PetSmart® Supports NBC’s TODAY’s “Puppy with a Purpose”
New Black Lab Puppy Named Charlie through National Online Voting
Introduced this Week on the Show, Trained for Next 16 Months by
America’s VetDogs to Serve a Military Veteran; PetSmart Supports with
$25,000 Donation, Outfits Puppy’s In-Studio Home
PHOENIX & NEW YORK CITY–(BUSINESS WIRE)–North America’s leading pet specialty retailer, PetSmart, and America’s
beloved national morning show, NBC’s TODAY, has announced their
collaboration on “Puppy with a Purpose,” TODAY’s 16-month series
where a puppy is raised and trained to serve those in need and his
progress is featured as part of the daily show.
The pet-centric content series on TODAY was launched last year with
“Wrangler,” who went on to be a guide dog. This year, the “Puppy with
a Purpose” is a two-month-old male black lab who will be trained by
America’s VetDogs to serve as a service animal for a disabled military
veteran. Yesterday, the puppy’s name was chosen through national online
voting and revealed this morning. Charlie is the winner!
As part of the collaboration, PetSmart has donated $25,000 to America’s
VetDogs, TODAY’s partner that provides custom-trained service dogs to
veterans and first responders with disabilities. PetSmart has also
outfitted the puppy’s in-studio home on TODAY and delivered all the
puppy essentials Olivia Poff, the dog’s raiser, will need for the
puppy’s first life stage. PetSmart will continue to provide pet supplies
as Charlie matures, and will also support the “Puppy with a Purpose”
series with expert resources including tips on puppy care, safety,
grooming and ways to include pets in celebrations.
“Last year, we watched Wrangler every step of the way as he flourished
into an amazing guide dog and we just knew we wanted to join in and
support this important work on TODAY,” said Eran Cohen, chief customer
experience officer, PetSmart. “We love pets and we know they make us
better people, and the value of a service dog to a person in need is
even more crucial to that person’s quality of life. We are proud to
support this program and look forward to watching Charlie develop into a
loyal and caring companion to a chosen military veteran in about 16
months.”
Aligned with the American theme for a dog serving a military vet,
PetSmart chose several puppy essentials for Charlie and his trainer,
Poff, including a comfy cuddler bed, sized perfectly for the new puppy
stage; a monogrammed cozy fleece blanket; feeding bowls; red and blue
collars, comfort harnesses and leashes; crate set-up including mattress
insert; a range of puppy toys across the chew, active, cuddle and puzzle
categories; at-home grooming supplies from iconic human brands, Burt’s
Bees and CHI, which is exclusively available at PetSmart; and puppy
solutions like flea & tick treatments and multi-vitamins.
Tune in to TODAY’s “Puppy with a Purpose” every weekday and watch
as PetSmart continues to support Charlie. Check out our puppy product
collection at www.petsmart.com/todaypuppy.
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 1,466 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 America’s VetDogs
Since 2003, America’s VetDogs (www.VetDogs.org)
has trained and placed guide and service dogs to provide independence,
enhanced mobility, and companionship to veterans with disabilities from
all eras. In 2015, VetDogs opened its programs to first responders,
including fire, police, and emergency medical personnel. America’s
VetDogs is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization founded by the Guide
Dog Foundation. VetDogs relies on contributions from generous
individuals, corporations, service clubs, and foundations to fund its
mission to help those who have served our country live with dignity and
independence. It costs over $50,000 to breed, raise, train, and place
one assistance dog, but America’s VetDogs provides its services
completely free of charge to the individual.
Contacts
Golin for PetSmart Inc.:
Danielle Bickelmann, 469-680-2503
dbickelmann@golin.com
or
PetSmart
Media Line
623-587-2177
