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Saturday, March 1, was a good day for animals in San Diego County thanks to PETCO Animal Supplies, Inc. , the PETCO Foundation and the Iams Company, whose sponsorship of the San Diego Humane Society telethon helped raise more than $230,000 for the local animal welfare group.

PETCO customers in area stores helped contribute to the total by donating $20,096.21 in a three-week "Round-Up" campaign, during which they were asked to round up purchasing to the next dollar with 100% of those funds raised going to the San Diego Humane Society and SPCA. Also, local stores contributed an additional $5,000, and PETCO and the PETCO Foundation each donated another $5,000 each to the Humane Society's effort. Iams also contributed $5,000. The five-hour telethon raised a total of $230,860 for the Society. Donations can still be made by calling 619-299-7012 ext. 250, or stopping by the San Diego Humane Society's offices at 887 Sherman Street in San Diego.

"The support of the public and organizations like PETCO, the PETCO Foundation and Iams is integral to the success of our efforts on behalf of animals," Dr. Mark Goldstein, D.V.M., Director of the San Diego Humane Society, said. "We also want to thank the many people in the community who called in pledges or stopped by the shelter to adopt an orphaned animal."

Along with money, the telethon also helped raise awareness of the plight of homeless animals, leading to 23 adoptions on Saturday. According to the San Diego Humane Society and SPCA, that is twice the number of adoptions that take place at their Sherman Street facility on a typical Saturday.

"It is so wonderful to see the community respond to the needs of the animals," PETCO Foundation Director Paul Jolly, a San Diego native, said. "The San Diego Humane Society is an excellent organization, and these funds will no doubt help the betterment of these wonderful companions' lives."

Serving San Diego County for over 120 years, the San Diego Humane Society and SPCA provides vital services to animals and people alike through sheltering and adopting animals, providing positive reinforcement behavior training for adoptable animals and for owned animals through public training classes, investigating animal cruelty and neglect, providing adult and youth education programs, sharing animals through pet-assisted therapy and rescuing animals in emergency situations.

PETCO is a leading specialty retailer of premium pet food and supplies, with a commitment to quality animal care and education. PETCO's strategy is to offer its customers a complete assortment of pet-related products and services at competitive prices, with superior levels of customer service at convenient locations, by hiring pet lovers and training them to become counselors to our pet-loving customers. PETCO generated net sales of $1.3 billion in the fiscal year ended February 2, 2002. It operates more than 605 neighborhood stores in 43 states and the District of Columbia, as well as a leading destination for on-line pet food and supplies at www.petco.com . The PETCO Foundation, PETCO's non-profit organization, has raised more than $11 million since inception in 1999. More than 1,400 non-profit grassroots animal welfare organizations from around the nation have received support from the Foundation.

SOURCE: PETCO Animal Supplies, Inc.