PSA: Petco and Non-Profit Petco Love Reinforce the Importance of Vaccinations as Part of Routine Pet Care

SAN DIEGO, Aug. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Following recent, preventable outbreaks of deadly Parvovirus, and in the midst of Petco Love's Vaccinated and Loved initiative to provide 1 million free vaccines for pet parents in need, Petco Health and Wellness Company, Inc. (Nasdaq: WOOF) is reminding pet parents about the importance of vaccinating their beloved pets, and urging them to visit their veterinarian or make an appointment with their local vaccination clinic to ensure their pets are up to date on all relevant vaccines.

"Proper vaccinations are an essential and critical preventive care element of every pet's overall health and wellness," said Dr. Whitney Miller, DVM, MBA, DACVPM and Chief Veterinarian at Petco. "Most illnesses we recommend vaccinations for have the potential to be very serious, expensive to treat and potentially fatal if not detected early enough. No pet or pet parent should suffer from the potential consequences of an easily preventable illness, so we strongly recommend pet parents stay up to date on appropriate vaccines through their pet's lifetime." 

What pet parents should know, according to Dr. Miller:

1. Pet parents should plan on seeing and establishing a relationship with a veterinarian as soon as a new pet comes home for routine care and necessary vaccines, regardless of the pet's age.
2. Many vaccines require a series of shots or regular boosters over a pet's lifetime to become or remain fully effective, and many are either required by law or necessary to protect your pet and others from serious disease.
3. For a detailed view of common and recommended vaccines and timelines, Petco offers a complete guide for Dog & Puppy Vaccines and Cat and Kitten Vaccines. 

Pet parents can get and stay up to date on all recommended vaccines for dogs and cats at more than 200 Vetco Total Care full-service hospitals conveniently located inside Petco pet care centers, or at Vetco Vaccination Clinics regularly held at more than 1,200 Petco pet care centers and select Lowe's locations. Vetco's licensed veterinarians offer convenient, affordable vaccinations, microchipping, heartworm prevention and pharmacy services with transparent pricing and no exam fees.

"Hearing about pets lost to easily preventable diseases is heartbreaking for any pet lover," said Susanne Kogut, Petco Love President. "The vaccines Petco provides through Vetco Total Care and Vetco Vaccination Clinics save pet lives every day, and the 1 million free vaccines Petco Love committed to providing to family pets through our community-based animal welfare partners in partnership with Merck is already making a huge difference, especially for the nearly 30 percent of pet parents who don't regularly bring their pet to their vet at least once a year. By raising awareness and creating better access to this crucial preventive care, we're aiming to prevent the spread of deadly diseases and the needless loss of beloved pets."

To book a vaccination appointment, visit petco.com/vet. To learn more about Petco Love's #VaccinatedAndLoved initiative, visit care.petcolove.org.

About Petco, The Health + Wellness Co.

Founded in 1965, Petco is a category-defining health and wellness company focused on improving the lives of pets, pet parents and our own Petco partners. We've consistently set new standards in pet care while delivering comprehensive pet wellness products, services and solutions, and creating communities that deepen the pet-pet parent bond. We operate more than 1,500 pet care centers across the U.S., Mexico and Puerto Rico, which offer merchandise, companion animals, grooming, training and a growing network of on-site veterinary hospitals and mobile veterinary clinics. Our complete pet health and wellness ecosystem is accessible through our pet care centers and digitally at petco.com and on the Petco app. In tandem with Petco Love (formerly the Petco Foundation), an independent nonprofit organization, we work with and support thousands of local animal welfare groups across the country and, through in-store adoption events, we've helped find homes for more than 6.5 million animals. 

Media Contact:

Yvonne Tarrab
[email protected]

SOURCE Petco Health and Wellness Company, Inc.