FamilyPet of Great Neck acquired by CharityUSA.com

A pet-focused online marketing firm in Great Neck has been purchased by a Seattle company that runs websites to raise money to combat hunger, disease, illiteracy and animal abuse, executives said Wednesday.

FamilyPet has been acquired by for-profit CharityUSA.com LLC for an undisclosed amount and will operate as a subsidiary from Great Neck.

FamilyPet has eight websites, including Coupaw.com and Petsitting.com, which offer pet-related services, merchandise and information. CharityUSA, a registered commercial fundraiser, does business under the GreaterGood name and operates theanimalrescuesite.com.

"There is a great marriage opportunity because we are in the same industry and we do have a lot of the same customers," said Jared Katz, president and co-founder of FamilyPet. "Yet, we do different things, and that allows us to leverage each others' assets."

He said the union would give customers greater access to pet supplies and pet-themed home goods. And a portion of each FamilyPet sale would go to shelters and other animal-related charities.

Tim Kunin, chief executive of GreaterGood, said, "We look forward to expanding our reach in the communities in which we operate as well as providing our existing customers with a wider variety of products and ways to give back."

GreaterGood has promoted on its websites some FamilyPet goods and services. In February, FamilyPet sought an investment from GreaterGood to continue its expansion. The latter responded with a buyout offer.

Katz said the deal closed last Friday. "They are keeping our entire business unit intact; all of our operations are remaining the same," he said Wednesday.

FamilyPet grew out of a marketing firm begun in 2003 in Manhattan by Katz and Andrew Pollack. It moved to Great Neck in 2012 and now has 10 employees.

The company received $2 million last year from Chicago-based Hard Eight Venture Capital in return for an ownership stake. The money was used to purchase advertising to promote the FamilyPet websites and hire more workers.

The FamilyPet sites offer discounts on pet supplies and information about services such as pet sitting, dog walking, grooming, boarding and waste removal.

Of the buyout, Katz said, "This provides us with the opportunity to grow at a more rapid pace."

Andrew Pollack is a co-founder of FamilyPet. The company provided an additional, incorrect job title for him in an earlier version of this story online.