"Love Is In The Air"

Petco Love, BOBS from Skechers™, and Wings of Rescue Unite in Hurricane Idalia Flight Missions

SAN ANTONIO, Sept. 1, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- National nonprofit Petco Love, BOBS from Skechers™, and Wings of Rescue joined to evacuate 140+ shelter pets out of Florida to support partner animal welfare organizations in the area after Hurricane Idalia hit the state on Wednesday as a Category 3 hurricane.

The first flight headed out of the Tampa area, led by the Humane Society of Tampa Bay and the Pet Resource Center at Hillsborough County Animal Shelter, left early Thursday morning.  Another flight from northern Florida led by Jacksonville Humane Society ("JHS"), includes cats and dogs from JHS and Columbia County shelters, will leave today, Friday. The team at the Brandywine Valley SPCA will be waiting as the plane touches down in Delaware to coordinate the adoption of these pets to families in the surrounding areas. This collaborative effort represents a shared commitment to saving pets lives during times of crisis.

Lori, a puppy from the Humane Society of Tampa Bay, was one of the pets airlifted from the devastated areas hoping to find a new, loving home. The Brandywine Valley SPCA greeted Lori, along with 81 other pets, with open arms and promised her, she and all the others, will be well cared for as they get them ready for adoption at the Brandywine Valley SPCA.

Petco Love's "Love Is in the Air" lifesaving disaster flight mission aims to alleviate the burden on Florida animal welfare organizations as they recuperate from the storm and help more pets who were injured or went missing from home in the hurricane. Every cat and dog on the flight was medically cleared by a licensed veterinarian as able to travel.

"This animal airlift operation is a testament to the remarkable power of collaboration. Working hand in hand, multiple local and national nonprofits came together to facilitate safe and efficient transport of animals to shelters in the north to create capacity at local Florida organizations to serve the community in their time of need," said Susanne Kogut, President of Petco Love.

"When disaster strikes, our mission is to save at-risk dogs and cats by delivering them to safe havens," said Ric Browde, CEO and President of Wings of Rescue. "And thanks to our partnership with Petco Love and BOBS from Skechers™ we are able to Let The Fur Fly and save pets in need."

"Through purchases of our BOBS from Skechers offering, we have donated $10 million—much of which has supported animals in crisis. There's no greater example of this than the devastating threat of natural disasters like Hurricane Idalia, and the rapid response of Wings of Rescue and Petco Love is a testament to our great impact when we all band together for good," said Michael Greenberg, President of Skechers. "As incidents like this increase in severity, we are committed to being there for local shelters across the country and the animals they care for every day."

Petco Love encourages pet parents who lost or found a pet during Hurricane Idalia to use the Petco Love Lost online database to simplify and shorten the lost pet search by using just one photo of a pet. The national lost and found pet database is fast, free, and easy to use, especially in an emergency like a hurricane. Patented image-recognition technology enables the database — populated by more than 2,500 shelter locations — to identify and reunite lost pets.

September 1^st also marks the beginning of National Preparedness Month. Pet parents can ensure they are prepared for a disaster or emergency by planning ahead, including registering their pets on Petco Love Lost while they are safe in their care.

Media Contacts:
Crystal Bugary, Petco Love, [email protected]
Gene Gable, Wings of Rescue, [email protected], (707) 235-0869

About Wings of Rescue 
Wings of Rescue is a donation-supported charity that transports abandoned, homeless and otherwise at-risk pets from overcrowded shelters and disaster areas to the safety of rescue facilities and animal welfare organizations where each pet is given proper care and a new home. Additionally, every year Wings of Rescue planes deliver thousands of pounds of humanitarian and veterinary aid to communities and pets in need, and the group serves as sponsors for spay/neuter programs and other life-saving practices. Since its founding in 2012, Wings of Rescue pilots have safely and efficiently flown over 68,000 pets out of harm's way and on to new lives. The nonprofit group operates hundreds of missions per year carrying thousands of dogs, cats, and other small companion animals to and from locations throughout the United States, Canada and the Caribbean. Advocating that all pets deserve a healthy and loving home, Wings of Rescue believes that responsible pet ownership enriches lives and builds stronger and more compassionate communities. For additional information visit: wingsofrescue.org/.

About Petco Love
Petco Love is a life-changing nonprofit organization that makes communities and pet families closer, stronger, and healthier. Since our founding in 1999 as the Petco Foundation, we've empowered animal welfare organizations by investing $370 million in adoption and other lifesaving efforts. We've helped find loving homes for more than 6.7 million pets in partnership with Petco and organizations nationwide. Our love for pets drives us to lead with innovation, creating tools animal lovers need to reunite lost pets, and lead with passion, inspiring and mobilizing communities and our more than 4,000 animal welfare partners to drive lifesaving change alongside us.  Join us. Visit petcolove.org or follow on Facebook, Instagram, X, and LinkedIn to be part of the lifesaving work we lead every day.

About SKECHERS U.S.A., Inc.
Skechers U.S.A., Inc. (NYSE:SKX), a Fortune 500® Company based in Southern California, designs, develops and markets a diverse range of lifestyle and performance footwear, apparel and accessories for men, women and children. Collections from The Comfort Technology Company™ are available in over 180 countries and territories through department and specialty stores, and direct to consumers through digital stores and over 4,700 Company- and third-party-owned physical retail stores. The Company manages its international business through a network of wholly-owned subsidiaries, joint venture partners, and distributors. For more information, please visit about.skechers.com and follow us on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.

About BOBS from Skechers
BOBS from Skechers' charitable collection of shoes, apparel and accessories have improved animals' lives: over the past eight years, Skechers has contributed more than $10 million to help 1.9 million shelter pets, including saving more than 1.4 million rescued animals in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom and Japan. It all started in 2011, when Skechers launched a movement to support children impacted by natural disasters and poverty – a cause that has helped the Company donate more than 16 million new pairs of shoes to kids in more than 60 countries worldwide. To learn more about BOBS from Skechers' commitment to making a difference, visit BOBSfromSkechers.com and follow the brand on Facebook and Instagram.

SOURCE Petco Love