PetSmart Meets 60 Million Meal Milestone for its Buy a Bag, Give a Meal Pet Food Donation Program

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PetSmart announced it has met its goal of generating 60 million meals—6,384 tons—of pet food to help feed hungry pets in need across the U.S. and Canada through its historic Buy a Bag, Give a Meal program, where for every bag of dog or cat food purchased online or in its 1,600 stores through December 31, 2017, the retailer will donate a meal to a pet in need.

As a point of reference, using a standard six-inch pet food bowl, 60 million meals lined up beside each other would span from New York City to Los Angeles and back again—covering more than 5,500 miles. The more than 6,000 tons of pet food is heavier than 800 elephants, or could fill nearly two and one-half Olympic-sized pools.

PetSmart launched the Buy a Bag, Give a Meal pet food donation program in celebration of its 30th anniversary, and with more than 60 million meals generated under the initiative, it is the biggest philanthropic effort ever in its 30-year history.

“We are thrilled to achieve our program goal of 60 million meals for our Buy a Bag, Give a Meal program with several weeks still left in this historic campaign,” said Joshua Kanter, PetSmart’s executive vice president of marketing and customer experience. “This program is generating impactful results, having already delivered more than 3,600 tons of pet food across hundreds of cities in the U.S. and Canada to help pets in need at shelters, as well as to pets who are with families in need served by food banks, pantries and meal programs.”

PetSmart will continue the donation of a pet food meal for every bag of dog or cat food purchased through December 31, 2017. To get the 60-plus million meals of donated pet food to those that need it most, the retailer is working with nonprofit partner PetSmart Charities, which is teaming up with GreaterGood.org’s Rescue Bank program and Feeding America, two renowned national nonprofit organizations to help feed hungry pets in need across the U.S., as well as animal welfare agencies in Canada. A unique aspect of the program is providing pet food to human food banks, pantries and meal programs, where pet food is a rare offering. Now families in need can secure food for every member of the family, including their dogs and cats.

To date, PetSmart and its partners have delivered more than 35 million meals—3,684 tons of pet food—via 188 semi-trucks to pets in need across the U.S. and Canada including a recent special delivery with Santa to the San Diego Humane Society and its PAWS program, which operates a pet food pantry to help pet families in need in the local area.