PetSmart Charities of Canada® has awarded $700,000 in grant funding to 17 animal shelters and rescue organizations across the country. The grants will help local animal welfare groups care for and prepare more pets for in-store adoptions and events such as PetSmart Charities of Canada National Adoption Week (March 24-30). People with room in their hearts and homes for a new pet are encouraged to stop by a local PetSmart store and find the ideal match.
Thousands of pets make their way to animal shelters and rescues in Canada each year. To encourage adoptions and support local shelter needs, PetSmart Charities of Canada has recently changed the in-store adoption policy to allow for adoptable rabbits to be housed at in-store adoption centres. In Canada, more than 50 pets are adopted every day at PetSmart stores. During PetSmart Charities of Canada National Adoption Week, shelters and rescues across the country bring even more adoptable pets into local stores to help them find people to love.
"Animal shelters and rescues across the country are brimming with pets in need of people to love them," said Heidi Marston, director of pet placement at PetSmart Charities of Canada. “Adopting a pet brings joy to families and builds healthy communities. We have heard from many local animal welfare partners that rabbits are spending too long in shelters, which is why we are excited to make it easier for them to be adopted through adoption centres in PetSmart stores. Together with our partners and supporters, we’ve helped more than 400,000 pets across Canada find people to love since 1999, but we know thousands more are still waiting.”
PetSmart Charities of Canada National Adoption Week Details
During PetSmart Charities of Canada National Adoption Week, over 100 local shelters and rescues will bring adoptable pets including cats, kittens, dogs, puppies, rabbits and other small pets into nearly every PetSmart store across Canada. Potential pet parents will have the chance to interact with the adoptable pets to find their ideal match. Staff and volunteers will be on hand to help educate potential adopters on the pets they are interested in and their care needs.
- Dates: March 24-30, 2025
- Locations: Nearly every one of the 160+ PetSmart stores across Canada. Potential adopters are encouraged to contact their local PetSmart store to see what pets will be available for adoption.
Those who aren't quite ready to expand their family can still make a big impact by donating funds to help pets in need at PetSmartCharities.ca. They also can find their match when the time is right by visiting PetSmartCharities.ca/adopt-a-pet for adoptable pets, adoption centres and events.
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 PetSmart stores across the country, PetSmart Charities of Canada has helped over 400,000 pets find loving homes. 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 Canadian 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 $35 million since its inception in 1999. Independent from PetSmart LLC, PetSmart Charities of Canada is a registered Canadian charity. To learn more visit PetSmartCharities.ca.
Media Contact:
Garry Ho: M: 347-379-3089
Porter Novelli for PetSmart Charities of Canada
garry.ho@porternovelli.com
