PetSmart Charities
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| Motto | "Saving the lives of homeless pets" |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1994 |
| Legal status | Foundation |
| Purpose | Animal welfare |
| Headquarters | Phoenix |
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Region served
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North America |
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Chairperson
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David Lenhardt |
| Website | www |
PetSmart Charities and PetSmart Charities of Canada are non-profit organizations dedicated to saving the lives of homeless pets. In the United States, PetSmart Charities is the largest financial supporter of animal welfare and among the 400 largest philanthropic organizations working on any issue. PetSmart Charities was formed in 1994 by PetSmart founders Jim and Janice Dougherty, who chose never to sell dogs and cats within their stores. Their primary goal is to save the lives of homeless pets through programs such as their In-Store Adoption Centers in many PetSmart locations, Rescue Waggin' distaser relief program, grant program for animal welfare agencies across North America, and community adoption events. Another focus of the organization is increasing spay/neuter services to help communities solve the problem of pet overpopulation.
The primary source of funding is from in-store PIN pad donations when customers check out, as well as PetSmart employee contributions through the PetSmart Associates United to Stop Euthanasia (P.A.U.S.E.) fundraising program.
The charity has made major donations to further animal welfare. In 2007 it gave a $420,750 to the University of California-Davis. According to the organization, the fund will be used to finance an urgent need for an academic position dedicated to extending medical knowledge to shelter professionals. In 2006 PetSmart Charities awarded $2.3 million in grants to help disaster relief agencies and animal welfare organizations address the needs of pets abandoned, hurt or lost during hurricanes and other natural disasters. In 2006 it offered a request for proposals for $20,000 matching grants toward the establishment of state animal response teams in the U.S. The SART model is a public-private partnership for preparation and response to animal emergencies.
PetSmart Charities fund spay and neuter programs to reduce the number of feral or unwanted animals. It also funds animal rescue operations that transfer animals to adoption shelters.
Most PetSmart locations have an adoption center to house animals from local animal welfare organizations. PetSmart donates space for each center in their stores, PetSmart Charities funds the cost to build the center, and local animal welfare organizations are invited to bring their animals into the centers. While most stores are equipped with an Everyday Adoption Center that can house cats 24 hours a day, some stores have Enhanced Adoption Centers which lend the ability to house dogs as well, and also include a playroom to meet the animals. The animal welfare organizations are still responsible for the care of the pets, even when placed in an adoption center.
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Wikipedia