PetSmart® Launches New Doggie Day Camp Format, The Ultimate Experience

New Structured Play Program Provides Pups with More Cognitive and Physical Enrichment

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Oct 14, 2019, 08:00 ET

PHOENIX, Oct. 14, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- PetSmart, the leading pet specialty retailer, is taking doggie day camp to a whole new level. Starting this week, PetSmart is elevating its current Doggie Day Camp programming with a brand-new format, including an updated and enriching curriculum. With the help of The Dog Gurus®, published authors and experts on off-leash dog play, PetSmart transformed its current off-leash all day playgroups into a structured play program format called The Ultimate Experience.

"Over time, pet and pet parent needs have changed, and with that the need for a day camp offering that ensures pets are engaged throughout the day with a variety of activities that are fun for them but also excellent for their development," said Debbie Beisswanger, vice president of services at PetSmart. "That's why we've updated our popular Doggie Day Camp program to create The Ultimate Experience for the pets in our care."

PetSmart's Doggie Day Camp offers dogs a fun and safe place to exercise and play while their pet parents are away during the day. The program currently offers off-leash all day play to allow for exercise and socialization among dogs. Through this program update, PetSmart is implementing activities and healthy interactions that are more structured and offer cognitive, physical and sensory enrichment that enhance pets' overall well-being.

"When deciding what kind of activities to incorporate into the Ultimate Doggie Day Camp Experience, we pursued activities in partnership with The Dog Gurus® that were not only fun and engaging but would also provide social and mental stimulation, as well as maximize the benefits of off-leash play and provide our associates with a fun and engaging curriculum to deliver," said Beisswanger.

The Ultimate Experience will provide pets with a structured day of hourly enrichment meant to stimulate pets and provide the opportunity for store associates to build stronger, more positive relationships with canine campers through activities such as a variety of mentally stimulating games, story time, "yappy hour," fun tricks, rest and relaxation and bubble time.

"Dogs typically need between 30 minutes to two hours of any physical activity each day, whether it's walking, running or chasing a toy," said Jordan Cassidy, DVM, PetSmart resident veterinarian. "Exercise doesn't need to happen all at once so pet parents are encouraged to split activities up throughout the day to avoid tiring out pets. Doggie Day Camp does just that by incorporating up to two hours of physical activity broken up into morning and afternoon sessions."

PetSmart has 218 Doggie Day Camp locations across the country that are open seven days a week in select locations and offer convenient hours so campers can enjoy an activity-filled day with safety-certified, pet-loving staff.

"The goal of Doggie Day Camp is not to deliver an exhausted pup at the end of the day due to hours of play, but rather a socialized, exercised and healthy dog enriched from a day filled with structured sessions that include mentally stimulating games, bonding activities, dog play and moments of rest and relaxation," Beisswanger said. "We're really excited about this new format and can't wait for pet parents to check it out."

Pet Parents Invited to Learn More about Doggie Day Camp, The Ultimate Experience
On Saturday, Oct. 19, PetSmart is hosting in-store sneak peeks in all of its PetsHotel locations from 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Customers are invited to watch live demos of The Ultimate Experience. The event will highlight the new program features, provide customers with a 50% off a Day of Play coupon for their next visit, educational flyers and free dog-friendly ice cream for pets while supplies last.

For more information about Doggie Day Camp, The Ultimate Experience or to reserve a day of play, visit https://services.petsmart.com/doggie-day-camp or download the PetSmart Mobile App.

About PetSmart^®PetSmart, Inc. is the largest specialty pet retailer of services and solutions for the lifetime needs of pets. At PetSmart, we love pets, and we believe pets make us better people. Every day with every connection, PetSmart's passionate associates help bring pet parents closer to their pets so they, together, can live more fulfilled lives. This vision impacts everything we do for our customers, the way we support our associates and how we give back to our communities. PetSmart employs approximately 55,000 associates and operates more than 1,600 pet stores in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico, as well as more than 200 in-store PetSmart Pets Hotel® dog and cat boarding facilities. The retailer provides a broad range of competitively priced pet food and products, as well as services such as dog training, pet grooming, pet boarding, PetSmart Doggie Day Camp™ and pet adoption. PetSmart, PetSmart Charities® and PetSmart Charities® of Canada work with more than 3,500 animal welfare organizations to bring adoptable pets into stores so they have the best chance possible of finding a forever home. Through this in-store adoption program and other signature events, PetSmart has facilitated more than 8 million adoptions, more than any other brick-and-mortar organization. In May 2017, PetSmart acquired Chewy.com, a leading online retailer of pet food and products in the U.S., which operates as an independent subsidiary.

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SOURCE PetSmart