news releases

PETCO Animal Supplies, Inc. reached another milestone this week with the opening of the Kendall, FL store, located at 12014 S.W. 88th Street. This location, which is the 650th PETCO store nationally and the 15th in Florida, will celebrate its grand opening with a three-day celebration Friday, October 24 through Sunday, October 26.

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

And since PETCO's mission is to find loving families for homeless animals, three local animal welfare groups will be on hand to mark this significant event. Friends Forever Rescue, Cat Network and Lab Rescue will all participate in the celebration, and hope to find homes for many wonderful animals. In addition, PETCO offers Adoption Gift Booklets to new pet parents, to help them save money on the food and supplies they will need to welcome their new family member home.

Pets who already have families will also be encouraged to attend the festivities, and, with the help of their humans, participate in Biggest/Smallest Dog Contests or a Best Pet Photo Contest, join in the Pet Games, or simply take part in the Yappy Hour with treats for those with two legs or four. There will also be opportunities to learn about PETCO services such as obedience training, grooming and pet photography (free to the first 30 customers each day), as well as meet the store's partner veterinarian. And the kids won't be left out of the fun, as the grand opening will also feature a clown, free refreshments and a coloring contest.

"There are clearly a lot of pet lovers in the Miami-Dade area," says Store General Manager Rick Fustin. "And they are really going to love this new store. We hope they'll all come out this weekend and take a look for themselves, and see all the great products and services we have to offer."

The 12,500 square foot store features a small animal and reptile area, fresh and saltwater fish aquariums, a bird area and a grooming salon. In addition, each PETCO store partners with a local veterinarian to provide care for the animals in individual stores, as well as to offer low-cost vaccination services to PETCO customers.

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 Kendall PETCO, 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 650 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 $13 million since inception in 1999. More than 1,600 non-profit grassroots animal welfare organizations from around the nation have received support from the Foundation.

SOURCE: PETCO Animal Supplies, Inc.