PHOENIX--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Exactly 858 dogs paraded, gobbled treats and took in some baseball at Chase Field earlier today as PetSmart, the Arizona Diamondbacks and Central Garden & Pet attempted to set a GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title for the Most Dogs Attending a Sporting Event. While the group came up short – just 142 dogs shy of the 1,000 dogs needed to set the record – the total number of dogs was more than double previous Bark at the Park events at Chase Field. PetSmart says this feat speaks to pet parents’ enthusiasm for including their best friends in cherished activities, including America’s favorite pastime.
“We had a blast earlier today and are thrilled that so many pets and their pet parents joined us for this historic event,” said Eran Cohen, chief customer experience officer, PetSmart. “We believe involving our beloved pets in more of life’s memorable moments is what being a pet parent truly is all about. We sincerely thank all of the dog-loving baseball fans who took part in our GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS attempt – there is always next year!”
According to the GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS organization, this was the first official attempt for this record. A GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS Adjudicator was on hand to account for the dogs entering Chase Field and called the total number at the end of the second inning.
The GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS attempt was heavily aided by the national kick-off of Bark at the Park at Chase Field, a traveling 12 game dog-friendly program where dog-loving fans can bring their best friends to a baseball game at stadiums across America. This year’s Bark at the Park program is hosted by Central Garden & Pet, the parent company of Nylabone® and AvoDerm® Natural Pet Foods, as well as PetSmart.
Dogs and their pet parents can continue to take in D-backs games on the PetSmart Patio during the Dog Days of Summer, where all Sunday home games are dog-friendly. The PetSmart Patio features 30 “doggie suites” each accommodating four humans and one dog and all the human and doggie treats fans can eat. Adoptable dogs are also available at The Adopt Spot by PetSmart at Chase Field, where local animal welfare organizations feature dogs ready to find their forever homes among the D-backs’ fan base. There were 15 adoptable dogs at the world record attempt from the Arizona Animal Welfare League (AAWL); all were included in the count and nine pups were adopted as of the end of the sixth inning. Lucky dog Hyde, who was with the AAWL shelter for more than 200 days, found his forever home.
Take in a baseball game with your dog! There are 10 more Dog Days of Summer games in the 2016 D-backs season. Go to www.dbacks.com/dogdays to purchase tickets. There are 11 more games in the national Bark at the Park series schedule. Go to www.petsmart.com/barkatthepark.
About PetSmart
PetSmart, Inc. is the largest specialty pet retailer of services and solutions for the lifetime needs of pets. At PetSmart, we love pets, and we believe pets make us better people. Every day with every connection, PetSmart’s passionate associates help bring pet parents closer to their pets so they can live more fulfilled lives. This mission impacts everything we do for our customers, the way we support our associates, and how we give back to our communities. We employ approximately 53,000 associates, operate approximately 1,433 pet stores in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico and approximately 202 in-store PetSmart® PetsHotel® dog and cat boarding facilities. PetSmart provides a broad range of competitively priced pet food and pet products and offers dog training, pet grooming, pet boarding, PetSmart Doggie Day Camp day care services and pet adoption services in-store. Our portfolio of digital resources for pet parents – including PetSmart.com, PetFoodDirect.com, Pet360.com and petMD.com – offers the most comprehensive online pet supplies and pet care information in the U.S. Through our in-store pet adoption partnership with independent nonprofit organizations, PetSmart Charities™ and PetSmart Charities™ of Canada, PetSmart helps to save the lives of more than 450,000 homeless pets each year. In addition, PetSmart supports organizations that make communities a better place to call home through our philanthropy program, PetSmart Gives Back™. By giving back to the communities where we live and work, PetSmart not only celebrates the power of pets to enrich people's lives – we live it.
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