Season of Suppers Strives to Double Pet Food, Monetary Donations in 2009

Annual Pet Food Drive Aims to Feed Record Number of Hungry Pets this Holiday
Season

PORTLAND, Ore., Nov. 2 /PRNewswire/ -- The Banfield Charitable Trust, in
partnership with Meals On Wheels Association of America (MOWAA) and Banfield,
The Pet Hospital®, is helping feed hungry Pets this holiday season with its
annual Season of Suppers campaign, a national Pet food drive, which runs
Sunday, Nov. 1 through Thursday, Dec. 31. The Season of Suppers campaign, now
in its fourth year, aims to feed Pets of homebound seniors who receive meals
from Meals On Wheels.

The Banfield Charitable Trust is hoping to double monetary donations in 2009
to fund, or start, new Pet feeding programs through We All Love Our Pets
(WALOP) grants. During the 2008 campaign, the Trust raised $42,000 in monetary
donations, which funded more than 50 WALOP grants. Meals On Wheels programs
throughout the country can apply for these grants to initiate or sustain
Pet-food distribution programs locally.

"Season of Suppers touches many people's hearts, and it is a joyful time for
everyone involved," said Dianne McGill, executive director and chief executive
officer of the Banfield Charitable Trust. "When we first started this
campaign, we never imagined how quickly it would grow. The support from
volunteers and MOWAA program directors has exceeded every goal we envisioned
for the program's growth. We are humbled by the generosity donors have shown
with their support, especially given our difficult economic times. We hope to
meet the increased need with even greater participation this year."

In addition to the money for WALOP grants, the campaign also collected
thousands of pounds of Pet food that local Meals On Wheels programs
distribute. Banfield alone collected 13,000 pounds in 2008 at its main campus
in Portland, Ore. Across the country, more than 750 Banfield hospitals act as
food collection donation sites.

"MOWAA's mission is to eradicate senior hunger by 2020. That is our focus, and
we do it one day at a time, one nutritious meal at a time and one senior at a
time," said Enid A. Borden, president and chief executive officer of Meals On
Wheels Association of America. "One thing we have seen firsthand is how
important Pets are to these homebound seniors. In many cases, their Pets are
their only family. It goes without saying that keeping Pets as nutritionally
healthy as their owners is critically important. In more cases than we can
count, the Season of Suppers campaign has made that possible - and a home is a
much brighter place when the whole family gets the nutrition they need."

There are three ways to help make the 2009 Season of Suppers campaign even
more successful:

1. Purchase Pet food and place it in the Season of Suppers donation bin in
any Banfield Pet hospital. The BCT suggests items that are easy to
transport, such as small bags and cans.
2. Donate money at Banfield Pet hospitals. During November and December,
Banfield Pet hospitals are collecting Pet food and monetary donations
in
more than 750 hospitals nationwide. To find your nearest Banfield
location, visit www.Banfield.net

3. Contribute online at www.BCTSOS.org by clicking the "donate now"
button.
Your donation of $30 will help Meals On Wheels programs feed one Pet
for
an entire month.

About the Banfield Charitable Trust
Banfield Charitable Trust, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit public charity founded in
2003, was founded in response to Banfield associates' requests for a way to
take Banfield's vision of treating Pets like family beyond the walls of the
hospitals. In addition to providing preventive care to clients in need, the
Charitable Trust also supports childhood education about caring for Pets,
veterinary education program, and programs to enhance the family-Pet bond.

About Banfield, The Pet Hospital®
Founded in Portland, Ore., in 1955, Banfield has become the largest Pet
general veterinary practice in the world, with more than 750 hospitals in
neighborhoods across the United States. More than 2,000 veterinarians at
Banfield are committed to giving Pets the highest quality of veterinary care.
Banfield hospitals offer a full range of comprehensive medical services,
computerized medical records, preventive care plans for Pets and extended
operating hours. Banfield is the only veterinary practice in the world with an
extensive quality assurance program. Banfield, The Pet Hospital helps extend
the lives of millions of Pets each year through our Optimum Wellness Plans.
For journalists seeking more information, please visit our press room at
http://www.banfield.net/press-room or contact our Media Hotline at
888-355-0595 (no sales calls, please).

Media Contact:
Brett Rolin
brett.rolin@banfield.net; 503-922-5414
Banfield, The Pet Hospital(R) Media Hotline, 1-888-355-0595

SOURCE Banfield, The Pet Hospital

Brett Rolin of Banfield, The Pet Hospital, +1-503-922-5414,
brett.rolin@banfield.net, or Banfield, The Pet Hospital(R) Media Hotline,
1-888-355-0595