Meet Petco CEO Ron Coughlin and his pup, Yogi

Loving pets is part of the job at Petco. For Ron Coughlin, being the top dog means working day in and day out to keep pets across the country happy and healthy. Luckily, he’s got the perfect canine sidekick to help.

Ron has served as Petco’s Chief Executive Officer and director since June 2018, and as Chairman of Petco’s board of directors since January 2021. As the CEO of a leading pet specialty retailer, he obsesses about delivering great experiences for pets and the people who love them. That focus on pet happiness starts at home, where he’s the proud pet parent to a Labrador retriever named Yogi.

We sat down with Ron to talk about his pooch, the joys of pet parenting and how a love of pets influences his professional life.

Let’s start with a little about yourself and your pet.

My name is Ron Coughlin. While I’ve lived and worked in San Diego—where Petco was born more than 55 years ago, and our company’s national support center is located—for many years now, I’m a New York native.

Have you always had pets in your life?

I’ve had the joy of having pets around me over the years. Yogi, the chocolate Lab we adopted at the start of 2023, is the newest member of our family. Before Yogi, we enjoyed the loving company of Yummy, a yellow Lab who lived to 14 and was named by my daughter, who was 4 years old at the time.

How did Yogi come into your life?

A year ago, we adopted Yogi from Priceless Pets, a non-profit, no-kill pet rescue supported by Petco Love. At Petco, we’re committed to helping adoptable pets find forever homes, and we believe in a "Think Adoption First" philosophy. As a result, we seek to increase the number of pets adopted into loving homes and decrease unnecessary pet euthanasia.

In partnership with Petco Love, our Petco pet care centers host adoption events throughout the year supporting local pet adoption efforts, and most importantly, to help prospective pet parents meet adoptable pets. Through these events, we’ve helped find loving homes for more than 7 million animals—and I was delighted to be able to give Yogi his forever home with our family.

How did you decide on Yogi’s name?

Yogi was named by my daughter after baseball legend Yogi Berra. Although, with all respect to the Yankee great, Yogi Coughlin is a Padres fan through and through.

What’s Yogi’s breed?

Yogi is a chocolate Labrador, and his playfulness and love of walks on the beach fits our family perfectly. Our previous dog, Yummy, who was a two-time cancer survivor and member of our family for more than 14 years, was also a Lab.

What is Yogi’s favorite thing to do?

All of us at Petco affectionally refer to Yogi as our Chief Dog Officer, partly because he loves coming to work with me–whether that’s in our San Diego office or our Petco locations. I love watching him interact with Petco partners across the business. Everywhere we go, people are always more excited to meet Yogi instead of me!

Our passion for pets is what makes Petco such a special organization, and Yogi’s love of people is a source of constant joy. He also reminds me daily of our purpose: Improving lives every day at both ends of the leash.

Tell me a favorite story about Yogi.

Yogi’s first official “work trip” was joining me to meet the Nationwide pet insurance team. He was only a few months old at the time, and it was a surprise for the team, as they didn’t know I was bringing him.

Watching him bound around the room, wanting to play with every new person, was a great moment in discovering his personality. It [also] formed instant connections with the Nationwide team, many of whom I was meeting for the first time.

If you could describe Yogi in one word, what would it be?

Perfection!

How did you hear about pet insurance?

Veterinary care is crucial for pets’ overall health and wellness. While pet insurance plays a critical role in helping pet parents say “yes” to the care their beloved family members need, only about 2.5% of pets in the U.S. are estimated to be enrolled, according to 2021 data from the North American Pet Health Insurance Association.

I’m proud to announce that, as part of Petco’s groundbreaking partnership with Nationwide, we kicked off 2024 with the launch of Petco | Nationwide Pet Insurance to help pet families access high-quality, seamless care no matter their need or budget.

With highly customizable coverage options and flexible pet protection solutions for dogs, cats, reptiles, birds, pigs, goats and other exotic pets—it’s a game changer. Plus, we’re making health and wellness easier with vet care discounts for all Nationwide pet insurance customers at Petco hospitals and clinics.

Should anything come up, Yogi is already covered.

Has Yogi used his pet insurance yet?

Yogi is a proud Nationwide pet insurance member, but fortunately … we haven’t had need to use the policy yet. I do, however, think a lot about Yummy’s health. As a two-time cancer survivor, vet visits and treatments added up quickly.

That experience, and how we as a company didn’t want anyone to be able to have to make difficult decisions about their pet’s health solely because of money, was one of the biggest drivers in this partnership.

Have you referred other pet owners to Nationwide?

We couldn’t be prouder to join forces with Nationwide, a brand that is synonymous with insurance coverage, to leverage our collective infrastructure, expertise and more than 150 years of insights to help all pets—not just dogs and cats—maintain or improve their health thanks to Petco’s complete health and wellness ecosystem and Nationwide’s trusted pet insurance coverage.

Thanks, Ron and Yogi!

Save on veterinary care while you shop at Petco. Nationwide members save 10% on veterinary services at Vetco Total Care hospitals and Vetco Vaccination Clinics. Book an appointment today!