Petland Fulfills 350th Make-A-Wish

Petland has celebrated more than 350 wishes granted during its 20-year relationship with Make-A-Wish America.

Safari Stan’s Children’s Charities by Petland was formalized in 1994. Petland has two children’s charities: Make-A-Wish and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Annually, Petland collects funds year-round for St. Jude, collecting nearly $500,000 since 2009. And, since 1998 has fulfilled more than 350 wishes for Make-A-Wish kids who wish to have a pet, including Lahna (pictured here). She matched with “Mrs. Fluff” from the Petland store in Hilliard, Ohio, in 2016.

Make-A-Wish is the nation’s largest wish-granting organization. It has fulfilled the wishes of more than 300,000 children with critical illnesses in the United States and its territories since 1980. Headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, Make-A-Wish serves every community in the United States, Guam and Puerto Rico through its 62 chapters.

“Petland truly believes in the human-animal bond and how important pets can be in our lives,” said Elizabeth Kunzelman, Petland’s director of Public Affairs. “We’ve seen and heard how special these pets become to the children and their families and how they make such a difference in their lives. We are so thankful to have the opportunity to help.”

Petland works with Make-A-Wish and is notified when there are children with pet-related wishes in order to send care packages to the “wish kids” and their new best friend. If a child is near a store and is able, Petland stores will host a shopping spree for the family.