Listen to the Audio Summary Headline

PHOENIX, AZ--(Marketwire - October 10, 2008) - A recent PetSmart survey reveals at least 16 million pets will dress up for Halloween in 2008. To make this Halloween your pet's spookiest yet, PetSmart offers top costumes, toys and pet-friendly fun in-store and online.

Top Costumes for Dogs and Cats

PetSmart Dog Fashion Expert Rashell Cooper says, "Pets are members of the family, and just like kids, they'll sport the latest trends in costumes this Halloween." For the first time, PetSmart offers favorite Disney character costumes including Snow White, Peter Pan and Tinker Bell. For pets or pet parents who feel less is more, PetSmart also offers traditional orange- and black-themed collars, hats and tees. All pet costumes are available for less than $20 U.S. ($22 CAN).

For dogs:

• The classic, exclusive Pumpkin and Devil costumes return for 2008 and are popular choices for pets everywhere.
• Witch costume -- Bring Halloween fun to life with the perfect costume for casting spells.

For cats:

PetSmart offers a line of Halloween hat costumes for cats, including Jester, Cowboy and Mouse styles. "People don't believe me when I tell them cat costumes are a huge hit with our pet parents. No one thinks their cat will wear a hat, but many of them will," says Cooper.

Howl-O-Ween In-store Event

On Oct. 21 from 6 to 8 p.m., pets and their parents can show off their costumes at PetSmart's annual Howl-O-Ween Costume Contest and Photo Event. The event will be held in all PetSmart stores and will feature a costumed pet parade from 6:30 to 6:45 p.m. and a Best Pet Costume Contest from 6:45 to 7:15 p.m. Contest winners will be chosen by the audience and will receive PetSmart gift cards up to $20.

The first pets to arrive at the event will receive goodie bags filled with valuable coupons and food and treat samples. For $4.95, PetPerks members can capture the excitement of the night with a digital photo and collector Halloween-themed frame.

Halloween Online Photo Contest

Pet parents who want to share their pet's costume before the Howl-O-Ween event can enter PetSmart's Online Howl-O-Ween Photo Contest co-sponsored by Avanti Press. The contest runs through Oct. 19 and the grand prize winner will receive a $150 gift card to PetSmart along with a box of 1,000 cards/envelopes with the winning photo on it and an Avanti gift bag valued at $100. Winners will be announced Oct. 27 on www.petsmart.com.

About PetSmart

PetSmart, Inc. (NASDAQ: PETM) is the largest specialty pet retailer of services and solutions for the lifetime needs of pets. The company operates more than 1075 pet stores in the United States and Canada, a growing number of in-store PetSmart PetsHotel® cat and dog boarding facilities, and is a leading online provider of pet supplies and pet care information (http://www.petsmart.com). PetSmart provides a broad range of competitively priced pet food and pet products; and offers complete pet training, pet grooming, pet boarding, doggie day camp and pet adoption services. Since 1994, PetSmart Charities, Inc., an independent 501(c)(3) non-profit animal welfare organization, has funded more than $70 million in grants and programs benefiting animal welfare organizations and, through its in-store pet adoption programs, has helped save the lives of more than 3 million pets.

Technorati: Halloween   howl-o-ween   pets   dogs   cats   costumes   toys   event   contest   photos   PetSmart   pumpkin