Petco's "Summer Play List" Helps Pet Parents Co-Create Adventures and Lasting Memories

SAN DIEGO, May 12, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- According to a recent Petco survey of 2,000 pet parents, 52 percent plan to take a summer vacation and half of those will take their pet with them. With so many adventures to choose from, Petco has curated a "Summer Play List" to help families enjoy new experiences and create lasting memories with their pets all summer long. Petco invites pet parents to join them in-store and online for twelve weeks of inspiration, safety and care advice, contests, and overall guidance on how to explore the world with pets.

Each week will feature a new activity, and the campaign begins today with "Exploring Nature." To kick off the series, Andrew Skurka, named "Adventurer of the Year" by both Outside and National Geographic Adventure and author of "The Ultimate Hiker's Gear Guide: Tools & Techniques to Hit the Trail," will share hiking and camping tips to get families with dogs on the right path.

The "Summer Play List" series is designed for pets of all shapes, sizes and ages whether they are furred, feathered or finned. Weekly highlights include:

Week 1: May 12 - 18, 2014 - Exploring Nature: Enjoying Mother Nature with pets and seeing the world through their eyes
Week 2: May 19 - 25, 2014 - Playing Around: Make playtime twice as exciting with new pet-friendly activities
Week 3: May 26 - June 1, 2014 - Seeing New Things: Broaden horizons with a change of scenery for  pets, both inside and out
Week 4: June 2 - 8, 2014 - Making a Splash: Whether it's at the beach or around the house, cool off with a water adventure
Week 5: June 9 - 15, 2014  - Getting in Shape: Burn calories during playtime with a four-legged workout buddy
Week 6: June 16 - 22, 2014 - Pampering Ourselves: Creating "me and you" time
Week 7: June 23 - 29, 2014 - Celebrating America: Celebrating the freedom to enjoy summer with a  pet by your side
Week 8: June 30 - July 6, 2014 - Enjoying a Stay-cation: Planning a stay-at-home getaway with pets including rest and relaxation
Week 9: July 7 - 13, 2014 - Getting Crafty: Get hands on by creating something personalized for everyone to enjoy
Week 10: July 14 - 20, 2014 - Being a Social Butterfly: Pet-friendly group activities
Week 11: July 21 - 27, 2014 - Doing Good: Volunteering to help other animals in need
Week 12: July 27 - August 3, 2014 - Treat Them More: Extra ideas for together time

Pet parents can visit petco.com/summer each week for tips on the above activities, as well as advice on what products will help keep pets safe and having fun during each adventure. In addition, families will have an opportunity to win prizes by entering photos of their pet participating in the weekly activity into the #PetcoPlayList Summer Photo Contest on Instagram. To enter, users simply tag their photos with #PetcoPlayList.  Weekly prizes will be awarded every Friday from May 23^rd-June 20^th with a grand prize winner being announced Friday, June 20^th. 

For more information, please visit www.petco.com/summer.

To view Petco's Summer Play List commercial, please visit: http://youtu.be/DOsYzC1MIMc.

About Petco and the Petco Foundation
Petco is a leading pet specialty retailer that focuses on nurturing powerful relationships 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 400,000 animals every year.

Contact: Mia West, 619-501-2756, [email protected]

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SOURCE Petco