Lone Star Pet Supply history

1979 - UPCO becomes Petco.

1980 - First Petco store opens outside of California in Tigard, Oregon.

1988 - Petco's dynamic growth as a major retailer starts when the company acquires two pet supply chains, WellPoint and the Pet Department, more than tripling the number of Petco stores from 40 to 130 and expanding the company's footprint in Oregon and into Washington and Texas.

Brian K. Devine joined Petco in August 1990, bringing with him 20 years of retail experience.

By the end of 1991, the company had established 37 superstores, recording sufficient success with the new format to convince executives to direct expansion efforts toward the establishment of additional superstores.

By the end of 1992, there were 208 Petco stores in operation, 76 of which were superstores.

Petco's IPO was completed in March 1994, giving the company the financial resources to step up its expansion, something Devine intended to do through acquisitions of smaller pet merchandise chains.

Devine foresaw the expansion of Petco to 1,250 stores, roughly four times the size of the chain by the end of 1996, but as the company pursued its ambitious goal it faltered, sparking criticism that it had been over-zealous in its growth plans.

Problems surfaced after the company registered an aggressive year of expansion in 1997, when 104 stores were added to the chain, with the majority of the new units coming from the acquisition of the 81-store PetCare chain, which operated in nine midwestern and southern states.

During the first half of 1998, Petco racked up more than $8 million in net losses.

By the early months of 1999, Petco began to display signs of vitality.

2001 - Petco.com is launched, offering online shoppers an expansive selection of products and services.

2004 - The San Diego Padres open play in the beautiful new Petco Park major league ballpark in downtown San Diego.

2006 - Petco grows to 800 stores in 49 states and more than 18,000 associates nationwide.

2009 - Petco Love (formerly Petco Foundation) celebrates its tenth anniversary, surpasses $50 million donated to animal welfare partners across the United States Petco introduces Unleashed by Petco, a small format store with a limited, high-end assortment and friendly neighborhood feel.

2011 - The updated tagline, "Where the healthy pets go" is introduced and the company opens an additional corporate office in San Antonio (San Antonio Support Center) to work in concert with its National Support Center in San Diego.

2013 - Petco introduces WholePets, a commitment to help pet parents care for pets' physical, mental, social and emotional needs.

2016 - Early in the year, Petco is acquired by CVC Capital Partners and Canada Pension Plan Investment Board.

2017- Petco launches new brand campaign “All About Pets”, which was designed to highlight the strength of the company’s more than 50 years of experience in the pet specialty category.