SAN DIEGO — Petco will host a national pet food trade-in event May 18 and 19, where pet owners are invited to bring bags and cans of dog and cat food including artificial ingredients and swap them for a product that meets Petco’s new nutritional standards, as well as a free, personalized consultation with a pet nutrition specialist.

The “Artificial-Free Upgrade” event will take place in more than 1,500 retail stores and through Petco.com. It follows Petco’s ban on dog and cat foods with artificial ingredients from its shelves, effective May 1, 2019.

"We know choosing between so many pet food options can be a confusing and daunting task," said Petco Co-Chief Merchandising Officer, Nick Konat. "We stopped selling foods with artificial ingredients because we believe it's the right thing to do, and we want to make decisions easier for pet parents. The Artificial-Free Upgrade event is a great opportunity for pet parents to learn about our new nutrition standards, how these standards can help address their pet's needs, and how pet parents can make this important change with us. We're proud to make the transition accessible to all pet parents in the spirit of better health and wellness for our four-legged family members."

Trade-ins are limited to one per species per household.

Read more about Petco’s decision to oust artificial ingredients.