Media Release - 17th December 2007

Melbourne pet retailer stops selling dogs and cats for Christmas

Pets at Home and Lort Smith Animal Hospital to launch unique animal adoption centre With pet shops stocking up for Christmas, one pet retailer has decided to remove all puppies and kittens from sale to highlight the risks associated with consumer impulse purchasing, which contributes to the abandonment of more than half a million puppies, kittens, dogs and cats each year nationally.

Pets at Home - Australia’s first pet care department store - in partnership with The Lort Smith Animal Hospital - one of Australia’s most respected non-profit organisations - are taking the lead in responsible pet ownership with plans to open Australia’s first Lort Smith Animal Hospital Adoption Centre.

Pets at Home will no longer offer any puppies, dogs, kittens or cats for sale, but will instead solely provide re-homing/adoption facilities in partnership with the Lort Smith Animal Hospital. All animals available for re-homing in a Lort Smith Animal Hospital Adoption Centre will come from the Lort Smith Animal Hospital and will already be vet checked, vaccinated, wormed, microchipped and de-sexed.

“We appreciate this is a controversial first step but one both organisations believe is necessary in order to bring about positive changes in animal welfare,” said David Herman, Managing Director of Pets at Home.

Australia has the highest household pet ownership in the world, with 63 per cent owning a pet. “Pet welfare and responsible pet ownership have become increasingly important issues over the last decade, as has the wellbeing of pets in some pet stores, the practice of puppy farming, the risks associated with impulse purchasing of pets and the display/selling practises of some pet retailers,” said Ric Holland, CEO of Lort Smith Animal Hospital.

Lort Smith treats on average over 100,000 animals each year from central Melbourne, the surrounding suburbs and some rural areas of Victoria. The organisation also re-homes thousands of cats and dogs because their owners can no longer keep them or want them.

“Lort Smith has partnered with Pets at Home to affect positive change in the responsible care of animals. The development of the Lort Smith Animal Hospital Adoption Centres provides Lort Smith with the opportunity to expand its work in re-homing animals, while providing a unique environment where people seeking a pet can responsibly adopt a pet in need,” said Mr Holland.

“Lort Smith Animal Hospital Adoption Centres will be opened in every Pets at Home store, and will be modified to meet the standards set by the hospital, with accredited Pets at Home staff caring for the animals available for re-homing under the strict supervision of Lort Smith.

“Adopting a pet is a lifetime commitment. The first decision must be to make sure that adopting a pet is the right thing for you at the time, and if so, it’s even more important to make sure you chose the right pet for you and your lifestyle.”

Anyone adopting an animal must be over 18 and will be required to fill out an application form, which is reviewed by Pets at Home staff, accredited and approved by the Lort Smith Animal Hospital. Assessment takes in to account the person’s lifestyle, needs and the requirements of the animal to make sure the right pet is chosen.

Arrangements for existing pets to meet with the new animal can also be organised before a final decision on the adoption is made. Once approved, an adoption fee is then payable, which will be remitted to Lort Smith to help cover veterinary costs and care fees for each animal. Pets at Home will not profit from the adoption process.

Those adopting from a Lort Smith Animal Hospital Adoption Centre within Pets at Home, will also be eligible to take advantage of the follow-up support offered to all new adopters by the Lort Smith Animal Hospital. This includes help with getting the pet settled into its new home.

ABOUT THE LORT SMITH ANIMAL HOSPITAL
The Lort Smith Animal Hospital is one of Australia’s most respected not- for-profit organisations. For more than 75 years, the Lort Smith Animal Hospital has delivered quality animal welfare care and has a reputation for being an authority on animal welfare issues by the general pet owning public, governmental departments and within animal welfare circles.
The Lort Smith Animal Hospital is also the Animal Welfare League of Australia. It is the largest animal hospital in the Southern Hemisphere primarily providing veterinary care for lost, abandoned, mistreated, sick and injured animals – largely belonging to people with limited means.
During any given year, Lort Smith Animal Hospital treats on average over 100,000 animals from central Melbourne, the surrounding suburbs and some rural areas of Victoria. The Lort Smith animal shelter re-unites or re-homes thousands of cats and dogs each year.

ABOUT PETS AT HOME
Pets at Home has been in business since 1991 and currently operates more than 200 large format retail pet care stores throughout the United Kingdom. The company is considered one of the most respected retail pet care businesses in the world. Pets at Home has developed a global reputation for its excellent operating standards and humane animal care. Pets at Home opened Australia’s first pet care department store in 2004. Pets at Home stores provide a comprehensive range of products for all major pet species. Most Pets at Home stores also provide a state-of-the- art veterinary clinic, a pet hospital, a pet care pharmacy and/or grooming salon.
Pets at Home is not a traditional pet store - store presentation, customer service and educated advice are key features of the business. Pets at Home also provides a superior level of in-store animal care never before seen in Australia with safety and comfort of the animals being the priority. Additionally, the company has a corporate commitment to actively support local pet welfare and pet charities.

For further media enquiries, please contact:
Wrights ph: 03 9690 9911

For more information, read our Questions page or download the Adoption Centre Brochure below.

.pdf Adoption Centre Brochure

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