SickKids Foundation and PetSmart Canada Partner to HelpFund Pet Therapy Program

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TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--SickKids Groundwork is actually teaming up with PetSmart to aidfund your dog therapy program with Your Hospital regarding Sick children (SickKids) that will offera big quantity of patients with use of canine comfort teams. Because the really first sponsorshipregarding its kind throughout Canada, PetSmart Paws regarding Hope from SickKids kicked offyesterday with a commitment associated with $500,000 more than the subsequent 5 years. Inaddition towards the pet therapy program, funds will keep the Possibilities Fund that helpsassistance one of the most urgent requirements in the hospital as they arise.

"Pets comfort and ease us when we wantthese your most. through PetSmart Pawswith regard to Hope from SickKids, wepossess the opportunity to help a lotmore patients experience the supportivepower associated with pets," said JohnDeFranco, president, PetSmart Canada."We are generally proud in order topartner using SickKids to aid fund theirparticular pet therapy plan and appearforward in order to watching this uniquelife-changing plan grow."

Each year, more than 100,000 households across Canada rely around the lifesaving treatmentprovided at SickKids. The Particular PetSmart Paws with regard to Hope plan will create extra pettherapy teams inside the hospital and allow for further daily visits from a therapy animal with regardto each patient. Therapeutic dogs play a large portion in aiding patients by motivating these phonesperform their particular physiotherapy and comforting all of them by decreasing strain along withanxieties. This specific funding has additionally assisted for you to attain what is believed to becomea new North American first - a dog studying program at present within development. This kind of isan innovative approach being utilized from SickKids exactly where patients study for you to therapydogs although in hospital.

"We appreciate the actual immense assistance thatPetSmart is providing for you to our Pet Therapyprogram," said Susan O'Dowd, vice president, HumanResources, SickKids. "We've seen first-hand the actualspecial capacity associated with pets to provide comfort aswell as assistance along with thanks to always be able tothis sponsorship, this supportive power will possess asignificant impact around the many patients as well aspeople only at SickKids."

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Along with supporting your pet therapy plan within the actual hospital, PetSmart has additionallybrought the strength of pets to the SickKids signature family members fundraising event, the actualCanaccord Genuity Excellent Camp Adventure Walk, which in turn took place about September 27,2014. This marked the initial moment actually which four-legged family members had been welcometo turn out in order to be outlined on the particular festivities.

About PetSmart Canada®

In Canada, PetSmart, Inc. (NASDAQ: PETM) is the largest specialty pet retailer regarding solutionsas well as solutions for the lifetime wants of pets, that employs approximately 3,400 associates aswell as operates over 100 pet stores across Canada, 7 in-store PetSmart® PetsHotel® dog andalso cat boarding facilities and also is actually a leading provider of pet supplies and pet treatmentdetails (www.petsmart.ca). PetSmart provides an extensive range of competitively priced pet foodand pet products; along with offers dog training, pet grooming, pet boarding, PetSmart Doggie DayCampSM day treatment solutions as well as pet adoption services. through its in-store pet adoptionpartnership together with PetSmart Charities® regarding Canada, PetSmart offers assisted savethe actual lives of a lot a lot more than 150,000 pets since 1999.

Follow PetSmart upon Twitter @PetSmart

Find PetSmart in Facebook http://www.facebook.com/PetSmartCanada

See PetSmart on YouTube: www.YouTube.com/PetSmart

About SickKids Foundation

Established throughout 1972, SickKids Groundwork raises funds upon behalf associated with YourHospital with regard to Sick Kids (SickKids) as well as may end up being the largest charitablefunder regarding kid health research, mastering along with care within Canada. Philanthropy canbecome a critical source of funding regarding SickKids - certainly 1 of the world's foremostpaediatric health-care institutions. Thanks for the generosity with the community, so when anyresult of a record-breaking yr throughout fundraising and also investment returns, SickKidsGroundwork invested an unprecedented $129.3 million within scholarships as well as charitableactivities for the fiscal 12 months ending March 31, 2014. Pertaining To more information, pleasevisit www.sickkidsfoundation.com.