Get More Bark for Your Buck with Pet Discounts

Duke employees with furry, feathered or scaly family members can receive 10 percent off pet supplies, vet visits, daycare and more through PERQs, the employee discount program. Have a pet sitter visit your home

Eight years ago in a Duke parking lot, Kate Walker fed pieces of a pretzel from her lunchbox to a hungry stray kitten living in bushes near Jack Coombs Field.

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Walker, assistant to the dean at the Sanford School of Public Policy, said the yellow tabby she later named Pretzel is now an integral part of her family. When she travels out of town, she leaves Pretzel in the care of Very Important Pets Professional Pet Sitting.

Duke employees receive 10 percent off their first reservation. Walker has used the pet sitting service for about 20 years. A pet sitter visits her home and plays with Pretzel, gives him food and water, and monitors his health.

“They come in and take care of everything,” Walker said. “It’s not just that they pay attention to your pet and attend to them. They also keep watch over your house.”

Send your pup to camp

When Barbara Carter drops off her 2-year-old pit bull, Alice, in the morning at Camp Bow Wow, she expects her dog to be tired but happy when she picks her up after work.

The camp for dogs off South Miami Boulevard in Durham is a few miles from Carter’s office at Duke’s Patient Revenue Management Organization. Carter drops Alice off three days a week and saves 10 percent on boarding, full-day daycare visits, baths, and nail trims.

“It’s provided me some flexibility for my schedule,” said Carter, revenue manager for the division of cardiology. “Not only does she enjoy other dogs, but she knows how to play with them now.”

Learn more about Camp Bow Wow by visiting its website.

Save on pet supplies

Receive 10 percent off purchases on pet-super-store.com, which carries pet accessories from dog beds and collars to bird cages and food bowls. Use coupon code BLUEDEVILS at checkout.

Take your pet to the vet

Melanie Leggett, a psychiatry and behavioral sciences associate professor at Duke, was searching for a dermatology specialist for her 9-year-old boxer mix, Starbuck. To help with Starbuck’s bald spots, she found Southpoint Animal Hospital. It became her go-to vet for Starbuck and her 4-year-old poodle mix, Molly.

Duke employees receive 10 percent off veterinary services during each visit.

“With boarding, it makes a big difference,” Leggett said of the discount. “There have been times where we’ve gone on a long trip and had to board them for a week or two weeks. It’s been significant savings.”