The first PETCO store in La Mesa, Calif.

PETCO’s story begins in 1965 when Walter Evans opened a mail-order veterinary supplies business with only five associates called UPCO – United Pharmaceutical Company.

The first retail store opened in La Mesa, Calif. in 1976 – and was an instant success. The mission then was to buy quality pet and veterinary supplies and sell them directly to animal professionals and the public at discount prices.

With two stores in California, primary customers at that time were ranches, kennels, catteries and grooming shops. In 1979, UPCO changed its name to PETCO to better connect the company with the pet supply business. The first PETCO opened just outside of California in 1980 in Tigard, Ore.

PETCO’s growth as a major retail player started in 1988 when the company acquired two pet supply chains, WellPoint and the Pet Department, more than tripling the number of PETCO stores from 40 to 130 and expanding our footprint into the Washington, Oregon and Texas markets.

In 1994, PETCO went public as the largest pet specialty retail chain in the industry, with 218 stores in 13 states and sales of more than $189 million.

PETCO Today

With a fast growing nationwide retail business, PETCO started expanding its offerings into Pet Services and rolled out its grooming business companywide in 1995. In 1996 PETCO hit another milestone, growing to more than 5,000 associates.

By 1997 PETCO had grown to 455 stores in 34 states and hit $775 million in sales. The company also launched a cutting-edge customer loyalty program, PETCO Animal Lovers Save – or PALS – that year. Today, PETCO serves more than a million loyal PALS members.

In 1999, the PETCO Foundation was established to manage and promote charitable giving to animal causes. With it’s 10th anniversary in 2009, the PETCO Foundation has raised more than $60 million dollars to help more than 6,700 animal welfare partners nationwide – and together, the company and its foundation have helped save the lives of more than 2 million animals that would have otherwise been homeless and at risk of being put to death.

In 2000, a depressed market and undervalued shares led PETCO back to private ownership.  Still, the following year, PETCO brought its expansive range of products and services to the Web with the launch of PETCO.com and by 2002 had grown to more than 600 stores in 44 states.

A new partnership with the San Diego Padres kicked off 2004 for PETCO with the sponsorship of the brand new ballpark in downtown San Diego, introducing baseball fans worldwide to PETCO Park. PETCO also continued expansion of its Pet Services by offering dog training classes in all stores that year. 

PETCO celebrated our 40-year anniversary in 2005 and by 2006  had grown to 800 stores in 49 states and more than 18,000 associates nationwide. In 2008, the company opened its first store in Hawaii, expanding PETCO’s “paw print” into all 50 United States. 

Today, PETCO is privately held and still growing, with more than 1,000 stores in all 50 states and more than 22,000 associates across the country.