PetSmart Charities® Commits Up to $1 Million to Support Hurricane Dorian Relief Efforts

Funding will support animal welfare organizations and nonprofits
working to help pets in need following Hurricane Dorian; PetSmart allows U.S. shoppers to donate funds directly to natural disasters like hurricane recovery efforts

Sept. 5, 2019 – PHOENIX, Ariz.— PetSmart Charities, the leading funder of animal welfare in North America, today announced a commitment of up to $1 million in grants to support designated responding agencies working on the front lines to help pets and pet families in need in the areas affected by Hurricane Dorian.

To help its nonprofit partner champion these efforts and in response to shoppers in stores asking for ways to help, PetSmart® has set up a dedicated financial donation system at registers in all of its stores, where shoppers can easily donate directly to pets and people impacted by natural disasters, like Hurricane Dorian, in increments of $1, $2, $5, $10 or $20. In addition to this fundraising effort, customers may give to PetSmart Charities every day, year-round through the PIN pads at registers inside all PetSmart stores to support the organization’s mission to strengthen communities by connecting pets and people in need. PetSmart Charities contributes more than 90 cents of every dollar donated directly to pets and pet families who need it most.

“The catastrophic damage in the Bahamas from Hurricane Dorian is immense, and as the storm moves into the Carolinas and up the coast, we know relief agencies on the ground need supplies to feed, house and provide veterinary care to pets,” said Deborah Turcott, acting president of PetSmart Charities. “We know recovery can take time, and with the support of our generous donors, it’s our hope that this funding from PetSmart Charities will help provide essential care to pet families and displaced pets in the areas impacted by this devastating storm.”

Beginning Sept. 5, disaster relief groups can submit a grant application to PetSmart Charities. The grants are open to national and local designated response agencies serving pets including nonprofit and municipal animal shelters, rescues, food banks, and veterinary clinics. PetSmart Charities will fund up to $1 million in grants, provided that qualified applications for that amount are received. For more information on grant eligibility and to apply for an emergency relief grant from PetSmart Charities, visit www.PetSmartCharities.org/pro.

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 Dorian, 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 the Bahamas and the southeastern U.S. coasts, please consider making a donation at the PIN pads located at the cash registers of every PetSmart store or online at www.petsmartcharities.org/get-involved.

For more information on PetSmart Charities, or to make a donation, please visit www.PetSmartCharities.org.

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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 LLC, 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 16 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:
PetSmart
Yosha Brunson, 623-587-2177
[email protected]