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As part of PETCO Animal Supplies, Inc.'s ongoing effort to upgrade existing stores, four Minnesota PETCO locations will celebrate the Grand Opening of their remodeled formats Friday, August 8 through Sunday, August 10.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20030603/PETCOLOGO )

Stores in Richfield, Eden Prairie, Highland Park and Duluth now feature the company's cutting edge Millennium Design. This prototype includes a more open, brighter store, where customers are greeted by the animals, and includes the increasingly popular pet bar. The design is based largely on customer input for an optimum shopping experience, and these four are just a part of the 14 total Minnesota stores that will receive this upgrade this year. Already, stores in Stillwater, Coon Rapids, Roseville, Brooklyn Park and West St. Paul have been remodeled to the Millennium design. By the end of the year PETCO stores in Maplewood, Apple Valley, St. Cloud, Maple Grove and Fridley will be converted to this new format. More than 50 PETCO stores nationwide will undergo this change during 2003.

The Grand Opening celebrations will feature a variety of pet-related contests, as well as information on PETCO services such as obedience training, grooming and pet photography. And the kids won't be left out of these celebrations of pets and their people, as each three-day event will feature clown fun and free popcorn. In addition, to demonstrate PETCO's commitment to adoptions, each store will have their animal welfare partners on hand to find loving homes for orphaned companion animals.

As part of the effort to encourage adoptions, PETCO stores offer Adoption Gift Booklets to new pet parents. All the new pet parents have to do is take their adoption papers to any PETCO, and they will receive a free gift booklet with savings of up to $180 on store products and services to help welcome their new family member home.

Minnesotans are invited to visit any or all of these stores to see the new format.

Each store features a small animal and reptile area, fresh and saltwater fish aquariums, a bird area and a grooming salon. Store hours are 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. To find the nearest PETCO location, or for a complete list of Grand Opening activities, visit PETCO's website at www.petco.com.

PETCO is a leading specialty retailer of premium pet food, supplies and services 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 $1.48 billion in the fiscal year ended February 1, 2003. It operates more than 635 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 $12 million since inception in 1999. More than 1,500 non- profit grassroots animal welfare organizations from around the nation have received support from the Foundation.

SOURCE: PETCO Animal Supplies, Inc.