PetSmart Charities Hosts Event to Help Children’s Hospital

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Rady Children’s Hospital-San Diego‘s Paws for Hope Pet Therapy Program strives to make a child’s hospital stay less stressful. And to help raise awareness of the hospital and its pet therapy program and to support the hospital’s “Week of Giving for Rady Children’s,” PetSmart Charities hosted the “Animals Give to Rady” adoption event at a PetSmart store near the California hospital this past weekend.

The San Diego PetSmart location had adoptable pets on-site, and therapy dogs from the hospital made an appearance for meet-and-greets to give prospective pet parents a first-hand experience of how impactful pets can be.

“This event is designed to generate awareness of the enriching benefits of pets, help connect prospective pet parents and families with adorable adoptable pets, as well as raise funds to continue to expand the Paws for Hope Pet Therapy Program at the Rady Children’s Hospital,” according to PetSmart Charities.

PetSmart Charities said it set up a miniature photo booth at the event to capture some images of the adoptable pets and therapy dogs. The above photo was taken in that booth and is of Cate, a 7-year-old patient at Rady Children’s Hospital who has Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, and Thorwald (“Thor”), a therapy dog from the hospital’s program. According to PetSmart Charities, Cate is “currently fighting her way through a two and half year treatment regimen of various types of chemotherapy and steroids. She loves dogs and benefits from the Paws for Hope Pet Therapy Program at the hospital.”

To date, PetSmart Charities has committed $250,000 to help fund the program.