BURLINGTON, ON --(Marketwired - November 01, 2017) - There is no question that puppies and kittens are super cute, but if you have ever brought one home, you know they can require a lot of time, attention and most of all, patience. Between midnight meowing and watching your favorite shoes turn into chew toys, there are countless reasons to consider the benefits of adopting a senior pet.
"Since November is National Adopt a Senior Pet Month, we wanted to celebrate by teaming up with five of our in-store adoption partners to share a few reasons people may want to consider adopting a senior pet during National Adoption Weekend," said Eran Cohen, Chief Customer Experience Officer at PetSmart.
1. Senior Pets are Often Overlooked When looking for a pet, adopters usually turn their attention to puppies and kittens first. Although it may be unintentional, adult and senior pets are often overlooked due to the cuteness-factor of their younger counterparts. Senior pets have often lived with a family for many years and have trouble adapting to life in a shelter, so it's important not to forget about them as they make really great pets! Karen Reichheld, Animal Care Manager at the Hamilton-Burlington SPCA. Adoption partner to the PetSmart in Ancaster, Ontario, Canada.
2. Senior Pets Can be Super Loving and Loyal Due to their age, senior pets have had more life experience and may have had their share of broken hearts and broken homes. When provided with a cozy and stable home environment, many senior pets are fiercely loyal and will love their new adopters unconditionally. Paula Stude, CEO and Executive Director of the Wild Cat Foundation. Adoption partner to the PetSmart stores in Lafayette, LA.
3. Adult Pets are Often Already Litter Trained/House Broken Most senior pets come with training -- they know not to climb up on curtains, steal your food, chew on your shoes, and most likely are already potty trained. Adult or senior pets can be super easy-going and may have a calmer disposition than kittens or puppies. Most love to snuggle and cuddle with their pet parents! Dawn Kavanaugh, CEO and President of All About Animals Rescue. Adoption partner to four PetSmart stores in the Phoenix metro area.
4. Old Dogs (and Other Pets!) Can Learn New Tricks The adage that an old dog can't learn new tricks simply isn't true! Senior pets don't ask for much and are often very easily trained. They might have to get acclimated to your household routine, but once they do, you may be surprised how easy they are to care for and how willing they are to learn from their new pet parents. Jackie Meyers, CEO/Executive Director of Peaceful Passings Senior Animal Rescue. Adoption partner to a PetSmart in Charlottesville, VA.
5. Senior Pets Need Second Chances Every shelter pet is looking for their second chance at a forever home, but senior pets may need second chances even more than most. As senior pets are more likely to have pre-existing medical conditions or dental issues, they may need a little extra TLC, but the love they show you in return will be well worth it. In our experience, senior pets are even more loveable thanks to the lives they've lived and the experiences they've had. Angela McLaren, Executive Director, Prince George Humane Society. Adoption partner to the PetSmart store in Prince George, British Columbia, Canada.
"At PetSmart Charities, our mission is to find lifelong, loving homes for all pets -- and that includes pets that aren't always top-of-mind for some adopters," said David Haworth, DVM, Ph.D. and President of PetSmart Charities. "For homes with very young children or families seeking a more calm and mature companion, adopting a senior pet may be a great way to go. But, the very best way you can find the pet that's right for you is by visiting one of the thousands of adoption events taking place during PetSmart Charities' National Adoption Weekend, and meeting the furry, friendly pets of all ages, types and sizes that are waiting to find their forever home and family."
Pets of All Ages, Types and Sizes Deserve a Lifelong, Loving Home Pets of all ages, types and sizes will be looking to find their forever home at PetSmart Charities' November National Adoption Weekend. From Nov. 10 - 12, more than 3,500 animal welfare organizations will bring adoptable pets into nearly all of PetSmart's 1,500-plus stores in the U.S. and Canada with the goal of finding homes for more than 25,000 pets during this weekend adoption event.
Date: Friday, Nov. 10 - Sunday, Nov. 12, 2017 Time: Friday and Saturday: 9 a.m. - 9 p.m. Sunday: 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. (local times) Location: Nearly every PetSmart store across Canada. Visit www.petsmart.ca to find a store near you.
A Free Gift for Those Who Adopt: Regardless of the age of the four-legged friend you or your family choose to adopt, or where you adopted from, PetSmart offers a free Adoption Kit* that provides important content that helps to integrate a new pet into the family. Click here for more information about PetSmart's Free Adoption Kit. *Adoption papers required.
About PetSmart® In Canada, PetSmart 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. We employ more than 3,600 associates and operate 128 pet stores across Canada, with eight in-store PetSmart® PetsHotel™ dog and cat boarding facilities. PetSmart provides a broad range of competitively priced pet food and products, as well as pet-focused services such as dog training, pet grooming, pet boarding, PetSmart® Doggie Day Camp® and pet adoption. PetSmart, together with non-profit PetSmart Charities™ of Canada, invite 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 240,000 pets since 1999. The company's portfolio of digital resources for pet parents includes PetSmart.ca, PETMD.com and the askPETMD app, Pawculture.com, as well as BlogPaws, the world's first pet blogger and influencer network. Through these digital platforms, PetSmart offers the most comprehensive online pet supplies and pet care information in Canada. In March 2017, PetSmart launched its Buy a Bag, Give a Meal™ program - for every bag of cat or dog food purchased March 1 - Dec. 31, 2017, PetSmart will donate a meal to pets in need and expects to donate more than 3.6 million meals in Canada in 2017.*
Follow PetSmart on Twitter: @PetSmart and on Instagram: @PetSmart Find PetSmart on Facebook: www.Facebook.com/PetSmartCanada See PetSmart on YouTube: www.YouTube.com/PetSmart
*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® of Canada: PetSmart Charities of Canada is a registered Canadian charity 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 more than 25,000 shelter pets each year through its in-store adoption program in all PetSmart stores, PetSmart Charities of Canada provides funding to registered charities 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 of Canada using the pin pads at checkout registers inside PetSmart stores. In turn, PetSmart Charities efficiently uses 89 cents of every dollar donated and has become a leading funder of animal welfare in Canada, donating nearly $12 million to date. PetSmart Charities of Canada is a member of Imagine Canada and is independent from PetSmart, Inc. To learn more, visit www.petsmartcharities.ca
Follow PetSmart Charities on Twitter: @PetSmartChariTs Find PetSmart Charities on Facebook: Facebook.com/PetSmartCanada See PetSmart Charities on YouTube: YouTube.com/PetSmartCharitiesInc
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Contact: Golin for PetSmart Charities of Canada Miriam Fitting mfitting@golin.com 416-483-6225 ext. 3440
