Press Release – The Pets in the Classroom Grant Program, established by the Pet Care Trust, has seen an increase in grant requests since the inclusion of Petco and PetSmart coupon programs.

Bel Air, Maryland – The Pet Care Trust is pleased to announce that its Pets in the Classroom program received 3,500 requests for grants in the program’s first fifteen months. The program, established by the Pet Care Trust in 2009, provides grants of $100-$150 to purchase or adopt a new pet and required equipment or $50 to support existing classroom pets.

The Pets in the Classroom program benefits students by teaching them responsible, long-term pet care at an early age and providing the psychological and developmental benefits associated with the human-animal bond. Studies have shown that caring for pets has a positive effect on children, improving school attendance and teaching children responsibility, as well as encouraging nurturing and building self esteem.

Nearly 1,600 of the grants were redeemed at pet stores for aquariums, guinea pigs, hamsters, reptiles, amphibians and birds. With an average classroom size of 30 students, the Trust has brought a pet into the lives of 48,000 kids.

Some recent additions to the Pets in the Classroom program have helped increase the number of requests. On August 1, the Pets in the Classroom website was re-launched to include Petco and PetSmart coupon programs, along with the standard redemption program for independent retailers. Since the re-launch, more than 2,300 grant requests have been received, with 50-60 requests coming in each day. The new coupon programs will aid the Pet Care Trust in attaining their goal of reaching 1 million children in 30,000 classrooms across North America through their popular Pets in the Classroom grants program.

For more information on the Pet Care Trust and the Pets in the Classroom grant program, visit www.PetsintheClassroom.org.