Before the San Diego wildfires forced me to evacuate my home, I had the opportunity to visit evacuees at the Del Mar Fairgrounds. As a new PETCO employee, I intended to watch the PETCO disaster relief donations, but was witness to something far more significant.
I visited with displaced families uncertain of the disposition of their homes, expecting despondent and hopeless people. Instead, I found evacuees who were thankful to have escaped injury for both their families and their pets.
When I shared that I was an employee of PETCO, and that we were helping to provide food and supplies for their pets, I was overwhelmed with gratitude from the evacuees. Many people who evacuated quickly did not bring food for their animals, and many others were more concerned about their dogs and cats than they were for themselves.
I was thanked repeatedly, even though I personally didn’t have anything with me except my PETCO employee badge. I was hugged by people I didn’t even know. Being a former military officer and a veteran of the Desert conflicts, there were many occasions when I felt pride for what did for a living.
Being a PETCO employee that day at the fairgrounds was as proud a moment as I’ve had in many years.
Jason M