PetSmart Charities® Commits Up To $1 Million In Support of Animal Welfare Across North America Amid Coronavirus Pandemic

PHOENIX, March 18, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Coronavirus (COVID-19) has affected humans by closing workplaces and schools, but animal shelters are also feeling the impact as fewer people come in to adopt pets and many shelters are forced to close to the public altogether. According to some animal welfare organizations, it is likely fewer people will be considering adoption and more pet parents will have to surrender pets due to health or economic hardship. As a result, the number of homeless pets is expected to increase.

To help address these issues, PetSmart Charities, the leading funder of animal welfare, has committed up to $1 million to support pets and people affected by COVID-19. These funds will support both the animal shelters caring for pets and organizations that are helping impacted people keep and care for their pets in the areas with the highest number of reported cases in the U.S. and Canada. These affected areas include portions of California, Washington, Massachusetts, New York and all provinces across Canada.

"As an organization dedicated to supporting pets and the people who love them, PetSmart Charities remains committed to the health and welfare of pets during this unprecedented time, and our hearts go out to those impacted by COVID-19," said Chris McCurdy, interim president at PetSmart Charities. "We pledge to remain nimble as the need grows during this pandemic. Whether you are a shelter overwhelmed with the intake of homeless pets or an organization that provides resources to pet parents concerned about how they will care for their pets due to quarantine, we're here for you."

Both PetSmart® and PetSmart Charities are committed to supporting local communities in this time of extraordinary need. As an essential retailer, PetSmart stores across North America will remain open to provide indispensable pet products like food, but also services and veterinary care, while keeping health and safety top of mind for pets, customers and associates.

To learn more about PetSmart Charities and its emergency relief support visit www.petsmartcharities.org.

About PetSmart Charities®
PetSmart Charities, Inc. is committed to finding lifelong, loving homes for all pets by supporting programs and thought leadership that bring people and pets together. Through its in-store adoption program in all PetSmart® stores across the U.S. and Puerto Rico, PetSmart Charities helps to find forever homes and families for more than 600,000 shelter pets each year. 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 more than 90 cents of every dollar donated to fulfill its role as the leading funder of animal welfare in North America, granting almost $400 million since its inception in 1994. Independent from PetSmart Inc., PetSmart Charities is a 501(c)(3) organization that has received the Four-Star Rating from Charity Navigator, a third-party organization that reports on the effectiveness, accountability and transparency of nonprofits, for the past 17 years in a row ? placing it among the top one percent of charities rated by this organization. To learn more visit www.petsmartcharities.org.

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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. PetSmart employs approximately 56,000 associates and operates more than 1,660 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. 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, PetSmart Doggie Day Camptm and pet adoption. PetSmart, PetSmart Charities® and PetSmart Charities® of Canada work with nearly 4,000 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 9 million adoptions, more than any other brick-and-mortar organization. In May 2017, PetSmart acquired Chewy.com, a leading online retailer of pet food and products in the U.S., which operates as an independent subsidiary.

Find PetSmart on Facebook: www.Facebook.com/PetSmart 
See PetSmart on Instagram: @PetSmart
Follow PetSmart on Twitter: @PetSmart
See PetSmart on YouTube: www.YouTube.com/PetSmart 
PetSmart homepage: http://www.petsmart.com/

Turn your passion for pets into a career you'll love! Visit careers.petsmart.com to learn more about corporate, retail store and Distribution Center opportunities.

SOURCE PetSmart Charities