PETCO Offers Pet Owners Relief in Tough Economy with Low-Cost Vaccination Clinics « About Petco – Petco"s Company Information Site

SAN DIEGO (Jan. 12, 2009) – As more and more families are looking to tighten their belts in response to a tough economy, pet parents can continue to provide low-cost preventative care for their animal companions by visiting PETCO’s low-cost vaccination clinics.

With so many new puppies and kittens joining their human families over the holidays, now is the best time to check what vaccinations and other preventative care they may need by visiting one of the more than 800 PETCO locations offering low-cost vaccination clinics nationwide.

In addition to vaccinations, the clinics also offer services like heartworm testing and preventatives, fecal testing and de-worming, and microchipping.

“There are many serious and often life-threatening diseases that pets can be protected from by simply vaccinating, de-worming and giving them a heartworm preventative,” said Dr. Thomas Edling, PETCO’s director of veterinary medicine. “By taking simple steps focused on prevention, pet parents can greatly reduce the chance of their pets contracting diseases like distemper, heartworm disease, parainfluenza, and canine parvovirus.”

In any given week, more than 300 PETCO stores offer low-cost preventative services by licensed veterinarians. The clinics are run in partnership with pet care industry leaders, such as Luv My Pet and VETCO. Where available, clinics are open at least once per month, but in most locations, they are available at least every two weeks – typically on Saturdays and Sundays. No appointment is necessary, and there is no office visit fee.

“As the economy slows, we’ve seen an increase in the number of customers visiting our clinics nationwide. This program offers a budget-friendly solution to pet parents looking to provide a great quality preventative care to their dogs and cats,” said Taylor Phillips, PETCO’s vice president of pet services new growth.

To learn more about PETCO’s low-cost vaccination program, or to find a location near you, visit PETCO.com. For the latest news on anything and everything PETCO – from updates about the company to incredible acts of animal kindness, check here at PETCONews.com.