Petco Love Spokesperson Antoni Porowski Calls for Heartwarming Pet Love Stories, Submissions Now Open for Petco Love Stories Campaign

San Antonio, TX – Queer Eye star and four-time Emmy nominee Antoni Porowski calls on pet lovers across the country to share their love stories of how their adopted pets changed their lives. Porowski and national nonprofit Petco Love, in partnership with BOBS from Skechers™, encourage pet parents to submit their love stories to the Petco Love Stories campaign.

Petco Love Stories celebrates the incredible impact pets have on our lives, while also raising awareness about the importance of pet adoption. The adoption organizations that make the winning tales possible receive lifesaving grants to save more lives.

Porowski, New York Times best-selling author and host and executive producer of Netflix’s Easy-Bake Battle, proudly shares his love story with his best friend, Neon. Since adopting the pitbull mix in 2020 from Petco Love partner Austin Pets Alive!, the two have been inseparable, making memories all over the U.S. So many people fell in love with Neon on the hit television show Queer Eye that she has her own Instagram page with close to 100,000 followers.

“Adopting Neon has impacted my life in so many wonderful ways,” said Porowski. “The unconditional love you feel from a dog, especially one you adopt from a shelter, means everything. I cannot imagine my life without her now, and I know pet lovers everywhere feel the same way about their best friends. That’s why I want them to submit their love story in the Petco Love Stories campaign to spread the word about how adopting a shelter pet changes lives.”

Antoni’s love for Neon and passion for pet adoption inspired him to join the Petco Love Board in 2023. Porowski is also the co-founder of Yummers Pet Supply Co. The pet food brand is generously donating a year’s worth of pet products for the winning Petco Love Stories pet.

Petco Love Stories encourages pet parents to share their personal stories of love, joy, and transformation that have come about through adopting their best friend. Did you adopt a pet who changed your life? Maybe your dog is the travel and adventure buddy who inspired you to finally see the world. Or perhaps your cat helped you turn tragedy into triumph. Whether they are stories of resilience, acts of kindness, or compassion – Petco Love wants to hear them all!Share your Love Story and you can help your adopting animal welfare organization earn a lifesaving grant – up to $100,000!

In 2023, Petco Love and BOBS from Skechers™ awarded Love Stories winners at 18 organizations across the country, granting a total of more than $500,000 to animal welfare partners. Winning stories that celebrate the impact of a pet’s love will be announced on Valentine’s Day in 2024.

“There is no end to the amazing, emotional stories of how pets change our lives,” said Petco Love President, Susanne Kogut. “Through Petco Love Stories, we aim to highlight these remarkable bonds and create a platform where pet parents can share their stories while making a positive impact on the lives of animals in need."

“It’s our goal to save and support as many shelter animals as possible—from celebrating personal Petco Love Stories that help compassionate organizations, to raising life-changing funds through our BOBS from Skechers philanthropic collection,” said Michael Greenberg, president of Skechers. “Compassionate animal lovers can look good by wearing BOBS from Skechers shoes, apparel and accessories, and feel good as their purchase results in a donation from Skechers, to the tune of more than $10 million to date—funds that have helped and saved 1.9 million dogs and cats.”

Submissions for Petco Love Stories are open to individuals 18 years and older, or those who have parental consent to share their story. In 500 words or less, please share your love story and photos of you and your adopted pet. Submit your story, here. Submissions close on October 31, 2023.

Since 2013, more than 20,000 adopters have shared how their pets have changed their lives in the annual campaign, with Petco Love granting nearly $7 million to the hard-working animal welfare organizations making these adoption matches possible.

Media Contact: Crystal Bugary, Petco Love, media@petcolove.org

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 as the Petco Foundation, we’ve empowered animal welfare organizations by investing $370 million in adoption and other lifesaving efforts. We’ve helped find loving homes for more than 6.7 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.

About SKECHERS U.S.A., Inc.

Skechers U.S.A., Inc. (NYSE:SKX), a Fortune 500® company based in Southern California, designs, develops and markets a diverse range of lifestyle and performance footwear, apparel and accessories for men, women and children. Collections from The Comfort Technology Company™ are available in over 180 countries and territories through department and specialty stores, and direct to consumers through digital stores and over 4,700 Company- and third-party-owned physical retail stores. The Company manages its international business through a network of wholly-owned subsidiaries, joint venture partners, and distributors. For more information, please visit about.skechers.com and follow us on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.

About BOBS from Skechers

BOBS from Skechers’ charitable collection of shoes, apparel and accessories have improved animals’ lives: over the past eight years, Skechers has contributed more than $10 million to help 1.9 million shelter pets, including saving more than 1.4 million rescued animals in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom and Japan. It all started in 2011, when Skechers launched a movement to support children impacted by natural disasters and poverty – a cause that has helped the Company donate more than 16 million new pairs of shoes to kids in more than 60 countries worldwide. To learn more about BOBS from Skechers’ commitment to making a difference, visit BOBSfromSkechers.com and follow the brand on Facebook and Instagram.