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written by Brooke Simon on October 26th, 2009 | 
When Jennifer Johnston, the general manager at the PETCO store in Kingman, Ariz., got involved with Mohave Companion Animal Rescue Efforts (CARE) Network, she didn’t expect the partnership would make her a regular at the local prison.
 A recent graduating class Through Mohave-CARE, Jennifer and store Dog Trainer Roy Hayes work with the Arizona Department of Correction State Prison in a dog training program that helps to rehabilitate inmates and save lives of dogs at risk of euthanasia.
The Friends from the Pen program picks 20 inmates who live with and Continue reading »
written by Devon Thompson on October 15th, 2009 |
 Jack hanging out at home Our dog Jack came to us by way of a local San Diego German Shepherd rescue group. Jack was found wandering the streets of Chula Vista, underweight and with most of his hair missing down his back and tail. His hind legs were covered in oozing sores and he kept his head hung low. My handsome buddy was such a mess when we first laid eyes on him, but there was something about his story and demeanor that stole our hearts. After much consideration regarding his obvious medical needs, my fiancé (now husband) and I decided to adopt Jack, our soon-to-be Bubble Dog.
I call Jack a Bubble Dog because he is, quite literally, allergic to the world! Jack has a Veterinary Dermatologist Continue reading »
written by Brooke Simon on October 14th, 2009 |
Someone recently emailed me this article from the New York Times about the health benefits of pets on humans. The article shares the story of Milo, an autistic child who, prior to getting a golden retriever, would have tantrums and try to run away constantly. Within a week his mother noticed major changes; a calmer, more focused Milo who has finally
 A human-animal bond goes beyond a belly rub been able to bond with someone.
This story is just one of many. The human-animal bond is a powerful thing, far beyond what we tend to give it credit for. Therapy dogs and service dogs can connect with their owners in Continue reading »
written by Brandon Mendoza on October 12th, 2009 |
“Honu” is the Hawaiian word for Hawaiian Green Sea Turtles, Chelonia mydas. On my recent trip to Oahu I was fortunate enough to see Brutus, the 35-40 year old male Turtle basking at Laniakea Beach. I was also lucky enough to… [...]
written by Daniel Sundin on October 8th, 2009 |
 We have a great associate recognition program here at PETCO called Caught! in the Act. It allows PETCO associates to “catch” each other doing extraordinary things at work by filling out a small card describing the positive behavior and giving it to that associate.
At the end of the month one associate in each store, and several at the National Support Center (corporate office), are randomly selected to be recognized for Continue reading »
written by Matthew Hickerson on October 5th, 2009 |
In every life there’s a beginning and an end. There’s no way to avoid this, it’s just the way it is. Still, knowing that some day we all move on doesn’t make it any easier for those of us left behind. Death is a difficult thing to explain to anyone, but I would think it’s most challenging to discuss with a child.
I recently got a call from my brother, and his daughter’s Leopard Gecko “Flick” had just died. In his care. While “babysitting” he accidentally didn’t close the terrarium lid all the way, and the gecko Continue reading »
written by Brooke Simon on September 30th, 2009 |
Someone at the PETCO office recently shared this story and I thought it was too sweet not to pass on…
“This is a picture of my two dogs, Duke and his son, Jessie. Jessie was just weeks old when he was stung on the lip by a bee. After [...]
written by Brooke Simon on September 23rd, 2009 |
 Bernice making an i.d. tag for her new puppy Bernice is a shy, scared, young girl, suffering from a terminal disease. But for a day, PETCO got to make it all better.
Bernice is a “wish child” with the Make-A-Wish Foundation. As a kid with a lot of hard days behind her and yet to come, it was nice for her to enjoy an afternoon of just being a kid, shopping for her new golden retriever puppy, Scooby. The puppy, which she was picking up in exactly one week, was her “wish” from the foundation, but the trip to PETCO was Continue reading »
written by Devon Thompson on September 9th, 2009 |
Jack is cool. Jack is a big, handsome, well-behaved German Shepherd with a knack for attracting a lot of attention. There are people here at the office who never spoke to me in the 1 ½ years I worked here before adopting Jack. And there are people here who I know would never speak to me if I didn’t bring Jack with me to work on a daily basis. There are a good number of people who only know me as Jack’s Mom. And there are the folks that say hi to Jack as they walk past him in the hallway, and they don’t acknowledge me.
 Jack is a natural Jack is a natural when it comes to social politics. He knows how Continue reading »
written by Daniel Sundin on September 3rd, 2009 |
I received the great email below from a PETCO associate about her favorite animal books. I still vividly remember my 5th grade teacher reading Where the Red Fern Grows out loud to the class over the period of a few weeks. She was crying so badly in the end that she had to pass the book off to a student. That student made it through one page before she had to hand it off. We went through four readers before we made it to the end. What a great book. What are your favorite animal books?
Letter from Kim, a PETCO Associate
I’ve been happily employed at PETCO since December 2008. I’ve learned so much about caring for animals and I’m so proud to represent PETCO because I believe this company is genuinely committed to the health and welfare of pets. Since one of my hobbies is reading, I’ve looked for books with animals as the theme in the hope that as I pursue my hobby, I can also educate myself. That said, I’d like to share with other pet enthusiasts these books that I’ve read and loved so maybe others can share in the knowledge and empathy I’ve gained: Continue reading »
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