PETsMAT puts animals up for adoption
“PETsMART will not sell dogs and cats,” a sign reads on the front door the store.
There are too many, and most of these animals end up being put to sleep, said Steve Nalder, Logan City PETsMART store director Instead, PETsMART donates space in each store for PETsMART Charities’ Adoption Centers, he said.
“It’s not all about the money, its about giving dogs and animals good homes,” he said.
In the Layton store, he said he has seen other animals besides dogs and cats up for adoption.
“I have seen rabbits, hamsters, ferrets and even iguanas,” he said.
More than 7 million dogs and cats are put to sleep each year, and only 15 percent of the animals adopted are from shelters. PETsMART works with more than 2,000 animal organizations to help these animals find homes, he said.
“PETsMART and its charities have donated more than $18 million to animal welfare organizations across North America,” he said. “This past June, PETsMART and partners celebrated the adoption of the one-millionth pet. No other organization has even come close to this feat,” he said.
One reason pets are abandoned to shelters is because they are not trained, he said. Obedience instructors at PETsMART teach owners how to train animals one hour per week for eight weeks, he said.
There are other programs to help shelters such as Santa Paws, he said. For $10 a pet can have its picture taken with Santa. This includes a frame for the picture. Shelters will receive half of the $10, he said.
Bill Reading, merchandise manager at PETsMART, said, “We have some good people come in with the adoption program. They don’t make much money and they donate all their time to the animals. They work full-time jobs and take care of the animals too.”