The Pets at Home Group – which includes Pets at Home, Vets4Pets and The Groom Room – has pledged £300,000 to Edinburgh-based Dementia Dog, an innovative project by Dogs for Good and Alzheimer Scotland that supports families across Scotland living with dementia, both at home and in the community.
The pledge has been made through the Pets at Home Foundation, the charity founded by the Pets at Home Group as part of its mission to create a better world for pets and the people who love them.
The funds will be used to support the charity’s expansion across mainland Scotland, which includes training more full-time assistance dogs, providing animal assisted therapy, delivering training workshops and hosting events.
In celebration of the life-changing work this pledge will support, Pets at Home stores and Vets4Pets practices in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Dundee and Stirling are inviting colleagues and customers to join them this weekend (28th and 29th May) to celebrate.*
Visitors will have the chance to speak to ambassadors from Dogs for Good about their work, enjoy cupcakes (or pupcakes) and more.
Full list of stores with special celebrations:
- Fort Kinnaird Retail Park, Newcraighall Rd, Edinburgh, Fort Kinnaird EH15 3RD
- Unit 1, Cumbernauld Retail Park, Westfield Rd, Cumbernauld, Glasgow G68 9NE
- Strathkelvin Retail Park, 5a, Crosshill Rd, Glasgow G64 2TS
- SPRINGKERSE RETAIL PARK, Munro Rd, Stirling FK7 7TL
- 2, Kingsway Retail Park, Longtown Rd, Dundee DD4 8JT
Amy Angus, Group Charity and Community Manager at the Pets at Home Foundation, said: “For families affected by dementia, a dog can provide great comfort and support through a very challenging time.
“We’re incredibly proud to be able to help such a fantastic initiative across Scotland, and we’re inviting our colleagues and customers to join us in our stores and veterinary practices to celebrate this weekend.
“It’s thanks to their great work and generous donations that we’re able to support so many important projects like Dementia Dog.”
Peter Gorbing, CEO of Dogs for Good, added: “For many people, their pets are not only their best friend, but can also be a real lifeline, helping to maintain a routine, retrieve medication and regulate sleeping patterns.
“We’re passionate about bringing people and dogs together and this funding will go a long way in helping us to support more families living with dementia.
“We’d like to send a big thank you to the Pets at Home Group and all the generous people who contributed to this pledge, which will mean so much to families across Scotland.”
The Dementia Dog project is one of hundreds of causes that the Pets at Home Foundation has supported, with more than £5 million donated to more than 750 organisations in the year to March 2022.
To find out more about the Pets at Home Foundation and the charities it supports, visit: https://www.petsathomefoundation.co.uk/