Pet Lovers Participate at Petco National Adoption Reunion

On Tuesday, October 4, 2011, Petco hosted their inaugural “National Adoption Reunion” event in Central Park to celebrate the three million plus pets the company has helped place in homes.

The event put the spotlight on pet adoption by inviting adopted pets and their owners to set a Guinness World Record® for the “Largest Gathering of Adopted Shelter Animals.”

According to Julia Gelt, Petco’s Marketing Communications Director, “all of our 1100 stores work with local charities to help dogs and cats find homes.”  Gelt further explained that the Central Park event kicked off the company’s National Adoption Reunion campaign taking place on October 8th and 9th at all Petco and Unleashed stores throughout the country.

“Dog and cat lovers are always invited to our stores to find and adopt the pet of their dreams, but this weekend is special,” said Gelt.

Pet owners with already adopted pets are invited to bring their four-legged friends to the celebration and have photos taken for free. Moreover, the first 50 guests each day will also receive a one-of-a-kind "National Adoption Celebration" commemorative pet collar charm.

Furthermore, Gelt encourages those who are unable to visit the Company’s stores to still participate by uploading photos and videos of their adopted pets to Petco's site. In doing so, pet owners have a chance to have their pet featured in an upcoming Petco advertising campaign. For every person who uploads their pictures and videos, the company will donate $1 to pet adoption organizations across the country.

Additionally, the Petco Foundation presented the Mayor’s Alliance with a donation of a new mobile adoption van worth an estimated $128,000 to assist with local adoption efforts.  

Each spring, the Petco Foundation invites local charities like the Mayor’s Alliance to submit proposals for its Extraordinary Gift program. PETCO Foundation Extraordinary Gifts are awarded for projects that exemplify the mission of the Petco Foundation and that require multiple year commitments of resources. 

“The Mayor’s Alliance proposal was creative, benefited the New York City community, enhanced its relationship with Petco and most importantly, improved the lives of animals,” says Susan Rosenberg, the National Grants and Disaster Relief Manager. 

As co-host of the event, Sony also showcased several new digital imaging products including Cyber-shot® and Bloggie® digital cameras. Event attendees learned how to easily capture and share great pictures and videos of their pets.

Event entertainment was also provided by Sony. The company’s platinum-selling RCA recording artist, Gavin DeGraw, performed a live acoustic set of material from his brand new album, Sweeter, just released on September 20.

For more information about how you and your pet can participate, visit the Petco National Adoption Reunion website.