Vaccinated and Loved: Petco Love Distributes 3 Millionth Free Pet Vaccine

National Nonprofit Celebrates with Free Pet Vaccine Clinic in New Orleans

SAN ANTONIO, Nov. 21, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- National nonprofit Petco Love celebrates a significant milestone, distributing its three millionth free pet vaccine through its Vaccinated and Loved initiative. This monumental moment highlights Petco Love's ongoing commitment to combating preventable diseases by offering free pet vaccination clinics to families facing financial hardships.

Since its launch in August 2021, Petco Love's Vaccinated and Loved campaign has offered free vaccines to the national nonprofit's animal welfare partners to host free clinics in their communities across the U.S. The vaccines protect pets against deadly, preventable diseases such as parvovirus and distemper in dogs, and panleukopenia in cats.

Now commemorating its three millionth free vaccine, Petco Love highlights the vital role of these clinics in keeping pets safe and reducing the financial burden on pet parents. The milestone was reached in New Orleans this month during a free vaccine clinic for pets in the community. The clinic was held in partnership with Merck Animal Health, the Petco Love LSU Community Outreach Veterinary Program, and Louisiana SPCA. It featured free DAPPv Canine and HCP Feline vaccines for community dogs and cats. 

A white little fluff ball of a dog, 17-year-old Bentley received Petco Love's three millionth free vaccine.  His mom, 81-year-old Joann, Ms. Jo to her friends, born and raised in New Orleans stated, "I was very surprised and excited," after learning her sweet Bentley was the three millionth free vaccine recipient. "The vaccine clinic helps people a lot, I love it. That's what we are here for – to help one another. Bentley is Vaccinated and Loved very much. Thank you, Petco Love!"

Dr. Krista Miller, Assistant Professor/LSU Petco Love Community Outreach Veterinarian at LSU School of Veterinary Medicine, administered the three millionth free vaccine, with Petco's Chief Veterinarian and Petco Love Board Member Dr. Whitney Miller by her side. "It's incredibly special to be a part of this historic moment for Petco Love and ensure that so many pets across the country are staying healthy through these free vaccine clinics," said Dr. Whitney Miller, DVM, MBA, DACVPM. "No pet parent wants to see their pets suffer, especially from a disease that could have been prevented, and we know vaccines save pets lives."

Petco Love surveys pet parents¹ attending these free clinics to assess their impact. Only 36% of respondents reported that their pet had ever received a similar vaccine and of these, 42% indicated that they relied on vaccine clinics for this essential service. In fact, 38% of respondents at these free vaccine clinics indicated that their pet had never seen a private veterinarian and only 26% take their pet to a veterinarian for an annual check-up.

"Our survey data clearly shows that access to free pet vaccines makes all the difference for some pets and their families. Many families simply need additional support from time to time to keep their pets up to date on vaccinations and protect them from deadly diseases," said Susanne Kogut, Petco Love President. "Through our Vaccinated and Loved initiative, we are saving vulnerable pet lives by providing access to care for all pets regardless of their family's income. Vaccinating these pets potentially saves more than $100 million in veterinary treatment costs, furthering our mission to make pet families closer, stronger, and healthier."

Petco Love's Vaccinated and Love initiative furthers its goal to increase access to veterinary care for pets throughout the U.S. Through its Access to Care grants, Petco Love provides lifesaving investments to organizations to make veterinary care more accessible in communities across the country. "The Louisiana SPCA is so grateful for the support and partnership of Petco Love. These vaccine clinics create healthier and safer communities for both pets and their people," added Ana Zorilla, CEO, Louisiana SPCA.

Pet parents can find participating free vaccine clinics at petcolove.org/care. Vaccines distributed under this initiative are DAPPv Canine and HCP Feline vaccines in partnership with Merck Animal Health. To learn more about Petco Love, visit PetcoLove.org.

Media Contact: Crystal Bugary, Petco Love, [email protected]

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 nearly $400 million in adoption and other lifesaving efforts. We've helped find loving homes for more than 6.9 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. Is love calling you? Join us. Visit PetcoLove.org or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, X, Threads, and LinkedIn to be part of the lifesaving work we lead every day.

About Merck Animal Health 

At Merck, known as MSD outside of the United States and Canada, we are unified around our purpose: We use the power of leading-edge science to save and improve lives around the world. For more than a century, we've been at the forefront of research, bringing forward medicines, vaccines and innovative health solutions for the world's most challenging diseases. Merck Animal Health, a division of Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, N.J., USA, is the global animal health business of Merck. Through its commitment to The Science of Healthier Animals^®, Merck Animal Health offers veterinarians, farmers, producers, pet owners and governments one of the widest ranges of veterinary pharmaceuticals, vaccines and health management solutions and services as well as an extensive suite of connected technology that includes identification, traceability and monitoring products. Merck Animal Health is dedicated to preserving and improving the health, well-being and performance of animals and the people who care for them. It invests extensively in dynamic and comprehensive R&D resources and a modern, global supply chain. Merck Animal Health is present in more than 50 countries, while its products are available in some 150 markets. For more information, visit www.merck-animal-health.com and connect with us on LinkedIn, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram.

¹ Petco Love distributes vaccines for free clinics across 44 states, and surveyed pet parents attending some of these clinics. The respondents answered three primary questions: whether (including the reasons for) their pet had visited a private vet office; whether they had previously received the offered vaccines, and whether a pet in their household had ever been diagnosed with these diseases. Regions were determined in accordance with U.S. census designations.

SOURCE Petco Love