November 6, 2009

AHS opens swank adoption center, boutique in Biltmore Fashion Park Nov. 14

(PHOENIX) – It's where big business meets man's best friend. Where high society meets heartwarming rescue stories. Where forward fashion meets furry friendships. Where the state’s largest retail developer meets the largest, nonprofit, animal welfare agency. It's the Arizona Humane Society's newest adoption center and boutique at Biltmore Fashion Park. And it opens November 14. You need to check this place out.

Thanks to Westcor’s generous, first-ever Valley storefront donation, dogs, cats, puppies and kitties (and perhaps even a friendly hamster or two) will wag tails at Petique, at the east end of Biltmore Fashion Park. The increased visibility at one of the state’s finest shopping destinations will ultimately increase these animals’ chances of finding a permanent home.

“The partnership between Arizona Humane Society and Biltmore Fashion Park is a natural fit given the pet-friendly nature of our shopping center,” said Karen Litton, senior property manager, Biltmore Fashion Park. “As the owner of two Arizona Humane Society rescue dogs, I love the idea of creating an extension of the Arizona Humane Society and an adoption center to the overall ambiance that exists at Biltmore Fashion Park.”

AHS will celebrate the Grand Opening with a VIP Marking of the Territory Champagne Ceremony and Ribbon Snipping Friday, Nov. 13 at 4 pm. A fun-filled day for the public is planned for Saturday Nov. 14 and includes ugliest (and cutest) pet contests, and other activities throughout the day.

Biltmore Fashion Park at 24th Street and Camelback Road has long been heralded as a pet-lover’s paradise, with ample pet-friendly lawns and patios.

“It’s impossible to stroll through a mall without pausing for a moment to smile at the puppies in the pet-store window,” said Guy Collison, AHS executive director. “What sets Petique apart is that both adoptions and purchases made at the store also will help the thousands of other homeless pets served by the Arizona Humane Society.

Petique will offer animals for adoption and a small retail component, but will not be a drop-off point for unwanted or ill animals. However, it will accept donations of pet food or toys as part of its annual Holiday Pet Food and Toy Drive, which runs through Dec. 31 and helps to feed the 45,000 animals served annually by AHS.

To learn more about Petique and the grand opening festivities, please visit www.azhumane.org.