The Petco Foundation Gives Back, Drives Animal Welfare Awareness at the Holidays

SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Today, the Petco Foundation in partnership with Halo, Purely for Pets, announced its second annual holiday grant campaign, Holiday Wishes, designed to help the most dedicated animal welfare organizations succeed in their mission to save pets' lives – at the holidays, and year round.

Qualified organizations are invited to submit their most impactful success stories for a chance to receive the winning grant award of $100,000 or a series of finalist awards ranging from $5,000 to $50,000. All entries must be submitted by Oct. 31.

“The Holiday Wishes campaign is a way for us to make holiday wishes come true for some very deserving organizations. In addition, we hope to inspire entire communities to take action and save lives,” said Petco Foundation executive director Susanne Kogut. “Every animal should celebrate this holiday season with a family, and by sharing these stories, we hope to increase the number of animals spending this holiday season in new, loving homes.”

In 2013, the Petco Foundation received more than 4,500 submissions – a response so overwhelming that it decided to double the available grant amount from $250,000 to $500,000 to award 33 organizations, supporting their work to save animals.

“Halo is proud to partner with the Petco Foundation for a second year of granting Holiday Wishes. We look forward to shining the spotlight on these incredible organizations that spread the spirit of the holiday season throughout the year,” said Halo CEO Steve Marton.

The Petco Foundation's Holiday Wishes grant campaign is open to all animal welfare organizations dedicated to finding homes for animals in need, including governmental animal services and shelters, as well as private nonprofit organizations, large and small. Applications can be submitted online at www.petcofoundation.org and require just one success story, including photos and basic organizational information to be eligible. All entries must be submitted by Oct. 31. The winning story and animal welfare group will be announced in December.

For more information on the Petco Foundation Holiday Wishes Grant Campaign or to submit your nonprofit grant application, visit www.petco.com/holidaywishes. Join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram or by using the campaign hashtag, #HolidayWishes2014.

About Halo, Purely for Pets

For over 25 years, Halo, Purely for Pets® has created holistic pet products of uncompromising quality. Halo believes nutrition is the single most important factor in the quality of a pet's life. When you choose Halo, we feed it forward, donating over 1.5 million meals to shelter pets annually, in partnership with Freekibble.com. Ellen DeGeneres – a long time Halo customer – became part-owner in 2008. In 2010, Halo donated 1 million meals to shelter pets for the U.S. Postal Service Adopt a Shelter Pet Stamp Program. Halo now sponsors the acclaimed PBS series “Shelter Me,” the Olate Dogs Rescue Tour 2014-15, LoveAnimals.org, and many more animal rescue efforts. Halo's natural dog food, natural cat food, treats, supplements and grooming products are available at Petco, Unleashed by Petco, and other fine pet specialty and natural food stores. Learn more www.halopets.com.

About Petco & the Petco Foundation

Petco is a leading pet specialty retailer that focuses on nurturing the powerful relationship between people and pets. We do this by providing the products, services, advice and experiences that keep pets physically fit, mentally alert, socially engaged and emotionally happy. Everything we do is guided by our vision for Healthier Pets. Happier People. Better World. We operate more than 1,300 Petco locations across the U.S., Mexico and Puerto Rico, including more than 100 Unleashed by Petco locations, a smaller format neighborhood shop; nine Pooch Hotel destinations for pet daycare, boarding and spa services; and petco.com. The Petco Foundation, an independent nonprofit organization, has raised more than $125 million since it was created in 1999 to help promote and improve the welfare of companion animals. In conjunction with the Foundation, we work with and support thousands of local animal welfare groups across the country and, through in-store adoption events, help find homes for more than 350,000 animals every year.

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