PetSmart Charities® Doubles Funding Commitment to $2 Million In Support Of Hurricane Harvey Rescue, Relief and Recovery Efforts

Funds will assist animal welfare organizations working on the front
lines to help evacuated pets and pet parents in affected areas along the
Gulf Coast

PHOENIX–(BUSINESS WIRE)–According to news reports, Hurricane Harvey has driven more than one
million people from their homes in Texas, displacing thousands
of pets in the affected areas. In response, PetSmart Charities is
doubling its initial commitment of $1 million to $2 million in grants to
support animal welfare organizations working on the front lines to help
pets and pet parents in need.

PetSmart Charities, the leading funder of animal welfare in North
America, is committed to helping pets in need and connecting pets and
people, including situations of natural disasters, such as Hurricane
Harvey. While prominent rescue organizations are focused on important
human relief efforts, PetSmart Charities knows that providing assistance
for pets is critical too, as many pet parents will go to great lengths
to save their four-legged family members.

“As we’ve seen with natural disasters in the past, pet parents are
willing to sacrifice their own well-being for their pets, even when
their lives are at risk. This is a true testament to the immense power
of the human-animal bond,” said David Haworth, DVM, Ph.D., president of
PetSmart Charities. “With the support of our generous donors, it’s our
hope that funding, food and supplies from PetSmart Charities will help
provide crucial care to homeless or displaced pets with no loving family
to turn to while also helping pet families get necessary veterinary care
for their pets following the storm.”

Support on the Ground:

Local animal welfare organizations in Houston and beyond are working
around the clock to deliver immediate assistance to pets and pet
families in need to provide veterinary care, pet supplies and temporary
accommodations. Grants and donations that have recently been distributed
include:

• $50,000 to Spay-Neuter Assistance Program (SNAP), Inc.: To
  support pet parents that were forced to leave their homes, SNAP is
  providing immediate veterinary services to pets affected by Hurricane
  Harvey in evacuee centers located in Houston and San Antonio. Services
  include medical examinations, microchips and procedures to treat skin
  infections and respiratory issues common following floods.
• $25,000 to Humane Society of Southeast Texas: Located in
  Beaumont, a town that experienced severe flooding and now has limited
  access to clean water, the Humane Society of Southeast Texas is
  supporting Hurricane Harvey relief efforts by providing assistance for
  shelter and community pets in need.
• $25,000 to Friends of Austin Animal Center: Funds donated to
  the Austin Animal Shelter will be used to support up to 8,000 evacuees
  from Southeast Texas who are at the City of Austin Expo Center.

Ongoing In-Kind Donations of Pet Food and Supplies:

In addition to providing funds, and continuing to assess the funding
needs going forward, PetSmart Charities is coordinating deliveries of
pet food and supplies to organizations working in the trenches. By
week’s end, the nonprofit will have delivered more than 110,000 pounds,
or 55 tons, of pet food donated through PetSmart’s
philanthropic Buy A Bag, Give A Meal* program and coordinated at
least 10 truckloads of pet supplies, including crates, collars, leashes
and pet beds and kitty litter to the affected areas.

Supporting Animal Welfare Organizations on the Ground:

If you are an animal welfare organization spearheading rescue, relief
and recovery efforts for those affected by Hurricane Harvey, please
visit www.petsmartcharities.org/pro
to apply for an emergency relief grant from PetSmart Charities.

How You Can Support PetSmart Charities’ Emergency Relief Efforts:

If you would like to support PetSmart Charities’ emergency relief
efforts, like those underway in Texas, please consider making a donation
at the PIN pads located at the cash registers of every PetSmart store or
online at www.petsmartcharities.org/donate.

For more information on PetSmart Charities, please visit www.PetSmartCharities.org.

*Ends 12/31/17. 5 oz. dog food, 1.5 oz. cat food donated to PetSmart
Charities to feed dogs and cats in need. See details at
petsmart.com/giveameal. The actual number of meals donated is based on
dog and cat food bags sold. The meal donation estimate is based on
historic sales for similar time periods. No guaranteed amount. Rescue
Bank and Feeding America will help distribute a large portion of the pet
food donation in the U.S., while four large animal welfare agencies will
distribute it in Canada.

About PetSmart Charities®

PetSmart
Charities, Inc. is a nonprofit animal welfare organization with a
mission to find lifelong, loving homes for all pets by supporting
programs and thought leadership that bring people and pets together. In
addition to finding homes for almost 500,000 shelter pets each year
through its in-store adoption program in all PetSmart stores across the
U.S. and Puerto Rico, PetSmart Charities provides funding to non-profits
aligned with its mission through four key areas of grant support:
Preventing Pet Homelessness; Helping Shelter Pets Thrive; Supporting the
Bond Between People and Pets; and Emergency Relief and Disaster
Support. 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 90 cents of every dollar donated and has become the
leading funder of animal welfare in North America, donating about $300
million to date. PetSmart Charities, a 501(c)(3) organization, has
received the Four Star Rating from Charity Navigator, an independent
organization that reports on the effectiveness, accountability and
transparency of nonprofits, for the past 14 years in a row — placing it
among the top one percent of charities rated by this organization. To
learn more visit www.petsmartcharities.org

Follow PetSmart Charities on Twitter: @PetSmartChariTs
Find
PetSmart Charities on Facebook: Facebook.com/PetSmartCharities
See
PetSmart Charities on YouTube: YouTube.com/PetSmartCharitiesInc

Contacts

Golin for PetSmart
Virginia Hock, 469-680-2611
vhock@golin.com
or
PetSmart
Media Line:
623-587-2177