Add some love to your home by adopting a shelter pet.
PetSmart Charities of Canada, PetSmart and 200 of their animal welfare partners across Canada will have lots of love in store this month. From Feb. 16 – 18, thousands of adorable, adoptable pets will be featured in nearly every one of PetSmart's 130-plus stores across the country during the first National Adoption Weekend of 2018. During the Family Day weekend event, PetSmart Charities of Canada is aiming to find forever homes for approximately 1,500 shelter pets.
"Watching a family fall in love with the perfect pet is one of the most heart-warming things you'll see," says David Haworth, DVM, Ph.D., and president of PetSmart Charities of Canada. "While adopters are most certainly saving and enhancing the lives of shelter pets, the human-animal bond is a mutually beneficial relationship. Recent research shows that pets bring their fair share of benefits to the lives of their new pet parents, too."
A 2017 survey commissioned by PetSmart Charities of Canada and conducted by Wakefield Research found that ninety-three percent of pet parents said they had experienced at least one health benefit from their pet. The benefits range from increased physical activity and weight loss to improved mood and decreased stress. The same survey showed that when respondents were asked which would make them happier in the long run; winning the lottery or adopting a pet, two-thirds of Canadian respondents selected adopting a pet.
Two of the pets who will be looking for love during February's National Adoption Weekend are Dutchie (a 12-year-old terrier cross) and Buster (a 7-year-old cocker spaniel cross). They're a bonded pair of female pups who were surrendered to the Hamilton/Burlington SPCA (HBSPCA) after their long-time pet parents became ill and were no longer able to care for them. The team at the HBSPCA's on-site veterinary clinic provided much-needed wellness checks, dental work and vaccines to both dogs, in addition to spaying them to prevent any unplanned litters. Both Dutchie and Buster received clean bills of health and will be joining thousands of other dogs, cats, kittens, puppies, guinea pigs and rabbits in looking for their chance at a forever home during National Adoption Weekend.
Bring Love Home this National Adoption Weekend From owner surrenders to unplanned litters, there's any number of reasons why pets may end up in a local animal shelter. On Feb. 16 – 18, more than 200 animal welfare organizations will bring adoptable pets into nearly all of PetSmart's 130-plus stores across Canada with a goal of finding homes for more than 1,500 pets during the weekend adoption event. If you're looking for a pet, why not bring love home this Family Day weekend?
Looking for A Different Way to Show Your Love of Pets? Every PetSmart store will be collecting pet food donations at the check-out that will be provided to local shelters and in-store adoption partners following National Adoption Weekend. Even if you're not looking to adopt a pet, you can still help a pet in need.
National Adoption Weekend Details: Date: Fri., Feb. 16 – Sun., Feb. 18, 2018 Time: Fri. and Sat.: 9 a.m. – 9 p.m. Sun.: 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
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 which type of pet you choose to adopt, or where you adopted, PetSmart offers a free Adoption Kit* that provides important content that helps to integrate a new pet into the family. *Adoption papers are required.
source: media release, Petsmart
