PetSmart Continues as Adoption Leader Among Brick-and-Mortar
Organizations
PHOENIX--(BUSINESS WIRE)--In collaboration with more than 3,500 animal welfare partners, PetSmart
Charities, the leading funder of animal welfare in North America,
announced that 2017 was a record-breaking year for pet adoptions. Last
People are also reading…
year, more than 560,000 pets found forever homes through the in-store
adoption program, which facilitates adoptions every day at more than
1,600 PetSmart stores across the U.S. and Canada.
Since opening its doors in the late 1980s, PetSmart’s founders made the
decision to never sell dogs and cats in stores. Instead, the leading pet
specialty retailer established PetSmart Charities and set aside valuable
space in each of its locations to encourage local animal welfare
organizations to bring adoptable pets into PetSmart stores. This model
allows pets to connect with passionate, pet-loving families and
shoppers, greatly increasing their chances of being adopted. To date,
PetSmart and PetSmart Charities have helped find homes for 7.8 million
pets and counting.
“Being an advocate for pet adoption isn’t just something we do, it’s
part of who we are at PetSmart Charities, and is integral to our mission
to reduce pet homelessness across the U.S. and Canada,” said David
Haworth, DVM, Ph.D., and president of PetSmart Charities. “Last year was
a record-breaking year for us. We helped more than half a million
shelter pets find the loving homes and families they deserve. To put
that in perspective, with the help of thousands of animal welfare
organizations, we’ve saved more pets in one year than the number of
people living in Atlanta. We couldn’t have done it without the support
of our adoption partners, PetSmart store teams and the kindness of pet
adopters everywhere.”
Last Chance Animal Rescue in Waldorf, Md., is one of PetSmart Charities’
most active pet adoption partners. Cindy Sharpley, executive director of
Last Chance Animal Rescue, works with her team to find homes for
thousands of pets each year, including many that were left homeless by
Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria in late 2017. Through its partnership
with PetSmart Charities, Last Chance Animal Rescue has been able to
secure homes for 7,900 pets in 2017 alone and nearly 80,000 over the
last 13 years.
“We’ve been working with PetSmart Charities for nearly 19 years. Our
partnership with PetSmart and PetSmart Charities has allowed us to find
homes for pets in need, enriching both their lives and those of their
adoptive parents,” said Sharpley. “There’s something very special about
bringing shelter pets to a PetSmart store, where families can meet and
fall in love with them and make them part of their family. There’s no
better feeling than watching pets find their forever homes – a happy
ending after sometimes very sad beginnings.”
“With the partnership and determination of trusted animal welfare
organizations like Last Chance Animal Rescue, we know that the local
pets are getting the support they need and deserve,” said Dr. Haworth.
“It’s this same passion and commitment that inspires our team to find
new ways to help make an even greater impact in local communities.”
Additional Fun Facts from PetSmart & PetSmart Charities’ In-Store
Adoption Efforts in 2017:
Kittens were the most adopted pet from our stores.
At adoption events, adult dogs were adopted more often than puppies
this year.
Texas was the leading state for adoptions, with more than 60,000 pets
adopted at PetSmart stores across the state.
Houston was the leading city, with 5,800 pets adopted at PetSmart
stores across the metro area.
In addition to Last Chance Animal Rescue, other top animal welfare
partners included: City of Dallas, Texas; City of Fort Worth, Texas;
Save a Life Pet Rescue, in central Fla.; as well as Nebraska Humane
Society in Omaha, Neb.
The top adoption partner in Canada was Action Volunteers for Animals
in Ontario.
For more information on PetSmart Charities or to find out how to become
an adoption partner, please visit PetSmartCharities.org.
About PetSmart Charities®
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:
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/PetSmartCharitiesInc
Contacts
Golin for PetSmart
Virginia Hock, 469-680-2611
or
PetSmart
24-Hour Media Line
623-587-2177