Petco Love and Skechers Mobilize Public to Foster Shelter Animals as Solution to Help Eliminate Preventable Euthanasia

SAN ANTONIO, June 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- National nonprofit Petco Love and Skechers' charity footwear collection, BOBS from Skechers, advocate for the lifesaving power of fostering to inspire animal lovers nationwide to foster this National Foster a Pet Month in June.

For shelter pets and the people who love them, 2020 was a banner year — fewer animals entered shelters, while pet fostering and adoption demand soared, resulting in record low euthanasia rates.

"Shelter pets were there for us through 2020; fostering is a way for us to be there for them now," said Susanne Kogut, president of Petco Love. "As life goes back to normal, let's not forget our nation's shelter pets."

Contrary to recent claims, national shelter data* does not support the assertion that "pandemic pets" are now being surrendered to shelters as people return to work. However, as shelters reopen to the public and ease restrictions, the number of pets entering shelters is beginning to normalize to pre-pandemic levels and will likely continue to rise due to expected summer increases of kittens.

Fostering is vital, not only during a pandemic, but all the time.

To help create a new normal where we continue to save pet lives together, Petco Love and Skechers are mobilizing animal lovers to foster a pet. If just 2% of the 85-million pet-owning households fostered one pet a year, we could eliminate preventable euthanasia in America's shelters, saving the lives of 800,000 shelter animals at risk of euthanasia.

"Temporary fostering not only provides a home environment which is beneficial to the overall physical and emotional health of a pet but provides time for these pets to get adopted instead of being euthanized for lack of space," said Kogut.

Throughout June, Petco Love will share foster resources and stories to show how fostering is easy, highly rewarding and significantly helps the U.S. become a lifesaving nation for animals. Petco Love and BOBS from Skechers will also recognize hardworking fosters from animal welfare organizations across the country to create awareness and encourage more people to foster in their community.

"As a philanthropic brand, we love welcoming new and experienced pet parents to fostering. It's an important part of our commitment to saving shelter animals, and it's as life-changing for those who foster as the pets they care for," said Michael Greenberg, president of Skechers, which has donated over $6.6 million to help save and support more than 1.2 million shelter pets. "Through our partnership with Petco Love, we're excited to take part in National Foster a Pet Month and build on this event's positive momentum to help save more lives year-round."

Establishing National Foster a Pet Month as a way to increase participation in fostering is just one of the lifesaving actions led by the newly named Petco Love in their 22-year history of helping pets. The nonprofit also recently launched a new national database, Petco Love Lost, that uses pet facial recognition technology to help reunite missing pets with their families. It has even helped foster families.

To learn more about Petco Love and to view foster resources, visit petcolove.org/foster and join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram using #PetcoLoveFoster. For more on BOBS from Skechers, visit BOBSfromSkechers.com.

About Petco Love (Formerly Petco Foundation)
Petco Love is a nonprofit changing lives by making 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 $300 million in adoption and other lifesaving efforts. We've helped find loving homes for more than 6.5 million pets in partnership with Petco and organizations nationwide. Today, 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. Is love calling you? Visit petcolove.org or follow at Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn to be part of the lifesaving work we're leading every day.

About SKECHERS USA, Inc.
Skechers (NYSE:SKX), the comfort technology 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. The Company's collections are available in the United States and over 170 countries and territories via department and specialty stores, and direct to consumers through 3,989 Company and third-party-owned retail stores and e-commerce websites. The Company manages its international business through a network of global distributors, joint venture partners in Asia, Israel and Mexico, and wholly-owned subsidiaries in Canada, Japan, India, Europe and Latin America. For more information, please visit about.skechers.com and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok.

About BOBS from Skechers
BOBS from Skechers' charitable collection of shoes, apparel and accessories have improved animals' lives: over the past five years, Skechers has contributed more than $6.6 million to help more than 1.2 million shelter pets, including saving more than 894,000 rescued pets in the United States and Canada. 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, Instagram and Twitter.

*Data supplied by Shelter Animals Count, an independent nonprofit that is home to a national database of sheltered animal statistics. Shelter Animals Count specifically disclaims all responsibility for any analysis, interpretations, conclusions and opinions contained in the information presented. (Projected line estimated by Petco Love based on data and discussions with shelter leadership throughout the country).

Media Contact:
Jennifer Perez, Petco Love
[email protected] 

SOURCE Petco Love