When your team loses during the FIFA World Cup — because odds are, at some point they will — pet care brand Chewy has a dog available to cuddle and support you.

This is the premise behind the retailer’s Cuddle Shuttle, which is touring Miami June 25-28, stocked with emotional support dogs aboard for fans to embrace.

Consumers can line up outside the shuttle, provider their contact information to Chewy and then spend a few minutes aboard the vehicle. Chewy will send consumers photos from the shuttle experience via text or email, so they can easily share the moment with friends.

The goal is to provide a meaningful, emotional connection with consumers and insert Chewy into the cultural conversation around the World Cup, said Lisa-Marie Curti, Head of Partnerships at Chewy. Because most consumers will have that “heartbreaking” moment during the tournament when their team loses, Chewy thought being there in that vulnerable moment with pets was the most natural fit for its brand and the World Cup.

“How do we become a part of that to say, ‘Hey, I was feeling really terrible. I can’t believe insert team that was supposed to win, lost, but remember we got to cuddle with dogs on that Chewy Cuddle Shuttle? I feel so much better and I’m going to remember this World Cup forever, not because my team won, but because I had this amazing experience,’” Curti said.

Many Brands Paw For World Cup Attention

Curti is well aware that many brands are tying themselves to the World Cup to gain consumer attention. Chewy has a few advantages to cut through, one being that the pet care category isn’t oversaturated to this audience and people love pets, Curti said.

“As you think about the noise, there’s alcohol brands, clothing brands, there’s a lot of expected brands,” she said about World Cup advertising. “The pet category in and of itself is so nuanced. You see people trying to shove dogs in every ad, because people love pets, and we’re really tapping into that insight. The unique proposition is that we’re servicing pets, and that is a great advantage for us.”

Another advantage for Chewy is that it is based in South Florida, near to where the tournament takes places. The brand is an Official Miami World Cup 2026 Host City Supporter.

“The World Cup being in your backyard is not something that happens very often, if ever, in a lifetime,” Curti said. “And so, what a great opportunity for us to stay connected in a really meaningful way to something culturally important to the world, than partnering during the World Cup as a city.”

Chewy As A Sponsor

As an official sponsor, Chewy is helping host a weeks-long festival in Miami and it is bringing a pet-focus to the events. It has an activation near one of the larger watch-party screens, and it also plans to bring therapy pets to several watch parties throughout the tournament.

The festival is featuring the Chewy brand on signage, such as along the fence perimeter and at hydration stations for people and pets. Chewy also has advertisements on public transportation around Miami that fans can see as they commute to games.

The brand will not be selling products at the event, but it does have World Cup merchandise available on its website.

“While we are a commerce organization, we do a lot to ensure that we show that we are there in ways that don’t have commerce ties to it,” she said.

It also is revitalizing a dog park along Miami’s Bayfront Park and relaunching it as Chewy Bark Park Bayfront. This helps to showcase Chewy’s commitment to the city long term, she said.

Chewy has sponsored a different dog park in the Miami area, one underneath its Metrorail system called the Underline. The brand opened that park with much fanfare — a dog pool party with nearly 300 dogs in attempt to break the Guinness World Record for largest dog pool party. The World Cup tournament is its largest event sponsorship to date, Curti said.

World Cup Consumers At Home

For the fans who won’t be at the World Cup, Chewy also is encouraging consumers to embrace their own pet and share how their pet comforts them on social media. Chewy is calling this “The Comfort Crew” and is featuring pets on its social channels.

“That’s the main call to action, is being part of that team, to be that comfort crew and highlighting that throughout the experiences,” Curti said.

The brand is measuring engagement from its activations, such as on-site with QR codes, social media listening and buzz. She declined to share any specifics and brand awareness goals.

PetSmart acquired Chewy in 2017 for $3.35 billion. In 2019, Chewy issued an IPO and now operates as an independent company.