Supervalu Goes to the Dogs (and Cats)

Select supermarkets in the Supervalu Inc. family of retailers have been partnering with the Iams Home 4 the Holidays pet adoption program to host nationwide in-store meet-and-greet pet adoption events to help match millions of pets with potential owners.

From late October to mid-November, puppies, kittens, cats and dogs were available for adoption to local residents. Animal shelter representatives were on hand at Supervalu retailers Acme, Cub Foods, Farm Fresh, Jewel-Osco and Albertsons to show off these animals, provide information and answer questions.

“At Supervalu, we are committed to strengthening the communities and neighborhoods we serve in as many different ways possible,” said Lanny Hoffmeyer, category director for paper and pet at the Minneapolis-based company. “Home 4 The Holidays gives us a great opportunity to help connect our customers with animals that can enrich and enhance their lives for years. We are excited and honored to be participating in such a great program.”

Jeanne DiCello of Placing Paws of Illinois said: “Most of us shop locally, so we know many of the people that shop at the Jewel in our neighborhood. Partnering with our local grocery store was a good way to help bring recognition to our organization. We were able to talk about pet adoption, show some of our available animals and answer many questions on the spot in what was a friendly encounter.”

Up to 7 million companion animals enter animal shelters nationwide every year and up to 4 million are euthanized because there is no one to adopt them. Everyone who adopted through the program received coupons for savings on Iams pet food and other pet-related products, plus tips and information ranging from training to pet care and nutrition.

Founded by Helen Woodward Animal Center and supported by Iams, IH4TH began in 1999 with 14 participating animal shelters in San Diego County. Since it began 13 years ago, IH4TH – along with more than 3,500 pet adoption centers – has helped 5.8 million families experience the joy of pet adoption, including nearly 1.1 million pet adoptions from 2010. For more information, visit www.facebook.com/iams.

For more than 60 years, P&G Pet Care, the maker of Iams and Eukanuba, has provided quality foods and pet-care products.

Supervalu Inc. operates 4,300 stores composed of 1,106 traditional retail stores, including 800 in-store pharmacies; 1,294 hard-discount stores, of which 915 are operated by licensee owners; and 1,900 independent stores serviced primarily by the company's traditional food distribution business.