PetSmart® Launches Fourth Annual Patriotic Service Offerings Benefitting PetSmart Charities®-Supported Veterans’ Service Dog Programs

Actualizado: 30 Nov 2023, 12:52 PM EST Publicado: 01 Mayo 2017, 06:53 AM EDT

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–(BUSINESS WIRE)–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