSmart stores, PetSmart Charities of Canada provides funding to registered charities aligned with its mission through four key areas of grant support: Preventing Pet Homelessness; Helping Shelter Pets Thrive; Supporting the Bond Between People and Pets; and Emergency Relief and Disaster Support. Each year, millions of generous PetSmart shoppers help pets in need by donating to PetSmart Charities of Canada using the pin pads at checkout registers inside PetSmart stores.  In turn, PetSmart Charities efficiently uses 89 cents of every dollar donated and has become a leading funder of animal welfare in Canada, donating nearly $12 million to date.  PetSmart Charities of Canada is a member of Imagine Canada and is independent from PetSmart, Inc. To learn more, visit www.petsmartcharities.ca.

Media Contacts:
PetSmart Charities 24-Hour Media Line
623-587-2177

Source: PetSmart Inc.

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PetSmart Charities donates $300,000 to facility dog provider Canine Companions for Independence

Grant Will Place Six Facility Dog Teams in Regions Across the Country to Support 15,600 Individuals per Year

PHOENIX and SANTA ROSA, CALIF., 2017-Nov-09 — /EPR Retail News/ — Facility dog provider, Canine Companions for Independence, today (Nov. 7, 2017 ) announced its receipt of a $300,000 grant from PetSmart Charities, the leading funder of animal welfare in North America.

The grant is designed to help Canine Companions provide assistance dogs to six facilities across the U. S. through its renowned Facility Dog program, which pairs expertly trained dogs with professionals working in rehabilitation, healthcare, education and courtroom settings. In these environments, facility dogs perform a variety of services for clients, such as helping students to focus in class, or providing support to a patient in a medical or psychiatric rehabilitation program. The six facility dogs are expected to impact hundreds of clients’ lives each week and more than 40,000 individuals per year.

Canine Companions assistance dogs, including facility dogs, learn more than 40 commands to help enhance independence for children, veterans and adults with disabilities. Assistance dogs can retrieve dropped items, open doors, turn on lights and more. Facility dogs utilize these commands in a variety of therapeutic ways, such as improving balance in a physical therapy session by gently tugging on a toy, helping with fine and gross motor skills by retrieving and returning items to clients, and providing a calm and non-judgmental presence for practicing speech therapies.

For example, Canine Companions Facility Dog Igor’s job is to encourage and motivate children during physical therapy sessions.

“They have such a great time interacting with Igor that they often do not even realize how hard they are working. They are working on walking, increasing their balance and soon they are running with Igor trying to keep up,” says physical therapist and handler Teresa Keathley. “Igor helps motivate children to perform activities that are challenging in a way that is non-threatening and comfortable for them. He also helps to calm children when they are experiencing pain or fear.”

Currently, the Facility Dog program supports 324 active dog-handler teams, which serve about 8-10 years. The PetSmart Charities grant will allow this program to expand with six more dog-handler teams to serve 40,000 more individuals per year. Collectively, the overall Facility Dog program directly impacts the lives of more than 16,000 individuals weekly, or more than 800,000 individuals each year.

“Since 1975, Canine Companions has strived to provide clients the support and comfort they need to live an independent life through our Facility Dog program,” said Paul Mundell, CEO of Canine Companions. “We appreciate that PetSmart Charities shares our belief in the partnership between pets and people, and we’re grateful for this generous grant that will allow us to expand the work that we do that improves the quality of life for so many people.”

The $300,000 grant from PetSmart Charities will be distributed over the next three years to enable the Canine Companions team to raise, train and place six facility dogs in regions across the U.S. within hospitals, health care centers, rehabilitation centers, educational settings, or courthouses. As the first and largest, certified organization that trains and places highly skilled dogs in facilities, Canine Companions’ Facility Dog program has a waiting list of more than 50 facility dog handlers, who have undergone an intensive application and interview process, and are waiting to be paired up with the highly trained facility dog so together they can provide support and assistance for clients within a large organization.

“As an organization that believes in the power of pets, we are thrilled to support the work Canine Companions for Independence is doing to enhance the lives of people through its Facility Dog Program,” said David Haworth, DVM, Ph.D., and president of PetSmart Charities. “With the help of our grant, this well-established program can continue to expand its reach to meet the increasing need for the life-changing service that facility dogs can provide to individuals with disabilities or illnesses.”

PetSmart Charities recently expanded its mission to include finding lifelong, loving homes for all pets by supporting programs and thought leadership that bring people and pets together. This new mission allows the organization to support animal welfare programs in more ways than ever before, and even reach other nonprofits, like Canine Companions, that help connect people and pets. The new Enhancing the Quality of Life Through Pets grant category, open year-round for applications, supports programs that train pets to become service animals for military veterans, people with disabilities and other in-need populations, and provides funding for pet therapy programs at hospitals, schools, and senior homes and more.

For more information on PetSmart Charities, please visit PetSmartCharities.org. For more information on the Facility Dog Program, please visit www.cci.org.

About Canine Companions for Independence®
Canine Companions for Independence provides highly trained assistance dogs to children, adults and veterans with disabilities. Established in 1975, Canine Companions has six training centers across the country, including CA, FL, OH, NY and TX. Canine Companions is recognized worldwide for the excellence of its dogs, and the quality and longevity of the matches it makes between dogs and people. There is no charge to recipients for the dog, its training and ongoing follow-up services. For more information, call 1-800-572-BARK or visit www.cci.org.

Follow Canine Companions on Twitter: @ccicanine
Follow Canine Companions on Facebook: Facebook.com/caninecompanions
Follow Canine Companions on Instagram: @ccicanine

About PetSmart Charities®
PetSmart Charities, Inc. is a nonprofit animal welfare organization with a mission to find lifelong, loving homes for all pets by supporting programs and thought leadership that bring people and pets together. In addition to finding homes for almost 500,000 shelter pets each year through its in-store adoption program in all PetSmart stores across the U.S. and Puerto Rico, PetSmart Charities provides funding to nonprofits aligned with its mission through four key areas of grant support:  Preventing Pet Homelessness; Helping Shelter Pets Thrive; Supporting the Bond Between People and Pets; and Emergency Relief and Disaster Support. Each year, millions of generous PetSmart shoppers help pets in need by donating to PetSmart Charities using the pin pads at checkout registers inside PetSmart stores.  In turn, PetSmart Charities efficiently uses 90 cents of every dollar donated and has become the leading funder of animal welfare in North America, donating about $300 million to date. PetSmart Charities, a 501(c)(3) organization, has received the Four-Star Rating from Charity Navigator, an independent organization that reports on the effectiveness, accountability and transparency of nonprofits, for the past 14 years in a row — placing it among the top one percent of charities rated by this organization.  To learn more visit www.petsmartcharities.org

Follow PetSmart Charities on Twitter: @PetSmartChariTs
Find PetSmart Charities on Facebook: Facebook.com/PetSmartCharities
See PetSmart Charities on YouTube: YouTube.com/PetSmartCharitiesInc

Source: PetSmart Inc.

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PetSmart shares reasons people may want to consider adopting a senior pet during National Adoption Weekend

  • Pets of all ages, types, sizes and personalities will be up for adoption during PetSmart Charities’
  • National Adoption Weekend, Nov. 10 – 12 in nearly every PetSmart store across North America.

PHOENIX, 2017-Nov-02 — /EPR Retail News/ — There is no question that puppies and kittens are super cute, but if you have ever brought one home, you know they can require a lot of time, attention and most of all, patience. Between midnight meowing and watching your favorite shoes turn into chew toys, there are countless reasons to consider the benefits of adopting a senior pet.

“Since November is National Adopt a Senior Pet Month, we wanted to celebrate by teaming up with five of our in-store adoption partners to share a few reasons people may want to consider adopting a senior pet during National Adoption Weekend,” said Eran Cohen, Chief Customer Experience Officer at PetSmart.

1. Senior Pets are Often Overlooked
When looking for a pet, adopters usually turn their attention to puppies and kittens first. Although it may be unintentional, adult and senior pets are often overlooked due to the cuteness-factor of their younger counterparts. Senior pets have often lived with a family for many years and have trouble adapting to life in a shelter, so it’s important not to forget about them as they make really great pets! Karen Reichheld, Animal Care Manager at the Hamilton-Burlington SPCA. Adoption partner to the PetSmart in Ancaster, Ontario, Canada.

2. Senior Pets Can be Super Loving and Loyal

Due to their age, senior pets have had more life experience and may have had their share of broken   hearts and broken homes. When provided with a cozy and stable home environment, many senior pets are fiercely loyal and will love their new adopters unconditionally. Paula Stude, CEO and Executive Director of the Wild Cat Foundation. Adoption partner to the PetSmart stores in Lafayette, LA.

3. Adult Pets are Often Already Litter Trained/House Broken

Most senior pets come with training – they know not to climb up on curtains, steal your food, chew on your shoes, and most likely are already potty trained. Adult or senior pets can be super easy-going and may have a calmer disposition than kittens or puppies. Most love to snuggle and cuddle with their pet parents! Dawn Kavanaugh, CEO and President of All About Animals Rescue. Adoption partner to four PetSmart stores in the Phoenix metro area.

4. Old Dogs (and Other Pets!) Can Learn New Tricks

The adage that an old dog can’t learn new tricks simply isn’t true! Senior pets don’t ask for much and are often very easily trained. They might have to get acclimated to your household routine, but once they do, you may be surprised how easy they are to care for and how willing they are to learn from their new pet parents. Jackie Meyers, CEO/Executive Director of Peaceful Passings Senior Animal Rescue. Adoption partner to a PetSmart in Charlottesville, VA.

5. Senior Pets Need Second Chances

Every shelter pet is looking for their second chance at a forever home, but senior pets may need second chances even more than most. As senior pets are more likely to have pre-existing medical conditions or dental issues, they may need a little extra TLC, but the love they show you in return will be well worth it. In our experience, senior pets are even more loveable thanks to the lives they’ve lived and the experiences they’ve had. Angela McLaren, Executive Director, Prince George Humane Society. Adoption partner to the PetSmart store in Prince George, British Columbia, Canada.

“At PetSmart Charities, our mission is to find lifelong, loving homes for all pets—and that includes pets that aren’t always top-of-mind for some adopters,” said David Haworth, DVM, Ph.D. and President of PetSmart Charities. “For homes with very young children or families seeking a more calm and mature companion, adopting a senior pet may be a great way to go. But, the very best way you can find the pet that’s right for you is by visiting one of the thousands of adoption events taking place during PetSmart Charities’ National Adoption Weekend, and meeting the furry, friendly pets of all ages, types and sizes that are waiting to find their forever home and family.”

Pets of All Ages, Types and Sizes Deserve a Lifelong, Loving Home

Pets of all ages, types and sizes will be looking to find their forever home at PetSmart Charities’ November National Adoption Weekend. From Nov. 10 – 12, more than 3,500 animal welfare organizations will bring adoptable pets into nearly all of PetSmart’s 1,500-plus stores in the U.S. and Canada with the goal of finding homes for more than 25,000 pets during this weekend adoption event.

Date:                     Friday, Nov. 10 – Sunday, Nov. 12, 2017
Time:                    Friday and Saturday: 9 a.m. – 9 p.m. Sunday: 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. (local times)
Location:             Nearly every PetSmart store across North America. Visit www.petsmart.com to find a store near you.

A Free Gift for Those Who Adopt:

Regardless of the age of the four-legged friend you or your family choose to adopt, or where you adopted from, PetSmart offers a free Adoption Kit* that provides important content that helps to integrate a new pet into the family. Click here for more information about PetSmart’s Free Adoption Kit. *Adoption papers required.

About PetSmart®

PetSmart, Inc. is the largest specialty pet retailer of services and solutions for the lifetime needs of pets. At PetSmart, we love pets, and we believe pets make us better people. Every day with every connection, PetSmart’s passionate associates help bring pet parents closer to their pets so they, together, can live more fulfilled lives. This vision impacts everything we do for our customers, the way we support our associates and how we give back to our communities. We employ approximately 55,000 associates, operate more than 1,500 pet stores in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico, as well as more than 200 in-store PetSmart® PetsHotel® dog and cat boarding facilities. PetSmart provides a broad range of competitively priced pet food and products, as well as pet-focused services such as dog training, pet grooming, pet boarding, PetSmart® Doggie Day Camp® and pet adoption. PetSmart, together with non-profits PetSmart Charities® and PetSmart Charities™ of Canada, invite more than 3,500 animal welfare organizations to bring adoptable pets into stores so they have the best chance possible of finding a forever home. Through this in-store adoption program and other signature events, PetSmart has facilitated more than 7.6 million adoptions – more than any other brick-and-mortar organization. The company’s portfolio of digital resources for pet parents includes PetSmart.com, OnlyNaturalPet.com, petMD.com, Pawculture.com, AllPaws, an online pet adoption platform that helps potential pet parents find the perfect pet to adopt based on their home, family and lifestyle, as well as BlogPaws, the world’s first pet blogger and influencer network. Through these digital platforms, PetSmart offers the most comprehensive online pet supplies and pet care information in the U.S. In celebration of its 30th anniversary, PetSmart launched its Buy a Bag, Give a Meal™ program in March 2017. For every bag of cat or dog food purchased March 1 – Dec. 31, 2017, PetSmart will donate a meal to pets in need and expects to donate more than 60 million meals in 2017*.In May 2017, PetSmart acquired Chewy.com, a leading online retailer of pet food and products in the U.S., which operates as an independent subsidiary.

Find PetSmart on Facebook: www.facebook.com/PetSmart
See PetSmart on Instagram: @PetSmart
Follow PetSmart on Twitter: @PetSmart
See PetSmart on YouTube: www.YouTube.com/PetSmart

Turn your passion for pets into a career you’ll love! Visit careers.petsmart.comto learn more about corporate, retail store and Distribution Center opportunities.

*Ends 12/31/17. 5 oz. dog food, 1.5 oz. cat food donated to PetSmart Charities to feed dogs and cats in need. See details at petsmart.com/giveameal.The actual number of meals donated is based on dog and cat food bags sold. The meal donation estimate is based on historic sales for similar time periods. No guaranteed amount.Rescue Bank and Feeding America will help distribute a large portion of the pet food donation in the U.S., while four large animal welfare agencies will distribute it in Canada.

About PetSmart Charities®

PetSmart Charities, Inc. is a nonprofit animal welfare organization with a mission to find lifelong, loving homes for all pets by supporting programs and thought leadership that bring people and pets together. In addition to finding homes for almost 500,000 shelter pets each year through its in-store adoption program in all PetSmart stores across the U.S. and Puerto Rico, PetSmart Charities provides funding to non-profits aligned with its mission through four key areas of grant support: Preventing Pet Homelessness; Helping Shelter Pets Thrive; Supporting the Bond Between People and Pets; and Emergency Relief and Disaster Support.Each year, millions of generous PetSmart shoppers help pets in need by donating to PetSmart Charities using the pin pads at checkout registers inside PetSmart stores. In turn, PetSmart Charities efficiently uses 90 cents of every dollar donated and has become the leading funder of animal welfare in North America, donating about $300 million to date. PetSmart Charities, a 501(c)(3) organization, has received the Four Star Rating from Charity Navigator, an independent organization that reports on the effectiveness, accountability and transparency of nonprofits, for the past 14 years in a row — placing it among the top one percent of charities rated by this organization. To learn more visit www.petsmartcharities.org

Follow PetSmart Charities on Twitter: @PetSmartChariTs
Find PetSmart Charities on Facebook: Facebook.com/PetSmartCharities
See PetSmart Charities on YouTube: YouTube.com/PetSmartCharitiesInc

About PetSmart Charities® of Canada:

PetSmart Charities of Canada is a registered Canadian charity with a mission to find lifelong, loving homes for all pets by supporting programs and thought leadership that bring people and pets together. In addition to finding homes for more than 25,000 shelter pets each year through its in-store adoption program in all PetSmart stores, PetSmart Charities of Canada provides funding to registered charities aligned with its mission through four key areas of grant support: Preventing Pet Homelessness; Helping Shelter Pets Thrive; Supporting the Bond Between People and Pets; and Emergency Relief and Disaster Support.Each year, millions of generous PetSmart shoppers help pets in need by donating to PetSmart Charities of Canada using the pin pads at checkout registers inside PetSmart stores. In turn, PetSmart Charities efficiently uses 89 cents of every dollar donated and has become a leading funder of animal welfare in Canada, donating nearly $12 million to date. PetSmart Charities of Canada is a member of Imagine Canada and is independent from PetSmart, Inc. To learn more, visit www.petsmartcharities.ca

Follow PetSmart Charities on Twitter: @PetSmartChariTs
Find PetSmart Charities on Facebook: Facebook.com/PetSmartCanada
See PetSmart Charities on YouTube: YouTube.com/PetSmart CharitiesInc

Source: Pet Smart Inc.

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PetSmart Charities announces initial commitment of $1 million to support pets and pet families affected by Hurricane Irma

Combined total of $3 million in funding support to animal welfare organizations and nonprofits working to help pets in need following Hurricanes Harvey and Irma; PetSmart allows U.S. shoppers to donate funds directly to hurricane recovery efforts

PHOENIX, AZ, 2017-Sep-15 — /EPR Retail News/ — PetSmart Charities, the leading funder of animal welfare in North America, today announced an initial commitment of $1 million in grants to support animal welfare organizations working on the front lines to help pets and pet families in need in the areas affected by Hurricane Irma. With this commitment, the organization has pledged a combined $3 million in funding for the rescue, relief and recovery efforts following Hurricanes Harvey and Irma. 

To help its nonprofit partner champion these efforts, and in response to shoppers in its stores asking for ways to help, PetSmart®, the nation’s largest pet retailer, has set up a dedicated financial donation system at checkout in all of its U.S.-based stores where shoppers can easily donate directly to pets and people impacted by natural disasters in increments of $1, $2, $5 or $10. In addition to this fundraising effort, customers may give to PetSmart Charities every day, year-round through the PIN pads at checkout registers inside all PetSmart stores to support the organization’s mission to connect pets and people in need. PetSmart Charities contributes more than 92 cents of every dollar donated directly to pets and pet families who need it most.

PetSmart Charities remains in close contact with animal welfare organizations within the affected regions to closely assess their specific needs during this crisis. The nonprofit said it recognizes that recovery efforts will take time and, as a partner to local animal welfare groups, it is committed to providing the necessary assistance and support for months to come.

“Once a natural disaster strikes, our local animal welfare partners work hard to rescue homeless or displaced pets left behind. This is just the first of many stages of emergency relief,” said David Haworth, DVM, Ph.D., president of PetSmart Charities. “Once the initial rescue stage has been completed, there is still work to be done to help those pets recover, reunite them with their pet parents, and if not, help them find loving forever homes. Because we know the recovery can take time and we want to ensure that local organizations can adequately assess the needs of local pets and pet families in need, nonprofits may apply for emergency relief funding up to six months following a natural disaster.”

Support on the Ground:
As Hurricane Irma moves through the region, local animal welfare organizations in the Southeastern U.S. and Puerto Rico will continue working to deliver immediate assistance to pets and pet families in need. PetSmart Charities has provided nearly $250,000 in grants and supplies thus far. Notably, Atlanta Humane Society has received about $35,000 in grants and pet supplies to support the organization as it prepares to take in nearly 1,000 displaced pets this week alone.

Ongoing In-Kind Donations of Pet Food and Supplies:
In addition to providing funds, and continuing to assess the funding needs going forward, PetSmart Charities is coordinating deliveries of pet food and supplies to organizations working in the trenches. Prior to Hurricane Irma, the nonprofit delivered three truckloads of pet food donated through PetSmart’s philanthropic Buy A Bag, Give A Meal* program and coordinated the delivery of 2,500 crates to be used for rescue efforts in the affected areas.

Supporting Animal Welfare Organizations on the Ground:
If you are with an animal welfare organization spearheading rescue, relief and recovery efforts for those affected by Hurricane Irma, please visit www.petsmartcharities.org/pro to apply for an emergency relief grant from PetSmart Charities.

How You Can Support PetSmart Charities’ Emergency Relief Efforts:
If you would like to support PetSmart Charities’ emergency relief efforts, like those underway in Florida, please consider making a donation at the PIN pads located at the cash registers of every PetSmart store or online at www.petsmartcharities.org/donate.

For more information on PetSmart Charities, please visit www.PetSmartCharities.org.

###

*Ends 12/31/17.  5 oz. dog food, 1.5 oz. cat food donated to PetSmart Charities to feed dogs and cats in need.  See details at petsmart.com/giveameal.  The actual number of meals donated is based on dog and cat food bags sold.  The meal donation estimate is based on historic sales for similar time periods. No guaranteed amount. Rescue Bank and Feeding America will help distribute a large portion of the pet food donation in the U.S., while four large animal welfare agencies will distribute it in Canada.

About PetSmart Charities®
PetSmart Charities, Inc. is a nonprofit animal welfare organization with a mission to find lifelong, loving homes for all pets by supporting programs and thought leadership that bring people and pets together. In addition to finding homes for almost 500,000 shelter pets each year through its in-store adoption program in all PetSmart stores across the U.S. and Puerto Rico, PetSmart Charities provides funding to non-profits aligned with its mission through four key areas of grant support: Preventing Pet Homelessness; Helping Shelter Pets Thrive; Supporting the Bond Between People and Pets; and Emergency Relief and Disaster Support. Each year, millions of generous PetSmart shoppers help pets in need by donating to PetSmart Charities using the pin pads at checkout registers inside PetSmart stores.  In turn, PetSmart Charities efficiently uses 92 cents of every dollar donated and has become the leading funder of animal welfare in North America, donating about $300 million to date. PetSmart Charities, a 501(c)(3) organization, has received the Four Star Rating from Charity Navigator, an independent organization that reports on the effectiveness, accountability and transparency of nonprofits, for the past 14 years in a row – placing it among the top one percent of charities rated by this organization. To learn more visit www.petsmartcharities.org.

Follow PetSmart Charities on Twitter: @PetSmartChariTs
Find PetSmart Charities on Facebook: Facebook.com/PetSmartCharities
See PetSmart Charities on YouTube: YouTube.com/PetSmartCharitiesInc

SOURCE: PetSmart

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PetSmart Charities to help pets and pet parents impacted by Hurricane Harvey

Phoenix, 2017-Sep-01 — /EPR Retail News/ — In response to Hurricane Harvey, PetSmart Charities is reaching out to help pets and pet parents in need. The organization has earmarked at least $1 million in emergency relief funding to help animal welfare agencies who are working on the front lines to rescue, relocate, feed and care for pets that have been left homeless due to the floods. Animal welfare organizations working to save the lives of pets in these areas are can visit www.petsmartcharities.org/pro to apply for an emergency relief grant.

“Our thoughts are with all of the people and pets who have been impacted by Hurricane Harvey,” said Dr. David Haworth, DVM, Ph.D., President of PetSmart Charities. “We’re committed to supporting everyone we can who has been impacted by this disaster, including pets and pet parents staying in evacuation centers and shelters in Houston and Dallas who may not have access to the pet food and essentials they need.”

By making grants to animal welfare and social services agencies on the ground in Texas, PetSmart Charities is supporting their united efforts to save the lives of pets and provide much needed pet food, veterinary care and supplies. Early grants and in-kind donations PetSmart Charities has made to date include:

$150,000 grant to Houston SPCA: Funds will be used to help care for pets in the Houston SPCA’s shelter while also supporting the recruitment and deployment of 13 animal welfare teams from across the country to enhance search and rescue efforts already underway by Houston SPCA.

$100,000 grant to SPCA of Texas: PetSmart Charities’ donation will support this animal welfare agency’s ongoing efforts to help pets in need at the Mega Shelter recently opened in Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in Dallas.  Funds will also support the SPCA of Texas as it cares for more than 300 pets who have been surrendered or evacuated.

$75,000 grant to Rescue Bank: Last week Rescue Bank in Houston, Texas received nearly 80,000 pounds of donated pet food generated by PetSmart’s Buy a Bag, Give a Meal™ program. One pallet of food has been delivered to the Houston Convention Center to help feed the pets of people who have arrived in this temporary hurricane shelter. PetSmart Charities’ financial grant will help Rescue Bank to continue to distribute the donated pet food to animal welfare agencies and hurricane shelters in the Houston area.

$50,000 grant to Houston PetSet: As a locally-based nonprofit dedicated to working with animal welfare agencies and rescues, Houston PetSet will use its emergency relief grant from PetSmart Charities to help smaller nonprofits who are assisting with Hurricane Harvey relief efforts and require grants of $5,000 or less.

Providing In-Kind Donations of Pet Food and Supplies:
In addition to providing financial support for animal welfare agencies, PetSmart Charities has allocated two truckloads of donated pet care supplies like collars, leashes, food and water bowls, pet beds, kitty litter and more to help with emergency relief efforts in Texas. Fellow animal welfare agency, Rescue Bank, will deliver these supplies leveraging its fleet of trucks. One truckload is on its way to the SPCA of Texas in Dallas, while the other will soon be arriving in the Houston area. A third truck filled with 50 pallets of donated pet food from PetSmart’s Buy a Bag, Give a Meal program has been rerouted to help feed pets in need in Texas.

Offering Support to Animal Welfare Agencies Saving Pets Impacted by Hurricane Harvey: PetSmart Charities has allocated at least $1 million to support emergency relief efforts in Texas.  If you are an animal welfare organization working to save the lives of pets in these areas, visit www.petsmartcharities.org/pro to apply for an emergency relief grant.  Due to the volume of requests PetSmart Charities is receiving, all grant requests will be triaged by the grant administration team and responded to in a timely manner.

How You Can Support PetSmart Charities’ Emergency Relief Efforts: If you would like to support PetSmart Charities’ emergency relief efforts, like those underway in Texas, please consider making a donation at the PIN pads located at the cash registers of every PetSmart store or online at  www.petsmartcharities.org/donate

About PetSmart Charities®
PetSmart Charities, Inc. is a nonprofit animal welfare organization with a mission to find lifelong, loving homes for all pets by supporting programs and thought leadership that bring people and pets together.In addition to finding homes for almost 500,000 shelter pets each year through its in-store adoption program in all PetSmart stores across the U.S. and Puerto Rico, PetSmart Charities provides funding to non-profits aligned with its mission through four key areas of grant support: Preventing Pet Homelessness; Helping Shelter Pets Thrive; Supporting the Bond Between People and Pets; and Emergency Relief and Disaster Support. Each year, millions of generous PetSmart shoppers help pets in need by donating to PetSmart Charities using the pin pads at checkout registers inside PetSmart stores. In turn, PetSmart Charities efficiently uses 90 cents of every dollar donated and has become the leading funder of animal welfare in North America, donating about $300 million to date. PetSmart Charities, a 501(c)(3) organization, has received the Four Star Rating from Charity Navigator, an independent organization that reports on the effectiveness, accountability and transparency of nonprofits, for the past 14 years in a row – placing it among the top one percent of charities rated by this organization. To learn more visit www.petsmartcharities.org

Follow PetSmart Charities on Twitter:@PetSmartChariTs
Find PetSmart Charities on Facebook:Facebook.com/PetSmartCharities
See PetSmart Charities on YouTube:YouTube.com/PetSmartCharitiesInc

Source: PetSmart Inc.

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PetSmart: first of four massive pet food donation arriving in 70 Cities through its Buy a Bag, Give a Meal program

Thanks to Millions of PetSmart Shoppers Who Bought Bags of Pet Food this Year, 92 Semi Trucks are Arriving in 70 Cities Across 31 States and Three Canadian Provinces with 17 Million Meals to Feed Hungry Pets in Need

NEW YORK CITY and LOS ANGELES, 2017-Aug-16 — /EPR Retail News/ — PetSmart announced today (Aug. 15, 2017) that the first of four massive pet food donation waves is underway thanks to its philanthropic Buy a Bag, Give a Meal program, where for every bag of dog or cat food purchased online or in its 1,500-plus stores through Dec. 31, 2017, the retailer will donate a meal to a pet in need. Through this historic program, PetSmart expects to donate 60 million meals* to pets in need at hundreds of shelters and rescues across North America, as well as human food banks, pantries and meal programs, where pet food is a rare offering.

To get the food to those in need, the retailer is working with nonprofit partner PetSmart Charities, which is teaming up with GreaterGood.org’s Rescue Bank program and Feeding America®, two renowned national nonprofit organizations, to deliver this massive pet food donation immediately to pets in need across the U.S., as well as animal welfare agencies in Canada.

Three 53-foot semi trucks will arrive in New York City, while three more semi trucks will roll in to Los Angeles today showcasing PetSmart’s coast-to-coast pet food donation. Over the next four weeks, a total of 92 semi truckloads will arrive in 70 cities in 31 states and three Canadian provinces carrying 17 million meals – more than 3.6 million pounds – to help feed hungry pets in need across North America.

PetSmart launched the Buy a Bag, Give a Meal program in celebration of its 30th anniversary, and with the expected 60 million meals donated under this program, it is the biggest philanthropic campaign in its 30-year history. As a point of reference, using a standard six-inch pet food bowl, 60 million meals lined up beside each other would span from New York City to Los Angeles and back again – covering more than 5,500 miles.

“The Buy a Bag, Give a Meal program is simple. Shoppers can buy any bag of dog or cat food, any size, any brand, and we’ll donate a meal to a pet in need,” said Eran Cohen, chief customer experience officer, PetSmart. “Together we have already generated nearly 30 million meals and are confident we’ll hit our goal of 60 million meals. We’re just getting started with this first wave of truck deliveries, with three more massive semi truck deliveries planned into 2018.”

Expertly Distributing the Massive Amount of Pet Food to Hundreds of Locations
PetSmart Charities, the leading funder of animal welfare in North America, will take on the distribution of the massive amount of pet food donated by PetSmart and is dedicated to quickly and efficiently getting the pet food to hungry pets in need across North America. Rescue Bank will help allocate the donated pet food to animal welfare organizations across the U.S., and Feeding America will disperse the donated pet food to food banks, food pantries and meal programs. In Canada, four large animal welfare organizations from across the country, some who partner with or operate their own local pet food banks, will distribute the donated pet food.

“When our partners at PetSmart shared this big idea to donate a meal for every bag of dog or cat food purchased, we were overwhelmed by the generosity and thrilled to take on the challenge of distributing such a large volume of pet food to help pets in need across North America,” said David Haworth, DVM, Ph.D., president of PetSmart Charities. “This program enables PetSmart Charities to continue our mission of helping homeless pets in need and connecting people and pets and keeping them connected. Supporting shelters and rescues is a big part of what we’ve done every day for more than two decades, and Buy a Bag, Give a Meal also allows us to help families in need by providing much-needed pet food, helping to keep pets with their families and out of shelters.”

During this first big pet food delivery wave now underway through Sept. 14, 92 semi trucks will deliver 17 million meals – more than 3.6 million pounds – to shelters, rescues and food banks across the U.S. and Canada. Three similarly sized truck deliveries are expected later this year and into 2018.

“We are pleased to team up with PetSmart Charities, which serves a major role in our Buy a Bag, Give a Meal program,” said Cohen. “PetSmart Charities is expertly getting the pet food to pets in need across North America. We are thankful to their team and their partners at Feeding America and Rescue Bank, for moving swiftly to effectively get the food to hungry pets that need it the most in hundreds of local markets across the continent.”

The pet food is made at PetSmart’s vendor partner American Nutrition Inc. (ANI) in Ogden, Utah, where semi trucks filled with 50 pallets each of donated pet food will roll out every weekday now through Sept. 14 for this delivery wave. Each weekday across the six weeks, trucks will leave ANI with more than 561,792 pet food meals on board totaling nearly 109,700 pounds.

The semi trucks loaded with the donated pet food will be arriving in cities across North America including New York City, Los Angeles, Toronto, Honolulu, Fargo, Houston, Phoenix, St. Louis, Tampa Bay, San Diego, Detroit, Austin and points in between. Click here for a list of cities and nonprofit partners that will receive the pet food donated during the Aug. and Sept. truck delivery wave from PetSmart’s Buy a Bag, Give a Meal program.

About PetSmart®
PetSmart, Inc. is the largest specialty pet retailer of services and solutions for the lifetime needs of pets. At PetSmart, we love pets, and we believe pets make us better people. Every day with every connection, PetSmart’s passionate associates help bring pet parents closer to their pets so they, together, can live more fulfilled lives. This vision impacts everything we do for our customers, the way we support our associates and how we give back to our communities. We employ approximately 55,000 associates, operate more than 1,500 pet stores in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico, as well as more than 200 in-store PetSmart® PetsHotel® dog and cat boarding facilities. PetSmart provides a broad range of competitively priced pet food and products, as well as pet-focused services such as dog training, pet grooming, pet boarding, PetSmart® Doggie Day Camp® and pet adoption. PetSmart, together with non-profits PetSmart Charities® and PetSmart Charities™ of Canada, invite more than 3,000 animal welfare organizations to bring adoptable pets into stores so they have the best chance possible of finding a forever home. Through this in-store adoption program and other signature events, PetSmart has facilitated more than 7.4 million adoptions – more than any other brick-and-mortar organization. The company’s portfolio of digital resources for pet parents includes PetSmart.com, OnlyNaturalPet.com, petMD.com, Pawculture.com, AllPaws, an online pet adoption platform that helps potential pet parents find the perfect pet to adopt based on their home, family and lifestyle, as well as BlogPaws, the world’s first pet blogger and influencer network. Through these digital platforms, PetSmart offers the most comprehensive online pet supplies and pet care information in the U.S. In celebration of its 30th anniversary, PetSmart launched its Buy a Bag, Give a Meal™ program in March 2017. For every bag of cat or dog food purchased March 1 – Dec. 31, 2017, PetSmart will donate a meal to pets in need and expects to donate more than 60 million meals in 2017*. In May 2017, PetSmart acquired Chewy.com, a leading online retailer of pet food and products in the U.S., which operates as an independent subsidiary.

Find PetSmart on Facebook: www.facebook.com/PetSmart
See PetSmart on Instagram: @PetSmart
Follow PetSmart on Twitter: @PetSmart
See PetSmart on YouTube: www.YouTube.com/PetSmart

*Ends 12/31/17.  5 oz. dog food, 1.5 oz. cat food donated to PetSmart Charities to feed dogs and cats in need.  See details at www.petsmart.com/giveameal. The actual number of meals donated is based on dog and cat food bags sold.  The meal donation estimate is based on historic sales for similar time periods. No guaranteed amount. Rescue Bank and Feeding America will help distribute a large portion of the pet food donation in the U.S., while four large animal welfare agencies will distribute it in Canada.

About PetSmart Charities®
PetSmart Charities, Inc. is a nonprofit animal welfare organization with a mission to find lifelong, loving homes for all pets by supporting programs and thought leadership that bring people and pets together.  In addition to finding homes for almost 500,000 shelter pets each year through its in-store adoption program in all PetSmart stores across the U.S. and Puerto Rico, PetSmart Charities provides funding to non-profits aligned with its mission through four key areas of grant support:  Preventing Pet Homelessness; Helping Shelter Pets Thrive; Supporting the Bond Between People and Pets; and Emergency Relief and Disaster Support. Each year, millions of generous PetSmart shoppers help pets in need by donating to PetSmart Charities using the pin pads at checkout registers inside PetSmart stores.  In turn, PetSmart Charities efficiently uses 90 cents of every dollar donated and has become the leading funder of animal welfare in North America, donating about $300 million to date. PetSmart Charities, a 501(c)(3) organization, has received the Four Star Rating from Charity Navigator, an independent organization that reports on the effectiveness, accountability and transparency of nonprofits, for the past 14 years in a row — placing it among the top one percent of charities rated by this organization.  To learn more visit www.petsmartcharities.org.

Find PetSmart on Facebook: www.facebook.com/PetSmart
See PetSmart on Instagram: @PetSmart
Follow PetSmart on Twitter: @PetSmart
See PetSmart on YouTube: www.YouTube.com/PetSmart

About PetSmart Charities™ of Canada
PetSmart Charities of Canada is a registered Canadian charity with a mission to find lifelong, loving homes for all pets by supporting programs and thought leadership that bring people and pets together.  In addition to finding homes for more than 25,000 shelter pets each year through its in-store adoption program in all PetSmart stores, PetSmart Charities of Canada provides funding to registered charities aligned with its mission through four key areas of grant support: Preventing Pet Homelessness; Helping Shelter Pets Thrive; Supporting the Bond Between People and Pets; and Emergency Relief and Disaster Support. Each year, millions of generous PetSmart shoppers help pets in need by donating to PetSmart Charities of Canada using the pin pads at checkout registers inside PetSmart stores.  In turn, PetSmart Charities efficiently uses 89 cents of every dollar donated and has become a leading funder of animal welfare in Canada, donating nearly $12 million to date.  PetSmart Charities of Canada is a member of Imagine Canada, and a registered Canadian charity independent from PetSmart, Inc. To learn more, visit www.petsmartcharities.ca.

About Rescue Bank
Rescue Bank, a Signature Program of GreaterGood.org, operates on the national food bank model to community-based animal welfare groups that typically lack access to resources. Rescue Bank recognizes that these smaller, less-visible groups represent a substantial portion of America’s animal rescue resource.

Rescue Bank works with name-brand suppliers to deliver donated pet food for both the ongoing needs of more than 1,900 animal welfare organizations and the immediate needs of communities after disasters such as hurricanes, floods and fires. Since establishing its national network in 2011, Rescue Bank has delivered over 200 million meals of nutritious, wholesome pet food.

For more information visit http://rescuebank.org or find us on Facebook at facebook.com/RescueBank.

About Feeding America
Feeding America is the nationwide network of 200 food banks that leads the fight against hunger in the United States. Together, we provide food to more than 46 million people through 60,000 food pantries and meal programs in communities across America. Feeding America also supports programs that improve food security among the people we serve; educates the public about th problem of hunger; and advocates for legislation that protects people from going hungry. Individuals, charities, businesses and government all have a role in ending hunger. Donate. Volunteer. Advocate. Educate. Together we can solve hunger. Visit www.feedingamerica.org, find us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.

Contacts:
Virginia Hock
Golin for PetSmart
469-680-2611
vhock@golin.com

PetSmart Media Line:
623-587-2177

Source: PetSmart, Inc.

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PetSmart Charities survey reveals that more pets would be rescued if people received more information on how to adopt a pet

Good News is Respondents Are Quick to Cite Pet Adoption as the Solution and Report the Many Benefits of Having a Pet—Emotional, Physical and More

PHOENIX, 2017-Jul-27 — /EPR Retail News/ — American pet parents significantly underestimate the current pet homelessness issue facing the country, according to a new survey commissioned by PetSmart Charities, the leading funder of animal welfare in North America, and conducted by Wakefield Research.

When asked for their thoughts on the approximate number of pets that enter shelters each year in North America, 84 percent of survey respondents said they believe the answer is less than 1 million pets per year. Alarmingly, the actual number is closer to 6.5 million annually—a harsh reality that approximately two percent of survey respondents seem to grasp.

The good news is pet adoption is widely recognized as a solution to the pet homelessness issue, and an increasingly popular path when prospective pet parents decide to add a new four-legged member to their family. Ninety-six percent of those surveyed agreed that more pets would be rescued if people received more information on how to adopt a pet.

“This survey demonstrates the continuing need to educate current and prospective pet parents about how easy it is to adopt a pet, and the difference adoption can make to this issue that is so wide-spread across the U.S.,” said David Haworth, DVM, Ph.D., president of PetSmart Charities. “Programs like PetSmart Charities’ National Adoption Weekends are moving the needle by finding homes for as many as 20,000 pets in a single event. But there is more we can do. Through the Survey Companion Guide, we’re continuing to raise awareness of the pet homelessness issue and how we can work together to ensure every pet finds the forever family and home they deserve.”

Seventy percent of pet parents surveyed say they would look to an animal welfare agency as a key source of information about how to adopt a pet, and another 40 percent of those surveyed said they would also turn to their local pet store. One need only look at PetSmart’s successful in-store adoption program to see that survey respondents were right on both counts. Nearly two of every 10 pet adoptions in North America are facilitated at a PetSmart store. Since the early 1990s, PetSmart Charities has partnered with more than 3,000 animal welfare agencies to operate pet adoption space inside PetSmart stores, while also offering pet food and supplies for pets while they await adoption. Nearly all the 1,500-plus PetSmart stores feature adoption space at their stores, free to their adoption partners, creating a convenient, friendly environment where pets are connected with new forever families. Since the program began, PetSmart and PetSmart Charities have helped more than 7.5 million pets find homes.

Survey Shows Pets’ Positive Contribution to Human Health and Happiness
Today, pet parents are relying on their pets more than ever before through the good times and the bad. Among parents, 92percent of surveyed pet owners said their children frequently turn to their family pet when they are sad, upset or in need of comfort. And children aren’t the only ones relying on their pets. Among those employed, 64 percent of pet parents reported that giving up their pet would be worse than losing their jobs.

What’s more, 93 percent of people surveyed said they had experienced at least one health benefit from pet parenthood. Benefits cited include improved mood and decreased stress to increased physical activity, weight loss and enhanced work-life balance. In fact, the overwhelming majority of people surveyed (94 percent) agreed with the statement that pets are essential for people to maintain good mental and physical health.

“The results of the PetSmart Charities-commissioned survey speak volumes about the human-animal bond and the tremendous value pets bring to our everyday lives,” said Dr. Haworth. “Once they are adopted, not only do they provide unconditional love and support, but pets have also become irreplaceable members of our families and an essential part of our physical and emotional well-being.”

PetSmart Charities has created a quick and easy Survey Companion Guide showcasing strong reasons to adopt, and additional fun facts from the survey like what percentage of Americans would rather talk to their pet than a therapist during a difficult time. To learn more, click here to download the guide.

Survey Methodology

The PetSmart Charities-commissioned survey was conducted by Wakefield Research among 1,000 pet parents in the U.S. Respondents were randomly selected and completed the survey online between the dates of March 14-21, 2017.

About PetSmart Charities®

PetSmart Charities, Inc. is a nonprofit animal welfare organization with a mission to find lifelong, loving homes for all pets by supporting programs and thought leadership that bring people and pets together. In addition to finding homes for almost 500,000 shelter pets each year through its in-store adoption program in all PetSmart stores across the U.S. and Puerto Rico, PetSmart Charities provides funding to non-profits aligned with its mission through four key areas of grant support: Preventing Pet Homelessness; Helping Shelter Pets Thrive; Supporting the Bond Between People and Pets; and Emergency Relief and Disaster Support. Each year, millions of generous PetSmart shoppers help pets in need by donating to PetSmart Charities using the pin pads at checkout registers inside PetSmart stores. In turn, PetSmart Charities efficiently uses 90 cents of every dollar donated and has become the leading funder of animal welfare in North America, donating about $300 million to date. PetSmart Charities, a 501(c)(3) organization, has received the Four Star Rating from Charity Navigator, an independent organization that reports on the effectiveness, accountability and transparency of nonprofits, for the past 14 years in a row — placing it among the top one percent of charities rated by this organization. To learn more visit www.petsmartcharities.org
Follow PetSmart Charities on Twitter: @PetSmartChariTs
Find PetSmart Charities on Facebook: Facebook.com/PetSmartCharities
See PetSmart Charities on YouTube: YouTube.com/PetSmart CharitiesInc

About PetSmart Charities™ of Canada

PetSmart Charities of Canada is a registered Canadian charity with a mission to find lifelong, loving homes for all pets by supporting programs and thought leadership that bring people and pets together.  In addition to finding homes for more than 25,000 shelter pets each year through its in-store adoption program in all PetSmart stores, PetSmart Charities of Canada provides funding to registered charities aligned with its mission through four key areas of grant support: Preventing Pet Homelessness; Helping Shelter Pets Thrive; Supporting the Bond Between People and Pets; and Emergency Relief and Disaster Support. Each year, millions of generous PetSmart shoppers help pets in need by donating to PetSmart Charities of Canada using the pin pads at checkout registers inside PetSmart stores.  In turn, PetSmart Charities efficiently uses 89 cents of every dollar donated and has become a leading funder of animal welfare in Canada, donating nearly $12 million to date.  PetSmart Charities of Canada is a member of Imagine Canada, and a registered Canadian charity independent from PetSmart, Inc. To learn more, visit www.petsmartcharities.ca

Contact:
Virginia Hock
Golin for PetSmart
469-680-2611
vhock@golin.com

PetSmart Media Line:
623-587-2177

Source: PetSmart,  Inc.

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PetSmart delivers the first of nearly 90 initial semi-truck loads of pet food through its historic Buy a Bag, Give a Meal program

  • PetSmart Expects to Distribute more than 60 Million Meals and Reports Philanthropic Program Has Already Generated More Than 20 Million Meals to Date
  • PetSmart Charities Teams up with Feeding America® and Rescue Bank® to Distribute the Pet Food to  Rescues, Shelters and Food Banks in the U.S.

PHOENIX, Ariz., 2017-Jun-14 — /EPR Retail News/ — PetSmart announced today (June 13, 2017) it has begun to deliver the first of nearly 90 initial semi-truck loads of pet food through its historic Buy a Bag, Give a Meal* program, where it is giving a meal to a pet in need for any and every bag of dog or cat food purchased through Dec. 31, 2017, in its more than 1,500 stores and online at PetSmart.com and PetSmart.ca. Through this philanthropic program, PetSmart said it expects to make pet food deliveries throughout the rest of 2017 and well into 2018 to distribute the expected 60 million-plus* meals to hundreds of locations across North America at local shelters and rescues, as well as to food banks and pantries where pet food is a rare offering.

Nonprofit partner PetSmart Charities, the leading funder of animal welfare in North America, is the recipient of the significant pet food donation and is teaming up with GreaterGood.org’s Rescue Bank program and Feeding America. These renowned national nonprofit organizations are helping to effectively distribute the pet food directly to pets in need across the U.S.

The Buy a Bag, Give a Meal program was launched March 1, 2017. Since then, as shoppers buy pet food bags at PetSmart, the retailer donates a meal to a pet in need and has already generated more than 20 million meals to date. With the 60 million meal goal, the program is the largest philanthropic initiative in PetSmart’s 30-year history. As a point of reference, using a standard six-inch pet food bowl, 60 million meals would span from New York City to Los Angeles and back again – covering more than 5,500 miles.

Throughout the past two weeks, the first three of nearly 90 semi-trailer trucks loaded with the donated pet food were delivered to pets in need. The initial shipment included 750,000 meals of pet food split evenly between dog and cat food and was delivered to Feeding America affiliates, Food Bank of the Rockies in Denver, and Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona in Tucson. A third truck load was delivered to Rescue Bank facility, St. Paws, and adjacent shelter, National Mill Dog Rescue, in Peyton, Colo., a suburb of Colorado Springs.

The pet food meals are expected to be on the shelves of hundreds of food pantries across the Denver and Tucson metro areas, while also feeding hungry pets at rescues and shelters in the Colorado Springs region.

“We are thrilled to be getting these initial meals to pets in need across Colorado and the Southern Arizona area,” said Eran Cohen, chief customer experience officer, PetSmart. “We know pets in need are not only in shelters and rescues across North America, but also with their families who are served by food pantries and meal programs. We are pleased to work with PetSmart Charities and its partners, Feeding America and Rescue Bank, and very excited to reach pets in need in 67 additional cities across 28 states beginning in August.”

“When our partners at PetSmart shared this big idea to give back a meal for every bag purchased, we were overwhelmed by the generosity and thrilled to take on the challenge of distributing such a huge volume of pet food – an expected 60 million meals – to help pets in need across North America,” said David Haworth, DVM, Ph.D., president of PetSmart Charities. “Our organization is dedicated to helping pets in need like no other. We delivered more than $34 million in funding support directly to animal welfare organizations in 2016 alone and with this massive pet food donation with our partners, Rescue Bank and Feeding America, we look forward to the impact these meals will have on pets in need in cities across the U.S.”

PetSmart Charities™ of Canada is also partnering with four renowned animal welfare organizations in Canada to distribute the anticipated 3.6 million meals* to pets in need across the country. Canadian deliveries from the Buy a Bag, Give a Meal program are expected to begin this fall.

To help PetSmart with the production of the massive amount of donated pet food, it is manufacturing the bulk of the donated pet food through its vendor partner, American Nutrition, Inc., a leading manufacturer of American-made pet food and treats. Rescue Bank distributes pet meals to its network of more than 1,900 shelter and rescue groups across the country. Pet food, especially cat food, is consistently the largest request Rescue Bank receives from its shelter and rescue partners. As well, the annual pet food budget for a shelter or rescue can be a significant line item, and the donated food can offset pet food costs and allow these nonprofit organizations to redirect the funds to help pets even more.

Feeding America is a network of 200 food banks that provides food and groceries through 60,000 food pantries and meal programs to more than 46 million Americans each year. According to Feeding America, one in seven Americans are served by its network of food banks and pantries. As well, as reported by the American Pet Products Association’s 2015-16 national pet owner survey, nearly 45 percent of the U.S. households have dogs and about 35 percent have cats as pets.

Eligible human services organizations in the U.S. that wish to be considered to receive pet food donations from PetSmart’s Buy a Bag, Give a Meal program are encouraged to connect with their local food bank using the food bank locator at www.feedingamerica.org. Animal welfare organizations are asked to apply online at www.RescueBank.org.
For more information on the Buy a Bag, Give a Meal program, please visit PetSmart.com/giveameal or Petsmart.ca/giveameal in Canada.

About PetSmart®

PetSmart, Inc. is the largest specialty pet retailer of services and solutions for the lifetime needs of pets. At PetSmart, we love pets, and we believe pets make us better people. Every day with every connection, PetSmart’s passionate associates help bring pet parents closer to their pets so they, together, can live more fulfilled lives. This vision impacts everything we do for our customers, the way we support our associates and how we give back to our communities. We employ approximately 55,000 associates, operate more than 1,500 pet stores in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico, as well as more than 200 in-store PetSmart® PetsHotel® dog and cat boarding facilities. PetSmart provides a broad range of competitively priced pet food and products, as well as pet-focused services such as dog training, pet grooming, pet boarding, PetSmart® Doggie Day Camp® and pet adoption. PetSmart, together with non-profits PetSmart Charities® and PetSmart Charities™ of Canada, invite more than 3,000 animal welfare organizations to bring adoptable pets into stores so they have the best chance possible of finding a forever home. Through this in-store adoption program and other signature events, PetSmart has facilitated more than 7.4 million adoptions – more than any other brick-and-mortar organization. The company’s portfolio of digital resources for pet parents includes PetSmart.com, PetFoodDirect.com, OnlyNaturalPet.com, Pet360.com, petMD.com, Pawculture.com, AllPaws, an online pet adoption platform that helps potential pet parents find the perfect pet to adopt based on their home, family and lifestyle, as well as BlogPaws, the world’s first pet blogger and influencer network. Through these digital platforms, PetSmart offers the most comprehensive online pet supplies and pet care information in the U.S. In celebration of its 30th anniversary, PetSmart launched its Buy a Bag, Give a Meal™ program in March 2017. For every bag of cat or dog food purchased March 1 – Dec. 31, 2017, PetSmart will donate a meal to pets in need and expects to donate more than 60 million meals in 2017*.

Follow PetSmart on Twitter: @PetSmart
Find PetSmart on Facebook: www.facebook.com/PetSmart
See PetSmart on YouTube: www.YouTube.com/PetSmart

*Ends 12/31/17.  5 oz. dog food, 1.5 oz. cat food donated to PetSmart Charities to feed dogs and cats in need.  See details at petsmart.com/giveameal. The actual number of meals donated is based on dog and cat food bags sold.  The meal donation estimate is based on historic sales for similar time periods. No guaranteed amount. Rescue Bank and Feeding America will help distribute a large portion of the pet food donation in the U.S.

About PetSmart Charities®

PetSmart Charities, Inc. is a nonprofit animal welfare organization with a mission to find lifelong, loving homes for all pets by supporting programs and thought leadership that bring people and pets together.  In addition to finding homes for almost 500,000 shelter pets each year through its in-store adoption program in all PetSmart stores across the U.S. and Puerto Rico, PetSmart Charities provides funding to non-profits aligned with its mission through four key areas of grant support:  Preventing Pet Homelessness; Helping Shelter Pets Thrive; Supporting the Bond Between People and Pets; and Emergency Relief and Disaster Support. Each year, millions of generous PetSmart shoppers help pets in need by donating to PetSmart Charities using the pin pads at checkout registers inside PetSmart stores.  In turn, PetSmart Charities efficiently uses 90 cents of every dollar donated and has become the leading funder of animal welfare in North America, donating about $300 million to date. PetSmart Charities, a 501(c)(3) organization, has received the Four Star Rating from Charity Navigator, an independent organization that reports on the effectiveness, accountability and transparency of nonprofits, for the past 14 years in a row — placing it among the top one percent of charities rated by this organization.  To learn more visit www.petsmartcharities.org

Follow PetSmart Charities on Twitter: @PetSmartChariTs
Find PetSmart Charities on Facebook: Facebook.com/PetSmartCharities
See PetSmart Charities on YouTube: YouTube.com/PetSmartCharitiesInc

About PetSmart Charities™ of Canada

PetSmart Charities of Canada is a registered Canadian charity with a mission to find lifelong, loving homes for all pets by supporting programs and thought leadership that bring people and pets together.  In addition to finding homes for more than 25,000 shelter pets each year through its in-store adoption program in all PetSmart stores, PetSmart Charities of Canada provides funding to registered charities aligned with its mission through four key areas of grant support: Preventing Pet Homelessness; Helping Shelter Pets Thrive; Supporting the Bond Between People and Pets; and Emergency Relief and Disaster Support. Each year, millions of generous PetSmart shoppers help pets in need by donating to PetSmart Charities of Canada using the pin pads at checkout registers inside PetSmart stores.  In turn, PetSmart Charities efficiently uses 89 cents of every dollar donated and has become a leading funder of animal welfare in Canada, donating nearly $12 million to date.  PetSmart Charities of Canada is a member of Imagine Canada, and a registered Canadian charity independent from PetSmart, Inc. To learn more, visit www.petsmartcharities.ca

About Rescue Bank Rescue Bank, a Signature Program of GreaterGood.org, operates on the national food bank model to community-based animal welfare groups that typically lack access to resources. Rescue Bank recognizes that these smaller, less-visible groups represent a substantial portion of America’s animal rescue resource.

Rescue Bank works with name-brand suppliers to deliver donated pet food for both the ongoing needs of more than 1,900 animal welfare organizations and the immediate needs of communities after disasters such as hurricanes, floods and fires. Since establishing its national network in 2011, Rescue Bank has delivered over 200 million meals of nutritious, wholesome pet food.

For more information visit http://rescuebank.org or find us on Facebook at facebook.com/RescueBank.

About Feeding America

Feeding America is the nationwide network of 200 food banks that leads the fight against hunger in the United States. Together, we provide food to more than 46 million people through 60,000 food pantries and meal programs in communities across America. Feeding America also supports programs that improve food security among the people we serve; educates the public about the problem of hunger; and advocates for legislation that protects people from going hungry. Individuals, charities, businesses and government all have a role in ending hunger. Donate. Volunteer. Advocate. Educate. Together we can solve hunger. Visit www.feedingamerica.org, find us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.

Source: PetSmart, Inc.

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New fundraising program at PetSmart stores to raise $1 million for Service Dogs for Heroes

  • PetSmart Makes it Easy for Shoppers to Donate to this Important Cause Memorial Day through Independence Day
  • Goal is to Raise $1 million to Train and Place Service Dogs With Eligible Veterans

WILTON, Conn. and PHOENIX, Ariz., 2017-May-24 — /EPR Retail News/ —Blue Buffalo, PetSmart Charities and PetSmart are teaming up to support and raise awareness for Service Dogs for Heroes, a nonprofit organization dedicated to training and placing service dogs with veterans who have bravely served America and may now be in need of the support a skilled service dog can provide. Through a new fundraising program established at all 1,388 PetSmart stores across the U.S., PetSmart shoppers can easily donate to this important cause Memorial Day (May 29) through Independence Day (July 4) at the checkout registers with a goal to raise $1 million for Service Dogs for Heroes.

Having served in the United States Marine Corp., BJ Ganem, program director and founder of Service Dogs for Heroes, has seen and experienced first-hand the impact that service dogs can have on veterans’ lives. While on patrol in Iraq in 2004, the vehicle BJ was driving was struck by an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) causing the loss of his lower left leg.

“I can’t thank Blue Buffalo and PetSmart Charities enough for how they have embraced and supported Service Dogs for Heroes to help us make a truly meaningful and positive impact on the lives and health of these men and women who have bravely served our country,” said Ganem. “Right now there aren’t enough service dogs available for all the veterans in need so this is truly a noble effort.”

A service dog is a type of assistance dog specifically trained to help people who have disabilities such as visual impairment, hearing impairment, mobility impairments and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Donations from this collaborative effort will support Service Dogs for Heroes. Service dogs help veterans in the following key areas:

  • Recognizing emotional cues and triggers
  • Providing mobility and stability support
  • Providing support with vision
  • Providing support with hearing

“Pets have an uncanny ability to enhance the human spirit through unconditional love. With the necessary training, service dogs can help veterans restore their physical independence following traumatic injuries,” said David Haworth, DVM, Ph.D., president of PetSmart Charities. “By working with Blue Buffalo and Service Dogs for Heroes to leverage the healing power of pets, we hope to help improve the quality of life and well-being of veterans.”

PetSmart Charities recently expanded its mission to include finding lifelong, loving homes for all pets by supporting programs and thought leadership that bring people and pets together. This new mission includes a year-round grant category specifically for enhancing the quality of life through pets. Grants from this category are designed to fund programs that train pets to become service animals for people when they need them the most.

“We are thrilled to team up with PetSmart Charities and PetSmart stores to increase awareness about service dogs for veterans and help raise funds for the necessary training. The program will run a little more than five weeks at PetSmart stores, and we look forward to meeting our goal of $1 million,” said David Petrie, Vice President Blue Buffalo Foundation.

PetSmart shoppers who are interested in participating may choose their donation amount at the check-out register.

For more information on these efforts, please visit bluebuffalo.com/servicedogs.

About Blue Buffalo Company

Blue Buffalo, based in Wilton, CT, is the nation’s leading natural pet food company, providing natural foods and treats for dogs and cats under its BLUE Life Protection Formula, BLUE Wilderness, BLUE Basics, BLUE Freedom and BLUE Natural Veterinary Diet lines. Paying tribute to its founding mission, the Company, through the Blue Buffalo Foundation, is a leading sponsor of pet cancer awareness and of critical research studies of pet cancer, including causes, treatments and the role of nutrition, at leading veterinary medical schools and clinics across the United States. For more information about Blue Buffalo, visit the Company’s website at www.BlueBuffalo.com.

About PetSmart Charities®

PetSmart Charities, Inc. is a nonprofit animal welfare organization with a mission to find lifelong, loving homes for all pets by supporting programs and thought leadership that bring people and pets together. In addition to finding homes for almost 500,000 shelter pets each year through its in-store adoption program in all PetSmart stores across the U.S. and Puerto Rico, PetSmart Charities provides funding to non-profits aligned with its mission through four key areas of grant support: Preventing Pet Homelessness; Helping Shelter Pets Thrive; Supporting the Bond Between People and Pets; and Emergency Relief and Disaster Support. Each year, millions of generous PetSmart shoppers help pets in need by donating to PetSmart Charities using the pin pads at checkout registers inside PetSmart stores. In turn, PetSmart Charities efficiently uses 90 cents of every dollar donated and has become the leading funder of animal welfare in North America, donating about $300 million to date. PetSmart Charities, a 501(c)(3) organization, has received the Four Star Rating from Charity Navigator, an independent organization that reports on the effectiveness, accountability and transparency of nonprofits, for the past 14 years in a row — placing it among the top one percent of charities rated by this organization. To learn more visit www.petsmartcharities.org.

Follow PetSmart Charities on Twitter: @PetSmartChariTs
Find PetSmart Charities on Facebook: Facebook.com/PetSmartCharities
See PetSmart Charities on YouTube: YouTube.com/PetSmartCharitiesInc

About PetSmart®

PetSmart, Inc. is the largest specialty pet retailer of services and solutions for the lifetime needs of pets. At PetSmart, we love pets, and we believe pets make us better people. Every day with every connection, PetSmart’s passionate associates help bring pet parents closer to their pets so they, together, can live more fulfilled lives. This vision impacts everything we do for our customers, the way we support our associates and how we give back to our communities. We employ approximately 55,000 associates, operate more than 1,500 pet stores in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico, as well as more than 200 in-store PetSmart® PetsHotel® dog and cat boarding facilities. PetSmart provides a broad range of competitively priced pet food and products, as well as pet-focused services such as dog training, pet grooming, pet boarding, PetSmart® Doggie Day Camp® and pet adoption. PetSmart, together with non-profits PetSmart Charities® and PetSmart Charities™ of Canada, invite more than 3,000 animal welfare organizations to bring adoptable pets into stores so they have the best chance possible of finding a forever home. Through this in-store adoption program and other signature events, PetSmart has facilitated more than 7.4 million adoptions – more than any other brick-and-mortar organization. The company’s portfolio of digital resources for pet parents includes PetSmart.com, PetFoodDirect.com, OnlyNaturalPet.com, Pet360.com, petMD.com, Pawculture.com, AllPaws, an online pet adoption platform that helps potential pet parents find the perfect pet to adopt based on their home, family and lifestyle, as well as BlogPaws, the world’s first pet blogger and influencer network. Through these digital platforms, PetSmart offers the most comprehensive online pet supplies and pet care information in the U.S. In celebration of its 30th anniversary, PetSmart launched its Buy a Bag, Give a Meal™ program in March 2017. For every bag of cat or dog food purchased March 1 – Dec. 31, 2017, PetSmart will donate a meal to pets in need and expects to donate more than 60 million meals in 2017*.

Follow PetSmart on Twitter: @PetSmart
Find PetSmart on Facebook: www.facebook.com/PetSmart
See PetSmart on YouTube: www.YouTube.com/PetSmart

*Ends 12/31/17.  5 oz. dog food, 1.5 oz. cat food donated to PetSmart Charities to feed dogs and cats in need.  See details at petsmart.com/giveameal. The actual number of meals donated is based on dog and cat food bags sold.  The meal donation estimate is based on historic sales for similar time periods. No guaranteed amount. Rescue Bank and Feeding America will help distribute a large portion of the pet food donation in the U.S.

About Service Dogs for Heroes

Service Dogs for Heroes is a non-profit 501 (c) (3) working to be a national leader for education, advocacy, promotion and funding necessary to connect high-quality service dogs to deserving veterans via a network of partner providers creating an effective and efficient resource that places emphasis on the physical and emotional wellness of our nation’s veterans. For more information please visit servicedogsforheroes.org.

Contact:

PetSmart Charities
Phone: 623.587.2177
PetSmart Charities Newsroom

Source: Petsmart Inc.

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PetSmart celebrates National Military Appreciation Month with selection of patriotic-themed pet services

To Kick-Off Military Appreciation Month, $1 from Select PetSmart Grooming, Dog Training and PetsHotel® Services to be Donated to Support Veterans Programs Aimed at Restoring Independence

PHOENIX, 2017-May-02 — /EPR Retail News/ — May is National Military Appreciation Month, and PetSmart, the nation’s leading pet specialty retailer, is pleased to offer a selection of patriotic-themed pet services to honor the sacrifices made by the nation’s servicemen and women. Now through July 5, 2017, $1 from select grooming, dog training and PetsHotel boarding services will be donated to PetSmart Charities to support service dog programs and initiatives that help veterans with disabilities and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) restore their physical and emotional independence.

“The PetSmart Patriotic Service offerings are just one way to show our appreciation for veterans for their selfless acts of service to our country,” said Joanna Zucker, vice president of Services for PetSmart. “By working collaboratively with PetSmart Charities, we’re helping veterans who need it to connect with service dog programs and experience the healing powers and companionship of pets first-hand.”

The following philanthropic patriotic services* are available at PetSmart stores across the U.S. now through July 5, 2017, with $1 from each service purchased supporting PetSmart Charities-funded programs aimed at supporting veterans:

  • Treat your pet to a grooming upgrade with a patriotic add-on service, including Top Dog, Top Pup, FURminator® Deshedding Services, CHI® and Pawdicure services offered in PetSmart’s Grooming Salons
  • Show your pup’s patriotism with a yellow “Support our Troops” ribbon stencil by Pet Expressions**, a unique service offered in PetSmart’s Grooming Salons
  • Sign up for a six-week PetSmart Dog Training class
  • Register for an all-inclusive PetsHotel Package

Over the past three years, through shoppers’ purchases of these and similar services that give back, PetSmart and PetSmart Charities have donated more than $400,000 to veterans’ programs.
This year’s funding supports programs to train service dogs that can help veterans with physical disabilities complete everyday tasks that may now be challenging. As well, according to a study funded by the Human Animal Bond Research Initiative (HABRI), animal-assisted interventions and support can reduce people’s stress, depression, anxiety and help with conditions like PTSD among veterans. In a separate study, it was found that service dogs can reduce nightmare frequency, lower feelings of social isolation and increase levels of well-being.

“The unconditional love and attention that pets can provide has extraordinary health benefits to both everyday pet parents and those requiring support from pet-assisted service or therapy programs,” said David Haworth, DVM, Ph.D., president of PetSmart Charities and chair of the Research Working Group at HABRI. “The power of pets can truly improve our quality of life and well-being. With the donations through these PetSmart philanthropic services, we expect to help enhance the lives of military veterans.”

PetSmart Charities, the leading funder of animal welfare in North America, recently expanded its mission to include finding lifelong, loving homes for all pets by supporting programs and thought leadership that bring people and pets together. This new mission allows the organization to support animal welfare organizations in more ways than ever before, and even reach other nonprofits that help connect people and pets. The new “Enhancing the Quality of Life Through Pets” grant category, open year-round for applications, supports programs that train pets to become services animals for people who need it most, including military veterans with disabilities or PTSD.

For more information on PetSmart and PetSmart Charities, please visit PetSmart.com or PetSmartCharities.org.

*All services are subject to availability.

** Not available in SC, Boulder, CO & select cities in CA. Colors may vary by salon. Available to puppies 12 weeks and older.

About PetSmart®

PetSmart, Inc. is the largest specialty pet retailer of services and solutions for the lifetime needs of pets. At PetSmart, we love pets, and we believe pets make us better people. Every day with every connection, PetSmart’s passionate associates help bring pet parents closer to their pets so they, together, can live more fulfilled lives. This vision impacts everything we do for our customers, the way we support our associates and how we give back to our communities. We employ approximately 55,000 associates, operate more than 1,500 pet stores in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico, as well as more than 200 in-store PetSmart® PetsHotel® dog and cat boarding facilities. PetSmart provides a broad range of competitively priced pet food and products, as well as pet-focused services such as dog training, pet grooming, pet boarding, PetSmart® Doggie Day Camp® and pet adoption. PetSmart, together with non-profits PetSmart Charities® and PetSmart Charities™ of Canada, invite more than 3,000 animal welfare organizations to bring adoptable pets into stores so they have the best chance possible of finding a forever home. Through this in-store adoption program and other signature events, PetSmart has facilitated more than 7.3 million adoptions – more than any other brick-and-mortar organization. The company’s portfolio of digital resources for pet parents includes PetSmart.com, PetFoodDirect.com, OnlyNaturalPet.com, Pet360.com, petMD.com, Pawculture.com, AllPaws, an online pet adoption platform that helps potential pet parents find the perfect pet to adopt based on their home, family and lifestyle, as well as BlogPaws, the world’s first pet blogger and influencer network. Through these digital platforms, PetSmart offers the most comprehensive online pet supplies and pet care information in the U.S. In celebration of its 30th anniversary, PetSmart launched its Buy a Bag, Give a Meal™ program in March 2017. For every bag of cat or dog food purchased March 1 – Dec. 31, 2017, PetSmart will donate a meal to pets in need and expects to donate more than 60 million meals in 2017***.

Follow PetSmart on Twitter: @PetSmart
Find PetSmart on Facebook: www.facebook.com/PetSmart
See PetSmart on YouTube: www.YouTube.com/PetSmart

***Ends 12/31/17.  5 oz. dog food, 1.5 oz. cat food donated to PetSmart Charities to feed dogs and cats in need.  See details at petsmart.com/giveameal. The actual number of meals donated is based on dog and cat food bags sold.  The meal donation estimate is based on historic sales for similar time periods. No guaranteed amount. Rescue Bank and Feeding America will help distribute a large portion of the pet food donation in the U.S.

About PetSmart Charities®

PetSmart Charities, Inc. is a nonprofit animal welfare organization with a mission to find lifelong, loving homes for all pets by supporting programs and thought leadership that bring people and pets together. In addition to finding homes for almost 500,000 shelter pets each year through its in-store adoption program in all PetSmart stores across the U.S. and Puerto Rico, PetSmart Charities provides funding to non-profits aligned with its mission through four key areas of grant support: Preventing Pet Homelessness; Helping Shelter Pets Thrive; Supporting the Bond Between People and Pets; and Emergency Relief and Disaster Support. Each year, millions of generous PetSmart shoppers help pets in need by donating to PetSmart Charities using the pin pads at checkout registers inside PetSmart stores. In turn, PetSmart Charities efficiently uses 90 cents of every dollar donated and has become the leading funder of animal welfare in North America, donating about $300 million to date. PetSmart Charities, a 501(c)(3) organization, has received the Four Star Rating from Charity Navigator, an independent organization that reports on the effectiveness, accountability and transparency of nonprofits, for the past 14 years in a row — placing it among the top one percent of charities rated by this organization. To learn more visit www.petsmartcharities.org

Follow PetSmart Charities on Twitter: @PetSmartChariTs
Find PetSmart Charities on Facebook: Facebook.com/PetSmartCharities
See PetSmart Charities on YouTube: YouTube.com/PetSmartCharitiesInc

Contact:

PetSmart Public Relations
24-Hour News Media Line
Phone: 623.587.2177

PetSmart Charities:
Phone: 623.587.2177

Marketing/Advertising Inquiries:
Phone: 623.580.6100

Source: PetSmart Inc.

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PetSmart’s Buy a Bag, Give a Meal program to benefit GreaterGood.org’s Rescue Bank program and Feeding America®

America’s Largest Domestic Hunger-Relief Organization and the Nation’s Largest Pet Food Donation Network are Assisting PetSmart Charities in Distributing the Bulk of the Expected 60 Million-Plus Meals* to Pets in Need; PetSmart Reporting Just-Launched Philanthropic Program Has Already Generated 7 Million MealsCITY,

PHOENIX, AZ, 2017-Apr-07 — /EPR Retail News/ — PetSmart Charities, the leading funder of animal welfare in North America, announced today (April 6, 2017) that it is teaming up with GreaterGood.org’s Rescue Bank program and Feeding America®, two renowned national nonprofit organizations, to help deliver the bulk of the more than 60 million pet food meals* expected to be generated from PetSmart’s just-launched Buy a Bag, Give a Meal program.

Last month, in celebration of PetSmart’s 30th anniversary, the pet retailer launched the unprecedented Buy a Bag, Give a Meal program**, where it will give a meal to a pet in need for any and every bag of dog or cat food purchased March 1 – Dec. 31, 2017, in its more than 1,500 stores and online at PetSmart.com and PetSmart.ca, including through its automatic subscription-based service available at PetSmart.com

Rescue Bank will help distribute the donated pet food to animal welfare organizations across the U.S. and Feeding America will disperse the donated pet food to select food banks across the nation – all to help feed pets in need. This collaboration marks Rescue Bank’s largest single partnership with a pet brand, and this is the largest pet food donation for Feeding America to date.

PetSmart Charities of Canada is also partnering with animal welfare organizations in Canada to distribute the anticipated 3.6 million meals* to pets in need in that country.

“When our partners at PetSmart shared this big idea to give back a meal for every bag purchased, we were overwhelmed by the generosity and thrilled to take on the challenge of distributing such a huge volume of pet food – an expected 60 million meals — to help pets in need across the U.S. and Canada. So we immediately started looking for leading national partners who might be able to help,” said David Haworth, DVM, Ph.D., and president of PetSmart Charities.

“PetSmart’s program is unique in that it’s targeting a crucial necessity to feed pets in need in shelters and rescues, where a high percentage of them live, and also provide pet food assistance to families and individuals who are served by their local food pantries. We are thrilled to be working with Rescue Bank and Feeding America, important partners to help us get the pet food to the pets who need it in local communities across America,” said Haworth.

Rescue Bank annually distributes more than 40 million pet meals to its network of 1,900 shelter and rescue groups around the country. Pet food, especially cat food, is consistently the largest request Rescue Bank receives from its shelter and rescue partners.

“As a leader in supporting the animal rescue community with much-needed supplies and services, we couldn’t be more pleased to help PetSmart Charities donate pet food to thousands of rescue organizations across the U.S.,” said Elizabeth Asher, Rescue Bank’s executive director. “Pet food is a large operating expense for local animal welfare organizations. These donations help defray overall costs and allow them to focus on other ways to save more pets’ lives and improve the quality of life for pets in need.”

Feeding America is a network of 200 food banks that provides food and groceries through 60,000 food pantries and meal programs to more than 46 million Americans each year. According to the American Pet Products Association’s 2015-16 national pet owner survey, nearly 45 percent of the U.S. households have dogs and about 35 percent have cats as pets.

“As more families struggle with difficult choices like paying the rent or buying food, some have to choose between keeping their pet and putting food on the table,” said Bill Thomas, chief supply chain officer, product development at Feeding America. “We know that pets provide comfort to families and individuals, and those who are struggling financially more than likely will also need food for their pets. We are excited to partner with PetSmart Charities to help provide pet food assistance to these families in need.”

“We are tremendously proud of this new philanthropic program and pleased to report that this initiative has already generated 7 million meals to be donated to pets in need,” said Eran Cohen, chief customer experience officer, PetSmart. “We are excited to begin distributing the much-needed pet food this spring and to continue with a steady stream of food donations thanks to pet parent purchases of dog and cat food bags in our stores and online and to PetSmart Charities and its alignment with these great pet food distribution partners, Feeding America and Rescue Bank.”

Eligible human services organizations that wish to be considered to receive pet food donations from the PetSmart Buy a Bag, Give a Meal program through PetSmart Charities are encouraged to connect with their local food bank using the food bank locator at www.feedingamerica.org; animal welfare organizations are asked to apply online at RescueBank.org. For Canadian animal welfare organizations interested in the donated pet food, please contact Dani Mailing, Regional Relationship Manager at PetSmart Charities of Canada via email: dmailing@petsmartcharities.org. For more information on the Buy a Bag, Give a Meal program, please visit PetSmart.com/giveameal.

About PetSmart®

PetSmart, Inc. is the largest specialty pet retailer of services and solutions for the lifetime needs of pets. At PetSmart, we love pets, and we believe pets make us better people. Every day with every connection, PetSmart’s passionate associates help bring pet parents closer to their pets so they, together, can live more fulfilled lives. This vision impacts everything we do for our customers, the way we support our associates and how we give back to our communities. We employ approximately 55,000 associates, operate more than 1,500 pet stores in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico, as well as more than 200 in-store PetSmart®  PetsHotel® dog and cat boarding facilities. PetSmart provides a broad range of competitively priced pet food and products, as well as pet-focused services such as dog training, pet grooming, pet boarding, PetSmart® Doggie Day Camp® and pet adoption. PetSmart, together with non-profits PetSmart Charities® and PetSmart Charities™ of Canada, invite more than 3,000 animal welfare organizations to bring adoptable pets into stores so they have the best chance possible of finding a forever home. Through this in-store adoption program and other signature events, PetSmart has facilitated more than 7.3 million adoptions – more than any other brick-and-mortar organization. The company’s portfolio of digital resources for pet parents includes PetSmart.com, PetFoodDirect.com, OnlyNaturalPet.com, Pet360.com, petMD.com, Pawculture.com,  AllPaws, an online pet adoption platform that helps potential pet parents find the perfect pet to adopt based on their home, family and lifestyle, as well as BlogPaws, the world’s first pet blogger and influencer network. Through these digital platforms, PetSmart offers the most comprehensive online pet supplies and pet care information in the U.S.  In celebration of its 30th anniversary, PetSmart launched its Buy a Bag, Give a Meal™ program in March 2017.  For every bag of cat or dog food purchased March 1 – Dec. 31, 2017, PetSmart will donate a meal to pets in need and expects to donate more than 60 million meals in 2017.

Follow PetSmart on Twitter:@PetSmart
Find PetSmart on Facebook:www.facebook.com/PetSmart
See PetSmart on YouTube: www.YouTube.com/PetSmart

About PetSmart Charities®

PetSmart Charities, Inc. is a nonprofit animal welfare organization with a mission to find lifelong, loving homes for all pets by supporting programs and thought leadership that bring people and pets together.  In addition to finding homes for almost 500,000 shelter pets each year through its in-store adoption program in all PetSmart stores across the U.S. and Puerto Rico, PetSmart Charities provides funding to non-profits aligned with its mission through four key areas of grant support:  Preventing Pet Homelessness; Helping Shelter Pets Thrive; Supporting the Bond Between People and Pets; and Emergency Relief and Disaster Support. Each year, millions of generous PetSmart shoppers help pets in need by donating to PetSmart Charities using the pin pads at checkout registers inside PetSmart stores. In turn, PetSmart Charities efficiently uses 90 cents of every dollar donated and has become the leading funder of animal welfare in North America, donating about $300 million to date. PetSmart Charities, a 501(c)(3) organization, has received the Four Star Rating from Charity Navigator, an independent organization that reports on the effectiveness, accountability and transparency of nonprofits, for the past 14 years in a row — placing it among the top one percent of charities rated by this organization. To learn more visit www.petsmartcharities.org

Follow PetSmart Charities on Twitter: @PetSmartChariTs
Find PetSmart Charities on Facebook: Facebook.com/PetSmartCharities
See PetSmart Charities on YouTube: YouTube.com/PetSmartCharitiesInc

About PetSmart Charities™ of Canada

PetSmart Charities of Canada is a registered Canadian charity with a mission to find lifelong, loving homes for all pets by supporting programs and thought leadership that bring people and pets together. In addition to finding homes for more than 25,000 shelter pets each year through its in-store adoption program in all PetSmart stores, PetSmart Charities of Canada provides funding to registered charities aligned with its mission through four key areas of grant support: Preventing Pet Homelessness; Helping Shelter Pets Thrive; Supporting the Bond Between People and Pets; and Emergency Relief and Disaster Support. Each year, millions of generous PetSmart shoppers help pets in need by donating to PetSmart Charities of Canada using the pin pads at checkout registers inside PetSmart stores. In turn, PetSmart Charities efficiently uses 89 cents of every dollar donated and has become a leading funder of animal welfare in Canada, donating nearly $12 million to date. PetSmart Charities of Canada is a member of Imagine Canada, and a registered Canadian charity independent from PetSmart, Inc. To learn more, visit www.petsmartcharities.ca

About Rescue Bank

Rescue Bank, a Signature Program of GreaterGood.org, operates on the national food bank model to community-based animal welfare groups that typically lack access to resources. Rescue Bank recognizes that these smaller, less-visible groups represent a substantial portion of America’s animal rescue resource.

Rescue Bank works with name-brand suppliers to deliver donated pet food for both the ongoing needs of more than 1,800 animal welfare organizations and the immediate needs of communities after disasters such as hurricanes, floods and fires. Since establishing its national network in 2011, Rescue Bank has delivered over 200 million meals of nutritious, wholesome pet food.

For more information visit http://rescuebank.org or find us on Facebook at facebook.com/RescueBank.

About Feeding America

Feeding America is the nationwide network of 200 food banks that leads the fight against hunger in theUnited States. Together, we provide food to more than 46 million people through 60,000 food pantries and meal programs in communities across America. Feeding America also supports programs thatimprove food security among the people we serve; educates the public about the problem of hunger; andadvocates for legislation that protects people from going hungry.  Individuals, charities, businesses andgovernment all have a role in ending hunger. Donate. Volunteer. Advocate. Educate. Together we can solve hunger. Visit www.feedingamerica.org, find us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.

*The actual number of meals donated is based on dog and cat food bags sold.  The meal donation estimate is based on historic sales for similar time periods. No guaranteed amount. Rescue Bank and Feeding America will help distribute a large portion of the pet food donation in the U.S.

**For every bag of dog or cat dry food purchased at a PetSmart store, PetSmart.com or PetSmart.ca between 3/1/17 – 12/31/17, PetSmart will donate a meal (5 oz dog food; 1.5 oz cat food) to PetSmart Charities to help feed a pet in need. Visit www.PetSmart.com/giveameal for more information.

Contacts:

Danielle Bickelmann
Golin for PetSmart
469-680-2503
dbickelmann@golin.com

PetSmart Media Line
623-587-2177

Source: PetSmart Inc.

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PetSmart Charities expands its grant categories to provide more ways for nonprofits to benefit from funding support

Six New Grant Categories; Now 10 Total, Offer Eligible Nonprofits in the U.S. and Canada More Chances than Ever Before to Apply for Funding for Initiatives Aligned with PetSmart Charities’ New Mission

PHOENIX, 2017-Mar-22 — /EPR Retail News/ — PetSmart Charities, the leading funder of animal welfare in North America, today ( March 21, 2017) unveiled a new grant application timeline that will provide year-round funding opportunities for animal welfare organizations, as well as newly eligible nonprofits dedicated to bringing people and pets together. Under its new mission, PetSmart Charities, along with its Canadian counterpart, PetSmart Charities™ of Canada, has expanded its grant categories from four to 10, providing more ways than ever before for nonprofits to apply for and benefit from grants and funding support.

“We remain steadfastly committed to helping pets in need and finding lifelong, loving homes for all pets,” said David Haworth, DVM, Ph.D., president of PetSmart Charities, which donated more than $37 million to directly help pets in the U.S. and Canada in 2016. “Under a newly refined mission, in addition to supporting the quality care of pets in need, we also hope to better leverage the power of pets and bring more people and pets together – enhancing the quality of life for both. We’re excited to expand our funding support to help even more pets and people with new grant opportunities like those that keep pets and their families together during difficult times and support animal-assisted therapy programs — just to name a few.”

Haworth noted that the new grant areas are in addition to the core funding PetSmart Charities has long-provided for spay/neuter procedures, emergency relief, conferences and training and adoption efforts. “We look forward to continuing to support more than 3,000 animal welfare partners across the U.S. and Canada, and joining forces with new nonprofits that share our new mission.”

Animal welfare and nonprofit organizations in need of grant support can refer to the new grant application timeline outlined below and available on PetSmartCharities.org/pro/grants.

Year-Round Grant Categories:  
PetSmart Charities will accept grant applications and provide funding year-round for four grant categories that are essential to facilitating lifesaving care and adoptions for local pets in need, as well as training efforts for current and aspiring animal welfare professionals. These grant opportunities are open now through Jan. 31, 2018:

  • Adoptions: These grant opportunities help current and potential PetSmart and PetSmart Charities adoption partners connect people with adoptable pets every day at PetSmart stores and at signature events, including National Adoption Weekends which are held four times a year.
  • Conferences and Training*: These funding opportunities are aimed at supporting multi-organizational, professional-level learning opportunities that have a national or state/provincial focus for employees and volunteers working within the animal welfare industry.
  • Emergency Relief: These grants are dedicated to providing support to organizations that offer assistance for pets and pet parents in the event of a natural or man-made disaster during the rescue, relief and/or recovery stages.
  • NEW Enhancing the Quality of Life Through Pets*: This new grant category is focused on supporting programs that champion the power of pets such as specialized training for service animals supporting military veterans and people with disabilities, as well as pet therapy programs implemented in facilities such as hospitals, schools and senior homes. This grant category will open on Apr. 1, 2017.

NEW: Helping Shelter Pets Thrive, Apply Apr. 1 – 30:
This new area of focus supports organizations that build capacity and additional resources to care for homeless pets with a focus on adoption. Through this new focus, PetSmart Charities hopes to enhance pets’ lives while they are in shelters and increase their chances of finding a forever home. Grant categories include:

  • NEW Shelter Operations (formerly introduced as Shelter Management): These grants support shelter-based programs that improve adoptions, reduce pet length of stay, and strengthen shelter infrastructure. Applicants must have a brick-and-mortar shelter.
  • NEW Transport: The grant area supports organizations that relocate adoptable pets to areas where the demand for pet adoption is high so they will have the best chance at finding their forever family.

NEW PROCESS: Capital Grants, Apply through a Letter of Intent due May 1, 2017**
Creating and maintaining quality facilities that accommodate local pets in need is essential to increasing their chances of finding a forever home. For animal welfare organizations that have requests for more than $50,000 in capital funding assistance, PetSmart Charities requests that a Letter of Intent be submitted for consideration by May 1, 2017. If approved, the applicant will receive an invitation to apply for funding.

  • Capital: Assisting with the construction, rebuilding or remodeling of animal welfare organization facilities or the purchase of equipment that fulfills the needs of companion animals.

NEW: Keeping Pets Out of Shelters, Apply May 1 – Jun. 30:
This new grant area is dedicated to keeping pets and their pet parents together wherever possible. With a focus on decreasing the number of pets entering shelters, PetSmart Charities will now offer grant opportunities to support programs and initiatives that proactively prevent pet homelessness and mitigate families surrendering pets during challenging transitions. Grant categories for consideration include:

  • NEW Keeping Pets and Families Together: This funding area is focused on creating resources for families that are or may experience domestic violence, homelessness and/or military leave that would enable them to keep their pet.
  • NEW Intake Diversion: Pets are surrendered for a range of reasons and keeping pets from entering shelters by making wellness clinic services, as well as behavioral training and education more accessible, is key to this new category focus.

Spay/Neuter, Apply Aug. 1 – 31
Spaying and neutering pets is a proactive approach to help reduce the overpopulation of pets in local communities. Through these efforts, animal welfare and nonprofit organizations can decrease the number of unplanned litters and the number of pets entering shelters.

  • Spay/Neuter: This grant area supports the prevention of unplanned litters through targeted spay/neuter programs and clinic development, as well as free or low-cost spay/neuter procedures, trap-neuter-return (TNR) efforts and veterinary school initiatives.

PetSmart Charities has donated more than $310 million to help pets in need across North America since 1994, more than any other animal welfare funder. In the U.S., PetSmart Charities recently received its 14th straight 4-star rating from Charity Navigator, an independent nonprofit that reports on the effectiveness, accountability and transparency of nonprofits. This ranking places PetSmart Charities among the top one percent of charities rated by this organization.

For more information on how to apply for a grant on behalf of a deserving animal welfare organization***, please visit PetSmartCharities.org/pro or PetSmartCharities.ca/for-professionals.

*Grant category is open for applications until the stated deadline or until all designated funds are allocated.
**Animal welfare and nonprofit organizations with capital requests for over $50,000 in funding should submit a Letter of Intent by April 30, 2017, to be considered.
***All applicants for grant support must provide documentation verifying status as a 501(c)(3) organization for the U.S. or as a registered charity in Canada.

About PetSmart Charities®

PetSmart Charities, Inc. is a nonprofit animal welfare organization with a mission to find lifelong, loving homes for all pets by supporting programs and thought leadership that bring people and pets together.  In addition to finding homes for almost 500,000 shelter pets each year through its in-store adoption program in all PetSmart stores across the U.S. and Puerto Rico, PetSmart Charities provides funding to non-profits aligned with its mission through four key areas of grant support:  Preventing Pet Homelessness; Helping Shelter Pets Thrive; Supporting the Bond Between People and Pets; and Emergency Relief and Disaster Support. Each year, millions of generous PetSmart shoppers help pets in need by donating to PetSmart Charities using the pin pads at checkout registers inside PetSmart stores.  In turn, PetSmart Charities efficiently uses 90 cents of every dollar donated and has become the leading funder of animal welfare in North America, donating about $300 million to date. PetSmart Charities, a 501(c)(3) organization, has received the Four Star Rating from Charity Navigator, an independent organization that reports on the effectiveness, accountability and transparency of nonprofits, for the past 14 years in a row — placing it among the top one percent of charities rated by this organization.  To learn more visit www.petsmartcharities.org

Follow PetSmart Charities on Twitter: @PetSmartChariTs
Find PetSmart Charities on Facebook: Facebook.com/PetSmartCharities
See PetSmart Charities on YouTube: YouTube.com/PetSmartCharitiesInc

About PetSmart Charities™ of Canada

PetSmart Charities of Canada is a registered Canadian charity with a mission to find lifelong, loving homes for all pets by supporting programs and thought leadership that bring people and pets together.  In addition to finding homes for more than 25,000 shelter pets each year through its in-store adoption program in all PetSmart stores, PetSmart Charities of Canada provides funding to registered charities aligned with its mission through four key areas of grant support: Preventing Pet Homelessness; Helping Shelter Pets Thrive; Supporting the Bond Between People and Pets; and Emergency Relief and Disaster Support. Each year, millions of generous PetSmart shoppers help pets in need by donating to PetSmart Charities of Canada using the pin pads at checkout registers inside PetSmart stores.  In turn, PetSmart Charities efficiently uses 89 cents of every dollar donated and has become a leading funder of animal welfare in Canada, donating nearly $12 million to date.  PetSmart Charities of Canada is a member of Imagine Canada, and a registered Canadian charity independent from PetSmart, Inc. To learn more, visit www.petsmartcharities.ca

Contacts:
Lauren Sawyer
lsawyer@petsmart.com
623-295-3238

PetSmart Media Line:
623-587-2177

Source:  PetSmart Inc.

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24,428 Pets adopted during PetSmart Charities’ first National Adoption Weekend of 2017

PHOENIX, 2017-Feb-27 — /EPR Retail News/ — This past weekend, North Americans opened their hearts and their homes to more than 24,000 adoptable pets who were looking for their forever families during PetSmart Charities’ first National Adoption Weekend of 2017—hosted at over 1,500 PetSmart stores across the continent.  This weekend event ranks among the top most successful adoption events for the leading pet specialty retailer and the leading funder of animal welfare.

“We are thrilled by the continued success of our National Adoption Weekend event where 24,428 pets’ lives were saved,” said Eran Cohen, chief customer experience officer at PetSmart. “Through this powerful effort between PetSmart Charities, PetSmart stores, our associates and thousands of adoption partners from coast to coast, we continue our commitment to helping pets find their forever homes and to serve as a trusted partner to new pet parents everywhere.”

Four times each year, PetSmart teams up with PetSmart Charities and more than 3,000 animal welfare organizations on National Adoption Weekends to bring adoptable pets into PetSmart stores to find them the forever homes they deserve.  While often referred to as National Adoption “Weekend,” the adoption efforts span the entire week with the majority of the pets – 23,000 on average – adopted between Friday and Sunday.  PetSmart, The Adopt Spot, has helped to facilitate over 7.3 million adoptions to date, more than any other brick-and-mortar organization.  For every 30 seconds a PetSmart store is open, a pet is adopted, totaling 1,400 pets’ lives saved every day.

“We are excited to report the success of our first National Adoption Weekend event of the New Year to kick off our lifesaving efforts in 2017,” said David Haworth, DVM, Ph.D., president of PetSmart Charities.  “Pet adoption continues to be key to our mission to end pet homelessness and connect people and pets across the United States and Canada.  We look forward to saving even more lives as the year progresses.”

Did You Adopt This Weekend?

New pet parents who wish to share their heartwarming adoption stories and photos with their new four-legged family member are encouraged to use the hashtag #iadopted on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. The next PetSmart Charities National Adoption Weekend will be held on May 5-7, 2017.

PetSmart’s Adoption Kit

As a gift to those who saved a life through adoption, no matter where they choose to adopt their pet, PetSmart offers a free Adoption Kit* that provides useful content on how to integrate a pet into the family while offering true value – more than $450 in savings.  Included are coupons for a free bag of dog or cat food from Simply Nourish™, Authority® or Good Natured™, a free veterinarian visit, a complimentary private training session with an accredited trainer, a free Doggie Day Camp session and a free overnight boarding stay, as well as half off on a grooming service.  Also included are savings on all the essentials for a new pet, including beds, crates, gates, brushes, feeding bowls, collars, leashes, toys and treats, as well as solutions like pet calming products and stain and odor remedies for any mishaps that may occur.

*Adoption paperwork is required.

About PetSmart®

PetSmart, Inc. is the largest specialty pet retailer of services and solutions for the lifetime needs of pets. At PetSmart, we love pets, and we believe pets make us better people. Every day with every connection, PetSmart’s passionate associates help bring pet parents closer to their pets so they can live more fulfilled lives. This vision impacts everything we do for our customers, the way we support our associates and how we give back to our communities. We employ approximately 53,000 associates, operate 1,500 pet stores in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico and 203 in-store PetSmart® PetsHotel® dog and cat boarding facilities. PetSmart provides a broad range of competitively priced pet food and pet products and offers dog training, pet grooming, pet boarding, PetSmart Doggie Day Camp day care services and pet adoption services in-store. Our portfolio of digital resources for pet parents – including PetSmart.com, PetFoodDirect.com, Pet360.com and petMD.com – offers the most comprehensive online pet supplies and pet care information in the U.S.  Through our in-store pet adoption partnership with independent nonprofit organizations, PetSmart Charities® and PetSmart Charities™ of Canada, PetSmart helps to save the lives of more than 500,000 homeless pets each year.  The Adopt Spot is a trademark of PetSmart, Inc.

Follow PetSmart on Twitter: @PetSmart 
Find PetSmart on Facebook: www.facebook.com/PetSmart
See PetSmart on YouTube: www.YouTube.com/PetSmart

About PetSmart Charities®

PetSmart Charities, Inc. is a nonprofit animal welfare organization that saves the lives of homeless pets.  Each year nearly 500,000 dogs and cats find homes through our adoption program in all PetSmart® stores across the U.S. and sponsored adoption events.  Each year millions of PetSmart shoppers contribute to pets in need by making donations directly to PetSmart Charities on a pin pad at the registers in PetSmart stores.  PetSmart Charities administers and efficiently uses 90 cents of every dollar of the generous donations by issuing grants and providing additional support to help pets in need.  PetSmart Charities grants more money to directly help pets in need than any other animal welfare group in North America, with a focus on funding adoption and spay/neuter programs that help communities solve pet overpopulation.  PetSmart Charities is a 501(c)(3) organization, independent from PetSmart, Inc.  PetSmart Charities has received the Four Star Rating for the past 13 years from Charity Navigator, an independent nonprofit that reports on the effectiveness, accountability and transparency of nonprofits, placing it among the top one percent of charities rated by this organization.

About PetSmart Charities™ of Canada

PetSmart Charities of Canada is a nonprofit animal welfare organization that saves the lives of homeless pets in Canada.  Each year more than 25,000 pets find Canadian homes through our adoption program in nearly all PetSmart stores across Canada and our sponsored adoption events. A leading funder of animal welfare, PetSmart Charities of Canada has granted more than $10 million to help pets in need with a funding focus on adoption and spay/neuter programs that help communities solve pet overpopulation and emergency relief grants that help pets and pet parents impacted by natural and man-made disasters.  PetSmart Charities of Canada is a registered Canadian charity, independent from PetSmart.

Contacts:
PetSmart Media Line:
623-587-2177

Source: PetSmart Inc.

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PetSmart® & PetSmart Charities® celebrates American Heart Month with National Adoption Weekend Feb. 17-19

In this Month of Love and Heart-Health, PetSmart® & PetSmart Charities® Host National Adoption Weekend Feb. 17-19; SharesHeart-Warming and Heart-Protecting Reasons to Adopt a Pet

PHOENIX, AZ, 2017-Feb-07 — /EPR Retail News/ — It’s well known that adopting a new pet and saving a life will warm the heart, but now scientific evidence is showing that owning a pet could help ward off heart disease, too.

During American Heart Month, PetSmart and PetSmart Charities are celebrating the heart-warming and heart-protecting reasons to adopt a pet during their first National Adoption Weekend event of the year. Taking place in nearly every PetSmart store across North America Feb. 17 – 19, National Adoption Weekends feature the widest array of adoptable pets and there’s no shortage of great reasons to bring one home.

Mounting Evidence for the Heart-Protecting Power of Pets
According to the American Heart Association (AHA), owning a pet could help protect you from heart disease. A scientific statement issued in 2013 by the leading cardiac health organization notes, “numerous studies have explored the relationship between pet (primarily dog or cat) ownership and cardiovascular disease, with many reporting beneficial effects.” Just a few of the heart-health benefits seen in pet parents are increased physical activity, lower cholesterol levels, lower blood pressure and even improved survival rates following a cardiac event.

Data from the Human Animal Bond Research Institute, a non-profit organization dedicated to gathering, funding and sharing research on positive health impacts of companion animals, further supports the healing power of pets. In a 2014 survey of 1,000 physicians, HABRI found that 60 percent of doctors have recommended getting a pet as part of a patient’s treatment plan, while 88 percent reported that they’ve seen a patient’s physical condition improve as a result of human-animal interaction.

“It’s reasonably well understood that adopting a pet quite literally saves a companion animal’s life, but it’s a lesser known fact that pets can have a tremendous impact on the health and well-being of pet parents,” said David Haworth, DVM, Ph.D., the chair of HABRI’s research working group and president of PetSmart Charities. “Through a growing body of scientific research, we know that pet ownership can not only warm our heart, but its cardiovascular benefits can also help to protect it. During American Heart Month and our first National Adoption Weekend of the year, we are giving potential pet parents even more compelling reasons to consider adopting a pet.”

The Heart-Warming Reasons for Pet Adoption Remain Strong
Pet homelessness remains a serious issue across North America. There are millions of healthy, adorable and adoptable pets currently in shelters and rescue facilities just waiting for a lifelong, loving home.
Feb. 17 – 19, many of these adoptable pets will be looking for their forever families during PetSmart Charities’ signature National Adoption Weekend events hosted at nearly every PetSmart store across North America. PetSmart, The Adopt Spot, has helped to facilitate over 7.2 million adoptions to date, more than any other brick-and-mortar facility. From dogs and cats to rabbits, chinchillas, ferrets and more, PetSmart Charities’ National Adoption Weekend invites more than 3,000 animal welfare organizations to bring a wide array of adoptable pets to nearly all 1,500-plus PetSmart stores to help match them with potential pet parents. For every 30 seconds a PetSmart store is open, a pet is adopted, totaling 1,400 pets lives saved every day.

PetSmart Charities’ February National Adoption Weekend
Date: Feb. 17 – 19, 2017
Time: Friday and Saturday: 9 a.m. – 9 p.m.
Sunday: 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Location: Nearly all 1,500-plus PetSmart stores across North America. Visit www.petsmart.com to
find the store nearest you.
A Free Gift for Those Who Adopt
No matter which heart-related reason inspired a pet parent to adopt, nor where they chose to adopt, PetSmart offers a free Adoption Kit*, which provides important content on how to integrate a new pet into the family and true value – more than $450 in free items and discounts on pet essentials and services. Included are coupons for a free bag of dog or cat food from Simply Nourish™, Authority® or Good Natured™, a free veterinarian visit, a complimentary private training session with an accredited trainer, a free Doggie Day Camp session and a free overnight boarding stay, as well as half-off on a grooming service. Also included are savings on all the essentials for a new pet, including beds, crates, gates, brushes, feeding bowls, collars, leashes, toys and treats, as well as solutions like pet calming products, and stain and odor remedies for any mishaps that may occur.
*Adoption papers required.

About PetSmart®
PetSmart, Inc. is the largest specialty pet retailer of services and solutions for the lifetime needs of pets. At PetSmart, we love pets, and we believe pets make us better people. Every day with every connection, PetSmart’s passionate associates help bring pet parents closer to their pets so they can live more fulfilled lives. This vision impacts everything we do for our customers, the way we support our associates and how we give back to our communities. We employ approximately 55,000 associates, operate approximately 1,500 pet stores in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico and 204 in-store PetSmart® PetsHotel® dog and cat boarding facilities. PetSmart provides a broad range of competitively priced pet food and pet products and offers dog training, pet grooming, pet boarding, PetSmart Doggie Day Camp day care services and pet adoption services in-store. Our portfolio of digital resources for pet parents – including PetSmart.com, PetFoodDirect.com, Pet360.com and petMD.com – offers the most comprehensive online pet supplies and pet care information in the U.S. Through our in-store pet adoption partnership with independent nonprofit organizations, PetSmart Charities® and PetSmart Charities™ of Canada, PetSmart helps to save the lives of more than 500,000 homeless pets each year.

Follow PetSmart on Twitter: @PetSmart
Find PetSmart on Facebook: www.facebook.com/PetSmart
See PetSmart on YouTube: www.YouTube.com/PetSmart

About PetSmart Charities®
PetSmart Charities, Inc. is a nonprofit animal welfare organization that saves the lives of homeless pets.  Each year nearly 500,000 dogs and cats find homes through our adoption program in all PetSmart® stores across the U.S. and sponsored adoption events.  Each year millions of PetSmart shoppers contribute to PetSmart Charities to help pets in need by making donations on a pin pad at the register.  PetSmart Charities efficiently uses 90 cents of every dollar to support its mission of finding lifelong, loving homes for all pets.  PetSmart Charities grants more money to directly help pets in need than any other animal welfare group in North America, with a focus on funding adoption and spay/neuter programs that help communities solve pet overpopulation.  PetSmart Charities is a 501(c)(3) organization, independent from PetSmart, Inc.  PetSmart Charities has received the Four Star Rating for the past 13 years from Charity Navigator, an independent nonprofit that reports on the effectiveness, accountability and transparency of nonprofits, placing it among the top one percent of charities rated by this organization.

Follow PetSmart Charities on Twitter: @PetSmartChariTs
Find PetSmart Charities on Facebook: Facebook.com/PetSmartCharities
See PetSmart Charities on YouTube: YouTube.com/PetSmartCharitiesInc

About PetSmart Charities™ of Canada
PetSmart Charities of Canada is a nonprofit animal welfare organization that saves the lives of homeless pets in Canada. Each year more than 20,000 cats and dogs find Canadian homes through our adoption program in nearly all PetSmart stores across Canada and our sponsored adoption events. A leading funder of animal welfare, PetSmart Charities of Canada has granted more than $10 million to help pets in need with a funding focus on adoption and spay/neuter programs that help communities solve pet overpopulation. PetSmart Charities of Canada is a registered charity, independent from PetSmart.

Contact:

PetSmart Public Relations
24-Hour News Media Line
Phone: 623.587.2177

PetSmart Charities
Phone: 623.587.2177
PetSmart Charities Newsroom<class=”ccbnlnk>

Marketing/Advertising Inquiries
Phone: 623.580.6100

Source: PetSmart Inc.

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PetSmart Charities issued more than $11 million in grants to fund no-cost or low-cost spay and neuter surgeries across the United States and Canada

  • Grants will help facilitate more than 200,000 spay and neuter surgeries in local communities 
  • across North America to proactively prevent unplanned litters and reduce pet homelessness

PHOENIX, 2017-Feb-03 — /EPR Retail News/ — Pet overpopulation is a serious issue, but there are solutions.  February is National Spay and Neuter Awareness Month, and leaders in the animal welfare industry are aiming to raise awareness of the significant impact spay and neuter surgeries can have in reducing the overpopulation of pets.  PetSmart Charities, the leading funder of animal welfare in North America, is continuing its work in this area and today announced it has issued more than $11 million in grants to over 200 animal welfare organizations over the course of two months. The grants will help fund more than 200,000 no-cost or low-cost spay and neuter surgeries for pets in need – both owned and free-roaming – across the United States and Canada in 2017.

While spaying and neutering pets is essential to curbing unplanned litters, veterinary care is not always affordable nor accessible for all pet parents and families.  With these grants, animal welfare organizations in local communities across the continent will offer free or low-cost surgeries – about $20 – for a procedure that can traditionally cost as much as $100 or more.

“Spaying and neutering pets is key to reducing the number of pets entering shelters, lowering euthanasia rates and proactively preventing pet homelessness,” said David Haworth, DVM, Ph.D., president of PetSmart Charities. “By partnering with more than 200 animal welfare organizations, PetSmart Charities can help provide accessible spay and neuter services for pets and pet parents in need across North America.  This brings us one step closer to ending pet homelessness and finding lifelong, loving forever homes for all pets.”

PetSmart Charities provided the grants to more than 200 animal welfare organizations. Below are examples of the impact of this significant funding support across North America:

  • Altered Tails (Phoenix, Ariz.) received more than $300,000 to provide low-cost services for at-risk breeds, Pit Bulls, cats and Chihuahuas for $20.  Funding will also help cover critical vaccinations and support 4,450 surgeries at the organization’s facilities in Phoenix, Mesa and Tucson, Ariz.
  • Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Newmarket, Ontario) will use $135,000 in grants to provide pet transfers, food, supplies, spay and neuter procedures and wellness services to pet parents in remote First Nations communities across Ontario, Canada.  The grant will support an estimated 250 pets in need.
  • Second Chance Animal Shelter (East Brookfield, Mass.) was awarded a grant for more than $180,000 to secure essential clinical equipment for its third subsidized veterinary clinic and low-cost spay and neuter program with the goal of assisting an estimated 2,500 pets.
  • Spay-Neuter Assistance Program, Inc. (SNAP) was awarded two PetSmart Charities spay and neuter grants. A grant of $158,000 will make it possible to provide an estimated 1,200 free spay/neuter surgeries for dog and cat companions of income-qualified residents of the Greater Houston Area. A second grant of $52,000 will fund approximately 500 free surgeries for residents in and around the San Antonio, Texas, metropolitan area.
  • University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine (Philadelphia, Penn.) secured more than $450,000 to fund a three-year spay and neuter surgical program with Penn Vet’s Surgical Outreach Program. This grant will be used to secure a mobile clinic and nursing/technical staffing to execute surgeries for 4,000 rescue, shelter and community pets in need per year. In addition, the program is predicted to train at least 200 veterinary students per year while spearheading medical and education outreach to the community and shelters.

Thanks in large part to the support of generous PetSmart® shoppers who donate in stores using the pin pad at checkout, PetSmart Charities, along with its Canadian counterpart, PetSmart Charities™ of Canada, has contributed more than $300 million to date to directly help pets in need – more than any other funder of animal welfare in North America.  With the help of its animal welfare partners, the organization has funded more than 1.4 million spay and neuter surgeries in the U.S. since 2009.

In 2016, PetSmart Charities introduced a new focus on strategic grant-making and unveiled an expanded mission, allowing it to reach beyond its core efforts to end pet homelessness and help pets in need to include connecting pets and people.  In late February, the organization will unveil an enhanced online application process and its 2017 grant cycle calendar with more information on how to apply across 10 new grant categories.

For more information on how to make a donation to PetSmart Charities® and PetSmart Charities™ of Canada or to apply for a grant on behalf of a deserving animal welfare organization*, please visit PetSmartCharities.org or PetSmartCharities.ca.

*Must provide documentation verifying status as a 501(c)(3) organization for the US or registered charity in Canada.

About PetSmart Charities®

PetSmart Charities, Inc. is a nonprofit animal welfare organization that saves the lives of homeless pets.  Each year nearly 500,000 dogs and cats find homes through our adoption program in all PetSmart® stores across the U.S. and sponsored adoption events.  Each year millions of PetSmart shoppers contribute to PetSmart Charities to help pets in need by making donations on a pin pad at the register.  PetSmart Charities efficiently uses 90 cents of every dollar to support its mission of finding lifelong, loving homes for all pets.  PetSmart Charities grants more money to directly help pets in need than any other animal welfare group in North America, with a focus on funding adoption and spay/neuter programs that help communities solve pet overpopulation.  PetSmart Charities is a 501(c)(3) organization, independent from PetSmart, Inc.  PetSmart Charities has received the Four Star Rating for the past 13 years from Charity Navigator, an independent nonprofit that reports on the effectiveness, accountability and transparency of nonprofits, placing it among the top one percent of charities rated by this organization.

About PetSmart Charities™ of Canada

PetSmart Charities of Canada is a nonprofit animal welfare organization that saves the lives of homeless pets in Canada.  Each year more than 20,000 cats and dogs find Canadian homes through our adoption program in nearly all PetSmart stores across Canada and our sponsored adoption events. A leading funder of animal welfare, PetSmart Charities of Canada has granted more than $10 million to help pets in need with a funding focus on adoption, spay/neuter programs that help communities solve pet overpopulation, and providing emergency relief funding and supplies to pets and pet parents impacted by natural or man-made disasters.  PetSmart Charities of Canada is a registered charity, independent from PetSmart.

Contact:
Lauren Sawyer
lsawyer@petsmart.com
623-295-3238

PetSmart Media Line:
623-587-2177

Source: PetSmart Inc.

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22,834 pets found their forever homes during PetSmart Charities’ November National Adoption Weekend

Signature Adoption Event Aimed at Encouraging Pet Adoption Prior to the Holiday Season Saves the Lives of 22,834 Pets at PetSmart Stores across North America

Phoenix, AZ, 2016-Nov-20 — /EPR Retail News/ — This past weekend, tens of thousands of pet-loving North Americans visited PetSmart stores for PetSmart Charities’ November National Adoption Weekend.  A grand total of 22,834 pets found their forever homes, making this event the most successful November National Adoption Weekend event since PetSmart began its in-store adoption program in the early 1990s.

The record-setting adoption numbers could be due to pet parents heeding the advice from experts like Steve Kaufman, center of excellence manager – adoptions at PetSmart Charities.

“We’re thrilled to see that pet parents are thinking ahead and adopting a new furry family member before the holidays in lieu of putting a pet under the tree,” said Kaufman. “This will give families more time to transition a new pet into their home and will enable pet parents to include their new pet in cherished holiday celebrations like photos, gatherings and gift openings.”

Thanks to a year of unprecedented adoption success, PetSmart and PetSmart Charities recently celebrated saving the lives of 7 million pets.  The lucky 7 millionth adopted pet is Daisy, a fox terrier-foxhound mix puppy who was adopted out of a PetSmart store in Staten Island by the McKenzie family.  Read more about adopted pets like Daisy and the inspirational work of PetSmart Charities by visiting www.petsmartcharities.org/iadopted.

“At PetSmart Charities, our mission is to find lifelong, loving homes for all pets by supporting programs and thought leadership that bring people and pets together.  By working closely with PetSmart stores and our dedicated animal welfare partners, we’re able to host National Adoption Weekends four times each year.  It’s awe-inspiring to see that, in a matter of days, we’re able to help tens of thousands of adoptable pets find the forever homes and families they deserve,” says David Haworth, DVM, Ph.D., President of PetSmart Charities and PetSmart Charities of Canada.
PetSmart, The Adopt Spot™, is where people save pets and pets save people.  The retailer is a leading source for pet adoption across North America, having helped with the adoption of more than 7 million pets since 1994 –more than any other brick-and-mortar establishment. PetSmart continues to grow its adoption leadership with its recent acquisition of AllPaws.com, a leading online pet adoption platform.

 PetSmart’s Adoption Kit

As a gift to those who saved a life through adoption (no matter where they choose to adopt their pet*), PetSmart offers its free Adoption Kit which provides important content on how to integrate a pet into the family while offering true value – with more than $450 in real savings – to the adoption parent. Included are coupons for a free bag of dog or cat food from Simply Nourish™, Authority® or Good Natured™, a free veterinarian visit, a complimentary private training session with an accredited trainer, a free Doggie Day Camp session and a free overnight boarding stay, as well as half-off on a grooming service. Also included are savings on all the essentials for a new pet including beds, crates, gates, brushes, feeding bowls, collars, leashes, toys and treats, as well as solutions like pet calming products and stain and odor remedies for any mishaps that may occur.

While often referred to as PetSmart Charities National Adoption “Weekend,” the adoption efforts span the entire week, with the majority of the pets (approximately 90%) being adopted between Friday and Sunday.  The next PetSmart Charities National Adoption Weekend will be held on February 17 – 19, 2017.

*Adoption paperwork is required.

About PetSmart®

PetSmart, Inc. is the largest specialty pet retailer of services and solutions for the lifetime needs of pets. At PetSmart, we love pets, and we believe pets make us better people. Every day with every connection, PetSmart’s passionate associates help bring pet parents closer to their pets so they can live more fulfilled lives. This vision impacts everything we do for our customers, the way we support our associates and how we give back to our communities. We employ approximately 53,000 associates, operate 1,500 pet stores in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico and 203 in-store PetSmart® PetsHotel® dog and cat boarding facilities. PetSmart provides a broad range of competitively priced pet food and pet products and offers dog training, pet grooming, pet boarding, PetSmart Doggie Day Camp day care services and pet adoption services in-store. Our portfolio of digital resources for pet parents – including PetSmart.com, PetFoodDirect.com, Pet360.com and petMD.com – offers the most comprehensive online pet supplies and pet care information in the U.S. Through our in-store pet adoption partnership with independent nonprofit organizations, PetSmart Charities® and PetSmart Charities™ of Canada, PetSmart helps to save the lives of more than 500,000 homeless pets each year. The Adopt Spot is a trademark of PetSmart, Inc.

Follow PetSmart on Twitter: @PetSmart 
Find PetSmart on Facebook: www.facebook.com/PetSmart
See PetSmart on YouTube: www.YouTube.com/PetSmart
Share your adoption story using the hashtags #iadopted or #adoptlove

About PetSmart Charities®

PetSmart Charities, Inc. is a nonprofit animal welfare organization that saves the lives of homeless pets.  Each year nearly 500,000 dogs and cats find homes through our adoption program in all PetSmart® stores across the U.S. and sponsored adoption events.  Each year millions of PetSmart shoppers contribute to pets in need by making donations directly to PetSmart Charities on a pin pad at the registers in PetSmart stores.  PetSmart Charities administers and efficiently uses 90 cents of every dollar of the generous donations by issuing grants and providing additional support to help pets in need.  PetSmart Charities grants more money to directly help pets in need than any other animal welfare group in North America, with a focus on funding adoption and spay/neuter programs that help communities solve pet overpopulation.  PetSmart Charities is a 501(c)(3) organization, independent from PetSmart, Inc.  PetSmart Charities has received the Four Star Rating for the past 13 years from Charity Navigator, an independent nonprofit that reports on the effectiveness, accountability and transparency of nonprofits, placing it among the top one percent of charities rated by this organization.

About PetSmart Charities™ of Canada

PetSmart Charities of Canada is a nonprofit animal welfare organization that saves the lives of homeless pets in Canada.  Each year more than 20,000 pets find Canadian homes through our adoption program in nearly all PetSmart stores across Canada and our sponsored adoption events. A leading funder of animal welfare, PetSmart Charities of Canada has granted more than $9.9 million to help pets in need with a funding focus on adoption and spay/neuter programs that help communities solve pet overpopulation.  PetSmart Charities of Canada is a registered charity, independent from PetSmart.

Contact:
PetSmart Media Line:
623-587-2177

Source: PetSmart Inc.

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PetSmart Charities® announces new focus on grant-making and unveils expanded mission

Newly Expanded Grantee Opportunities Available to Support At-Risk Families and Programs that Enhance People’s Lives Through Pets

PHOENIX, 2016-Nov-17 — /EPR Retail News/ — Today (Nov. 15, 2016 ), PetSmart Charities® Inc., the leading funder of animal welfare in North America, announced a new focus on strategic grant-making and unveiled an expanded mission, allowing it to reach beyond its core mission to end pet homelessness and help pets in need to include connecting pets and people. Now, with 10 grant categories created under the new mission, the nonprofit will support important initiatives such as service animal or pet therapy training programs and at-risk families with pets in transition to make an even greater impact with the help of thousands of animal welfare organizations across North America.

“Our newly expanded mission at PetSmart Charities is to find lifelong, loving homes for all pets by supporting programs and thought leadership that bring people and pets together,” said Dr. David Haworth, DVM, Ph.D., president of PetSmart Charities®. “This enhanced mission allows us to support animal welfare organizations in more ways than ever before and even reach other nonprofits that help connect people and pets. In addition to our ongoing support of shelters, pet adoption and spay/neuter efforts, the new grant categories will now help people enhance their lives through pets.”

PetSmart Charities will also be introducing an enhanced online application process featuring the 10 grant categories under the organization’s four strategic areas of focus.

#1: Preventing Pet Homelessness
To help decrease the number of pets entering shelters, PetSmart Charities now offers three grant categories to support programs and initiatives that proactively prevent pet homelessness and mitigate pet homelessness during family transitions. Grant categories for consideration include:

  • Spay/neuter: Preventing unplanned litters through targeted spay/neuter programs and clinic development, free or low-cost spay/neuter surgeries, trap-neuter-return (TNR) efforts, as well as veterinary school initiatives.
  • Intake diversion*: Keeping pets from entering shelters by making wellness clinics, as well as behavioral training and education more accessible.
  • Keeping pets and families together*: Creating resources for families that are experiencing or may experience domestic violence, homelessness and/or Military leave and can no longer accommodate their pet.

#2: Helping Shelter Pets Thrive
An estimated 7 million pets enter shelters every year. Nearly 3 million healthy, adoptable pets never find homes, facing euthanasia due to lack of capacity. By supporting organizations that provide resources, build capacity to care for homeless pets and focus on adoption, PetSmart Charities expects to enhance pets’ lives in shelters and help them find their forever home. Grant categories for consideration include:

  • Shelter management*: Supporting best practices in areas such as mentoring, disease control and strengthening shelter infrastructure.
  • Pet transport*: Supporting organizations that relocate adoptable pets to areas where the demand for pet adoption is high so they will have the best chance possible at finding their forever family.
  • Conferences and training: Funding enrichment programs and workshops for those working for and volunteering within the animal welfare industry.

#3: Supporting the Bond between People and Pets
While PetSmart Charities always celebrates how people save pets’ lives through adoption, there are inspiring stories of how pets can save people. By supporting organizations that bring people and pets together to leverage the power of pets to enhance the human spirit, PetSmart Charities ultimately aims to end pet homelessness and drive awareness of the benefits of pet ownership. Grant categories for consideration include:

  • Adoptions: Partnering with local animal welfare organizations to connect people with adoptable pets everyday at PetSmart stores or and at PetSmart Charities’ signature events, including National Adoption Weekends which are held four times a year.
  • Capacity building*: Assisting with the construction, rebuilding or remodeling of animal welfare organization facilities that fulfill the needs of homeless pets.
  • Enhancing the quality of life through pets*: Supporting programs that train pets to become service animals for military veterans or people with disabilities and for pet therapy programs in hospitals, schools, senior homes or with at-risk populations.

#4: Providing Emergency Relief
In the event of a weather crisis and natural disaster, such as the Fort McMurray fires in Alberta, Louisiana Flooding, and the recent Hurricane Matthew storm, the role of local animal organizations has been critical to providing immediate support in times of crises. Temporary shelter, pet supplies and medical care are just some of the immediate needs of misplaced or abandoned pets. In 2015, PetSmart Charities and PetSmart Charities of Canada assisted more than 9,400 pets through emergency relief efforts, bringing its total to 230,000 pets assisted across North America since 2007. Grant categories for emergency relief include:

  • Emergency relief and disaster response: Providing assistance in the event of a natural or man-made disaster during the rescue, relief and/or recovery stages.

Four of the ten grant categories are now open for applications, while the remaining grant cycles will be announced Feb. 2017.
As the leading funder in helping pets in need across North America, PetSmart Charities, along with its Canadian counterpart, PetSmart Charities™ of Canada, has contributed more than $290 million to date to directly help pets – more than any other funder. Together with the support of PetSmart® and its generous shoppers who donate at the pin pad, PetSmart Charities® hopes to donate an estimated $30 million in 2016 alone and, with its thousands of local animal welfare partners who bring adoptable pets to PetSmart stores, has reached the 7 millionth in-store pet adoption milestone.

For more information on how to make a donation to PetSmart Charities® and PetSmart Charities™ of Canada or apply for a grant on behalf of a deserving animal welfare organization**, please visit PetSmartCharities.org or PetSmartCharities.ca.

*Grant cycles will be announced Feb. 2017
**Must provide documentation verifying status as a 501(c)(3) organization for the U.S. or registered charity in Canada.

About PetSmart Charities®
PetSmart Charities, Inc. is a nonprofit animal welfare organization that saves the lives of homeless pets. Each year nearly 500,000 dogs and cats find homes through our adoption program in all PetSmart® stores across the U.S. and sponsored adoption events. Each year millions of PetSmart shoppers contribute to PetSmart Charities to help pets in need by making donations on a pin pad at the register.  PetSmart Charities efficiently uses 90 cents of every dollar to support its mission of finding lifelong, loving homes for all pets.  PetSmart Charities grants more money to directly help pets in need than any other animal welfare group in North America, with a focus on funding adoption and spay/neuter programs that help communities solve pet overpopulation. PetSmart Charities is a 501(c)(3) organization, independent from PetSmart, Inc. PetSmart Charities has received the Four Star Rating for the past 13 years from Charity Navigator, an independent nonprofit that reports on the effectiveness, accountability and transparency of nonprofits, placing it among the top one percent of charities rated by this organization.

About PetSmart Charities™ of Canada
PetSmart Charities of Canada is a nonprofit animal welfare organization that saves the lives of homeless pets in Canada. Each year more than 20,000 cats and dogs find Canadian homes through our adoption program in nearly all PetSmart stores across Canada and our sponsored adoption events. A leading funder of animal welfare, PetSmart Charities of Canada has granted more than $9 million to help pets in need with a funding focus on adoption and spay/neuter programs that help communities solve pet overpopulation. PetSmart Charities of Canada is a registered charity, independent from PetSmart.

Contacts:
Lauren Sawyer
lsawyer@petsmart.com
623-295-3238

Source: PetSmart Inc.

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PetSmart® and PetSmart Charities® to Host National Adoption Weekend Nov. 11-13 at PetSmart Stores

PHOENIX, 2016-Nov-04 — /EPR Retail News/ — Pets often rise to the top of the holiday gift lists for children and grown-ups alike and many families across North America will get a new puppy or kitten for Christmas, yet experts from PetSmart Charities say adopting a four-legged friend before the hectic holiday season could help ensure a more successful new pet transition and enriching holiday celebration with the new family member.

“From school concerts and social engagements to holiday shopping and overnight stays from out-of-town guests, the holidays make our lives and our homes more active than usual,” said Steve Kaufman, a certified animal welfare administrator and center of excellence manager, adoptions for PetSmart Charities. “If a new pet is on your family’s wish list, adopting before the holiday season will allow pet parents to develop a routine with their pet ahead of the holiday rush, making the transition easier for your family and your new pet.”

Together with PetSmart Charities, PetSmart Charities™ of Canada and more than 3,000 animal welfare organizations across North America, PetSmart, The Adopt Spot™, has helped find forever homes for more than 7 million adopted pets since the in-store adoption program began in 1994.

Leading up to PetSmart Charities’ National Adoption Weekend on Nov. 11-13, the pet adoption leader offers five reasons to adopt a pet before the holiday season officially hits:

5. You’ll be a holiday hero before you’ve even started shopping. Now that you’ve knocked off one of the most wanted items on your family’s holiday gift list by adopting a new pet, the rest of your holiday shopping will be a breeze.
4. You’ll have more time to transition your new pet. It’s important when transitioning a new pet into your home to spend as much time with them as possible. By adopting prior to the holidays, your pet will get focused attention and will already be feeling right at home before the busy holiday season begins.
3. You can involve your new four-legged family member in all the cherished holiday traditions. Pets enrich our lives. Including a pet in special family events and holiday traditions like enjoying treats, opening stockings, sniffing and shaking gifts under the tree, caroling or going for snowy walks after dinner can bring even more joy to your family, not to mention increase the cuteness factor of holiday photos.
2. You can get a head start on your New Year’s resolutions! The over-abundance of baked goods, lavish family meals and dinner parties during the holidays makes us all worry about our increased calorie intake. Playing hide and seek with a new kitten around the house or taking a new dog for a walk can help pet parents – and kids – develop healthy habits ahead of New Year’s resolutions while bonding with your new pet.
1. Because thousands of pets need a forever home right now.Thousands of healthy, loving, adoptable pets are currently in shelters across the country. By adopting one from PetSmart, The Adopt Spot, you’ll be giving the ultimate gift of saving a life! Visit your nearest PetSmart store from Nov. 11-13 for PetSmart Charities’ National Adoption Weekend.

“While it’s fun to imagine your loved ones opening up a carefully wrapped holiday box with a new pet inside, the adopted pet may have a hard time adjusting to his or her new home during the most wonderful, yet hectic, time of year,” said David Haworth, D.V.M., Ph.D., president of PetSmart Charities and PetSmart Charities of Canada. “Adopting ahead of the holidays gives families an opportunity to spend quality time with their new pet, transition them into their new home, and involve them in the festive spirit of the season.”

Expand your family through adoption at November National Adoption Weekend – Nov. 11-13.

What: PetSmart Charities’ National Adoption Weekend
Where: PetSmart stores across North America
When: Fri., Nov. 11 and Sat., Nov. 12, 9 a.m. – 9 p.m.
Sun., Nov. 13, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Contact: Find the PetSmart store nearest you at PetSmart.com or call 1-877-473-8762.
Share: Show us your adopted pet using the hashtags #iadopted or #adoptlove on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram

A Gift for Those that Adopt:

For every 30 seconds a PetSmart store is open, a pet’s life is saved, totaling about 1,400 lives saved every day. As a gift to those that give the gift of adoption, PetSmart offers its free Adoption Kit, which provides important content on how to integrate a pet into the family and true value – with more than $450 in real savings – to the adoption parent. Included are coupons for a free bag of dog or cat food from Simply Nourish™, Authority® or Good Natured™, half off on a grooming service, a free veterinarian visit, a complimentary private training session with an accredited trainer, a free Doggie Day Camp session and a free overnight boarding stay. Also included are savings on all the essentials for a new pet including beds, crates, gates, brushes, feeding bowls, collars, leashes, toys and treats, as well as solutions like pet calming products and stain and odor remedies for any mishaps that may occur.

About PetSmart®

PetSmart, Inc. is the largest specialty pet retailer of services and solutions for the lifetime needs of pets. At PetSmart, we love pets, and we believe pets make us better people. Every day with every connection, PetSmart’s passionate associates help bring pet parents closer to their pets so they can live more fulfilled lives. This vision impacts everything we do for our customers, the way we support our associates and how we give back to our communities. We employ approximately 53,000 associates, operate 1,477 pet stores in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico and 203 in-store PetSmart® PetsHotel® dog and cat boarding facilities. PetSmart provides a broad range of competitively priced pet food and pet products and offers dog training, pet grooming, pet boarding, PetSmart Doggie Day Camp day care services and pet adoption services in-store. Our portfolio of digital resources for pet parents – including PetSmart.com, PetFoodDirect.com, Pet360.com and petMD.com – offers the most comprehensive online pet supplies and pet care information in the U.S. Through our in-store pet adoption partnership with independent nonprofit organizations, PetSmart Charities® and PetSmart Charities™ of Canada, PetSmart helps to save the lives of more than 500,000 homeless pets each year.

Follow PetSmart on Twitter: @PetSmart 
Find PetSmart on Facebook: www.facebook.com/PetSmart
See PetSmart on YouTube: www.YouTube.com/PetSmart

About PetSmart Charities®

PetSmart Charities, Inc. is a nonprofit animal welfare organization that saves the lives of homeless pets.  Each year nearly 500,000 dogs and cats find homes through our adoption program in all PetSmart® stores across the U.S. and sponsored adoption events.  Each year millions of PetSmart shoppers contribute to pets in need by making donations directly to PetSmart Charities on a pin pad at the registers in PetSmart stores.  PetSmart Charities administers and efficiently uses 90 cents of every dollar of the generous donations by issuing grants and providing additional support to help pets in need.  PetSmart Charities grants more money to directly help pets in need than any other animal welfare group in North America, with a focus on funding adoption and spay/neuter programs that help communities solve pet overpopulation.  PetSmart Charities is a 501(c)(3) organization, independent from PetSmart, Inc.  PetSmart Charities has received the Four Star Rating for the past 13 years from Charity Navigator, an independent nonprofit that reports on the effectiveness, accountability and transparency of nonprofits, placing it among the top one percent of charities rated by this organization.

About PetSmart Charities™ of Canada

PetSmart Charities of Canada is a nonprofit animal welfare organization that saves the lives of homeless pets in Canada.  Each year more than 20,000 cats and dogs find Canadian homes through our adoption program in nearly all PetSmart stores across Canada and our sponsored adoption events. A leading funder of animal welfare, PetSmart Charities of Canada has granted more than $9 million to help pets in need with a funding focus on adoption and spay/neuter programs that help communities solve pet overpopulation.  PetSmart Charities of Canada is a registered charity, independent from PetSmart.

Contacts:
Golin for PetSmart Inc.:
Danielle Bickelmann
dbickelmann@golin.com
469-680-2503

PetSmart Media Line:
623-587-2177

Source: PetSmart Inc.