Pet expands 'Promise' to homeless families

PetSmart’s nationally acclaimed initiative to help house the pets of homeless families is expanding.

PetSmart Promise, which helps temporarily homeless families keep all members of their family together -– including their four-legged family members -– is expanding into 16 PetSmart PetsHotel locations nationwide. PetSmart Promise is the result of a collaboration between PetSmart and Family Promise.

“PetSmart Promise ensures that families don’t have to give up their beloved pets just because they find themselves temporarily homeless,” said David Lenhardt, president and CEO of PetSmart. “The expansion of PetSmart Promise into 16 additional cities means that even more families can take advantage of the program. By working together with our partners at Banfield Pet Hospital and Family Promise, we’re able to keep more families together and provide a sense of stability to these families facing a difficult situation.”

The PetSmart PetsHotel locations will work directly with local Family Promise affiliates to facilitate intake of the dog or cat into their facility. As part of this partnership, Banfield Pet Hospital provides free veterinary consultations and services to ensure participating pets receive the preventive care they need. Banfield veterinarians will administer a wellness check-up, key vaccines, heartworm preventive and parasite control including dewormer during their stay at the hotel. In addition to safe overnight accommodations, the in-store PetSmart PetsHotel team provides access to Doggie Day Camp.

“At Banfield, we understand the special bond between people and pets. Because of this, we are eager to help these families keep their pets -– and keep them healthy,” said Dan Aja, DVM, senior vice president and chief medical officer for Banfield Pet Hospital. “We have a commitment to make a better world for pets, and that includes working with our friends at PetSmart to donate preventive care to each Family Promise pet during their stay at the PetsHotel.”

PetSmart first established PetSmart Promise as an on-site kennel facility pilot program with Family Promise of Greater Phoenix in 2012.

“The rollout of the PetSmart Promise program into 16 new PetsHotel locations means that more families will be able to keep their pets during their time of homelessness,” said Karen Olson, president of Family Promise. “PetSmart PetsHotel locations have already been able to provide over 850 shelter nights to Family Promise pets -– an invaluable service to the families going through our program.”

PetSmart Promise now works with PetSmart PetsHotel locations in the following cities:

California: Folsom, Northridge, Tustin

Colorado: Colorado Springs, Littleton

Florida: Delray Beach, Tampa (North Tampa)

Georgia: Atlanta (Duluth), Suwanee

Massachusetts: Boston (Framingham)

Missouri: Kansas City

North Carolina: Cary, Charlotte

New Jersey: Marlton, Brick

New Mexico: Albuquerque

Oregon: Hillsboro Pennsylvania: Springfield

South Carolina: Greenville

Texas: Pasadena, Dallas, Houston (East Plains)