BURLINGTON, ON, May 11, 2022 - PetSmart Charities of Canada, the nation’s top funder of animal welfare, has crossed the landmark 350,000th pet adoption since launching in 1999. Working with more than 160 animal welfare partners at Everyday Adoption Centres in PetSmart’s retail stores and hosting annual National Adoption Week events, this powerful milestone honours all those who save lives through adoption. Over the past five years alone, PetSmart Charities of Canada has granted $4.9 million to fund services such as pet transport, prevention and wellness veterinary care and more that help adoptable pets find new homes.
In recent years, PetSmart Charities of Canada has facilitated nearly 24,000 adoptions a year thanks to PetSmart and generous Canadians who donate. The majority of funds granted by PetSmart Charities of Canada are raised by donations made at PetSmart’s registers or online. In fact, more than 80 per cent of donations come directly from pet parents shopping at PetSmart. Each gift supports local animal welfare organizations that make lives better for pets and the people that love them.
“For us, this meaningful milestone presents a perfect time to reflect on the hundreds of thousands of stories of unconditional love that led us here,” said Aimee Gilbreath, president at PetSmart Charities of Canada. “This moment was brought to us by all those who made donations at stores, online or in estate plans. We’re grateful for the generosity of those who support our work — and those who opened their hearts and homes to pets in need. As most people discover, it’s the pets who end up rescuing their people.”
Celebrating 350,000 Adoptions
Kringle represents just one of 350,000 pets whose lives were changed through adoption. With support from PetSmart Charities of Canada, Toronto Cat Rescue cared for Kringle after he arrived with lacerations all over his body. He required multiple sutures and unfortunately had to have his right eye removed. After recovery and time in foster care, Kringle found his perfect family to love at the PetSmart Adoption Centre in Cambridge, Ontario. They offered the patience he needed to develop trust after so much time on the streets and enduring the trauma of injuries.
To celebrate every pet adoption that counted toward the 350,000 milestone, PetSmart Canada and PetSmart Charities of Canada have launched a TikTok Hashtag Challenge. Users are encouraged to share their pet adoption story video on TikTok, detailing how their pets rescued them in return with the #350ThousandAdoptions hashtag set to the PetSmart original soundtrack of “Who Rescued Who” by the Lion Tones.
The Need Continues
Today, nearly 16 million Canadian homes include pets. While the pandemic drove demand for adoptable pets, 100,000 lost, surrendered or abused animals continue to make their way into shelters each year.
During the busy summer seasons, shelters will be overflowing with pets in need of loving homes. PetSmart Charities encourages people to consider adopting animals particularly at risk including large dogs, senior cats and dogs, and kittens. Staffing shortages at shelters have only increased the urgent need for people to adopt.
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About PetSmart Charities of Canada™
PetSmart Charities of Canada is committed to making the world a better place for pets and all who love them. Through its in-store adoption program in all PetSmart® stores across the country, PetSmart Charities of Canada helps thousands of pets connect with loving families each year. PetSmart Charities of Canada also provides grant funding to support organizations that advocate and care for the well-being of all pets and their families. Our grants and efforts connect pets with loving homes through adoption, improve access to affordable veterinary care and support families in times of crisis with access to food, shelter, and emergency relief. Each year, thousands of generous supporters help pets in need by donating to PetSmart Charities of Canada directly at PetSmartCharities.ca, while shopping at PetSmart.ca, and by using the PIN pads at checkout registers inside PetSmart stores. In turn, PetSmart Charities of Canada efficiently uses more than 90 cents of every dollar donated to fulfill its role as the leading funder of animal welfare in Canada, granting more than $25 million since its inception in 1999. Independent from PetSmart LLC, PetSmart Charities of Canada is a registered Canadian charity. To learn more visit www.PetSmartCharities.ca.
ABOUT PETSMART
In Canada, 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. PetSmart employs approximately 4,800 associates and operates almost 150 pet stores in Canada, as well as 10 in-store PetSmart PetsHotel® dog and cat boarding facilities. The retailer provides a broad range of competitively priced pet food and products, as well as services such as dog training, pet grooming, pet boarding at PetSmart Doggie Day Camp™ and pet adoption. PetSmart and PetSmart Charities® of Canada work with more than 200 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 350,000 adoptions, more than any other brick-and-mortar organization.
Media Contact:
Kaitlyn Ward, Weber Shandwick
KWard@WeberShandwick.com
