SAN ANTONIO, May 12, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The Petco Foundation today announced that Executive Director Susanne Kogut has received a 2016 Pet Age "Women of Influence" award in recognition of her contributions to the pet industry. Each year Pet Age, a leading pet industry publication, honors 25 outstanding women that have shown a commitment to excellence in their organizations, their communities and the pet industry as a whole.
Following a successful career as a lawyer, Kogut was inspired to leverage her legal and management experience to drive change for animals as the Executive Director of the Charlottesville-Albemarle SPCA. In 2013, she brought her diverse background to the Petco Foundation, one of the largest non-profit organizations funding animal welfare work in the United States, to propel its impactful, lifesaving work forward.
"Since joining the Petco Foundation, Susanne's strong passion and leadership have had an enormous impact on the lives of countless animals and families across the country," said Charlie Piscitello, president, Petco Foundation and chief people officer, Petco. "She is a true steward of the Petco Foundation's mission to help create a better world for animals and the people who love and need them."
As one of the few women currently leading a national animal welfare organization, Kogut also advocates for the achievements of women in animal welfare and the critical role that female leaders will continue to play in solving complex issues in the pet industry.
She has spearheaded the Petco Foundation's efforts to work with key influencers in the pet industry, driving interesting and innovative collaborations to solve critical animal welfare issues. She also serves as an advisor to Petco regarding pet industry issues and their effects on animal welfare, pushing for impactful solutions that assure the best care for animals and are in the best interest of all parties.
"It is such an honor to be recognized by Pet Age with the 'Women of Influence' Award," said Susanne Kogut, executive director, Petco Foundation. "I've always been passionate about animal welfare and am privileged to collaborate with Petco as well as the thousands of animal welfare organizations and local communities that work tirelessly to improve the lives of pets nationwide."
For more information about the Petco Foundation, please visit www.PetcoFoundation.com, Twitter.com/PetcoFoundation and Facebook.com/PetcoFoundation. For more information about the Pet Age "Women of Influence" awards program and to see a complete list of honorees, please visit www.petage.com.
About Petco and the Petco Foundation
With more than 50 years of service to pet parents, Petco is a leading pet specialty retailer that focuses on nurturing powerful relationships between people and pets. We do this by providing the products, services, advice and experiences that keep pets physically fit, mentally alert, socially engaged and emotionally happy. Everything we do is guided by our vision for Healthier Pets. Happier People. Better World. We operate more than 1,430 Petco locations across the U.S., Mexico and Puerto Rico, including more than 115 Unleashed by Petco locations, a smaller format neighborhood shop; prescription services and pet supplies from the leading veterinary-operated pet product supplier, Drs. Foster & Smith; and petco.com. The Petco Foundation, an independent nonprofit organization, has invested more than $150 million since it was created in 1999 to help promote and improve the welfare of companion animals. In conjunction with the Foundation, we work with and support thousands of local animal welfare groups across the country and, through in-store adoption events, help find homes for more than 400,000 animals every year.
Petco Foundation: Reba Collins, (858) 886-6550, reba.collins@petco.com
Edelman: Parinaz Farzin, (323) 202-1892, parinaz.farzin@edelman.com
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SOURCE Petco Foundation
