PetSmart Charities® and PetSmart® Announce Record-Breaking 25,000-Plus Pets Adopted Out at the February 2016 National Adoption Weekend event. http://www.petsmartcharities.org/campaigns/national-adoption-weekend.

Held in February, 2016, the National Adoption Event Aimed at Saving Lives is the Most Successful in PetSmart History

Thank to the hard work and partnership of our valued animal welfare organization partners, more than 25,000 pets found their forever homes during PetSmart Charities® National Adoption Weekend event held at more than 1,400 PetSmart® stores across North America — setting a new company record with the most pets adopted at these national, chain-wide events since they were initiated by the retailer more than a decade ago.

Approximately 25,027 pets were adopted through the event last week (Monday – Sunday), beating the company record by nearly 3,000 pets and representing a 43 percent adoption increase over last year’s Feb. event. This year’s efforts also included nearly 100 stores that expanded their life-saving efforts to include small animals such as ferrets, guinea pigs and rabbits.

These PetSmart® signature National Adoption Weekend events are conducted in collaboration with PetSmart Charities®, PetSmart Charities® of Canada and their adoption partners – more than 3,000 local animal welfare organizations. While called National Adoption “Weekend,” the adoption efforts span the week with the majority of the pets, about 23,000, adopted between Friday and Sunday when many stores host large parking lot tent-events with their local adoption partners to connect adoptable pets with their forever families.

“We are thrilled so many pets – more than 25,000 in all — found their forever homes this past week in our stores,” said Eran Cohen, chief customer experience officer, PetSmart. “Our National Adoption Weekend events are highly coordinated efforts involving nearly all aspects of our company, our PetSmart Charities and PetSmart Charities of Canada nonprofit organizations and animal welfare partners. From setting up tents and preparing stores to serve as adoption centers to coordinating with our local partners, we couldn’t be more proud of the collaborative efforts that resulted in this recent adoption success — together we are saving lots of lives!”

Partnering to Save Lives
Each year, about 7 million pets enter shelters across North America and some 3 million healthy, adoptable pets are euthanized. To help end pet homelessness and save lives, PetSmart joins PetSmart Charities, PetSmart Charities of Canada and nearly 3,000 local animal welfare organizations across North America on a range of powerful adoption events in PetSmart stores. Four times each year, PetSmart highlights the adoption program through National Adoption Weekends where 20,000-plus pets find lifelong, loving homes in a single week.

In addition to the National Adoption Weekend events, every day pets are adopted out of PetSmart stores, which serve as extensions to local pet shelters with dedicated adoption center space. Last year, through all the combined adoption efforts at PetSmart stores two pets were adopted every minute a store was open and about 1,400 pets’ lives were saved every day.

PetSmart’s next National Adoption Weekend will be held May 13-15, 2016. If you’re looking to add a pet to your home, consider saving a life by adopting.

Visit your local PetSmart Charities adoption center in most PetSmart stores across the country, or visit www.petsmartcharities.org for more information.

Stay up-to-date on the latest news by following PetSmart Charities on Facebook at www.facebook.com/PetSmartCharities and on Twitter at @PetSmartChariTs.