Tue, 20 Jan 2026 12:53:03 -0800WeeblyThu, 16 Oct 2025 18:28:56 GMThttp://westendshelter.com/press-releases/share-your-love-story-of-your-adopted-pet-help-give-west-end-shelter-for-animals-a-chance-to-earn-a-lifesaving-investment-from-petco-lovenational-nonprofit-calling-for-submissions-through-septemberfor-annual-petco-love-stories-campaignOntario, California (September 13, 2025) – Your love story is lifesaving! National nonprofit organization Petco Love and West End Shelter for Animals want to hear how your adopted pet has transformed your life in big and small ways. Submissions are being accepted through September 29th, 2025, for Petco Love Stories, an annual call for adopters across the country to share their heartwarming and inspiring tales of love about the pet they adopted from their local animal welfare organization including West End Shelter for Animals.

West End is proud to encourage adopters in our community to share how their adopted pet changed their life — for a chance to earn a lifesaving investment up to $100,000. Each Petco Love Story entry of a pet adopted at West End Shelter for Animals gives us that chance.  

Since 2013, more than 25,000 adopters have shared their Petco Love Story, and Petco Love has awarded $8 million in lifesaving investments to the animal welfare organizations that made those adoptions possible. The annual campaign is a celebration of the unique love adopted pets share with us and the heartfelt ways their love enhances our lives. Earlier this year, Petco Love awarded $500,000 to 25 animal welfare partners across the country in celebration of the 2024-2025 Petco Love Stories winners - with the grand prize winning organization receiving $100,000. Read some of those winning stories here.

West End wants you to brag about your pet and submit your love story to inspire more pet adoptions and help shelter pets find loving homes. “These Love Stories highlight the importance of our everyday work and celebrate the lives saved by adoption,” said Joseph Gonzales, Development and Outreach Coordinator of West End Shelter for Animals. “Not only does it increase adoptions, but it warms the hearts of our staff, volunteers, board members and veterinarians who have poured their heart and soul into these pets; seeing them happier than ever in a home is an inexplicable joy that attests to our life-saving work.”

“Petco Love Stories highlights the life-changing impact adopted pets have on the people who love them,” said Susanne Kogut, President of Petco Love. “These powerful stories not only celebrate the unbreakable bond between pets and their families, but also highlight the incredible work of our animal welfare organization partners across the country. We’re proud to champion these connections and help more pets find loving homes.”

Participants can submit their Love Story in written form or share a link to a public-facing social media video, or by using both formats. This allows adopters to creatively express the unique ways their pets have impacted their lives.

Submissions for Petco Love Stories are open to individuals ages 18 and older, or those with parental consent. In 500 words or less, participants can share their Love Story along with photos or videos of their adopted pet. Submissions close at 11:59 p.m. (CST) on September 29th, 2025. Every adopter is asked to submit their Love Story via the submission form you can find here, whether it’s written or a social media video.
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West End Shelter for Animals encourages all past adopters to share their love story and help us continue saving lives through adoption. Show the world that adopted pets change our lives for the better.
 
Media Contacts: 
Joseph Gonzales, West End Shelter for Animals, westendanimalshelter@gmail.com  
Crystal Bugary, Petco Love, media@petcolove.org 
 
About West End Shelter for Animals
Founded in 1954, West End Shelter for Animals is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit, no-kill shelter in Ontario, California. We provide adoption and placement services for homeless cats and dogs, along with low-cost vaccinations and affordable veterinary referrals to reduce disease, suffering and death amongst the animal population. Our shelter can care for up to 200+ pets at any given time. We serve as a beacon of excellence ensuring all pets have a name, not an ID number. Each pet is fully vaccinated, spayed/neutered, socialized, and filled with love until they find their forever home. When space allows, we will pull from local high-kill shelters to give those innocent lives a second chance. With no government funding, we rely on donations, grants, fundraisers, and community support to continue our mission of saving lives and giving pets a chance at forever.
 
About Petco Love 
Petco Love is a life-changing nonprofit organization that makes communities and pet families closer, stronger, and healthier. Since our founding in 1999, we’ve empowered animal welfare organizations by investing nearly $425 million in adoption and other lifesaving efforts. We’ve helped find loving homes for more than 7 million pets in partnership with Petco and organizations nationwide. Our love for pets drives us to lead with innovation, creating tools animal lovers need to reunite lost pets, and lead with passion, inspiring and mobilizing communities and our more than 4,000 animal welfare partners to drive lifesaving change alongside us.  Join us. Visit petcolove.org or follow on Facebook, Instagram, X, and LinkedIn to be part of the lifesaving work we lead every day.
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