Hill's Pet Nutrition, PetSmart Team Up with Football Star Chris Godwin to Celebrate the Real MVPs: Our Pets

Football player and pet parent Chris Godwin joins MVPets campaign to raise awareness of Pet Adoption

TOPEKA, Kan., Feb. 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Just in time for the Big Game, Hill's Pet Nutrition, a global leader in science-led nutrition and PetSmart, a leading pet retailer, are teaming up with football player and pet parent Chris Godwin to celebrate our off-field MVPs - our pets. With more than 6.5M pets entering shelters each year, the MVPets campaign raises awareness about the importance of pet adoption and encourages pet parents to choose pet adoption when adding a pet to their family.

UNINTERRUPTED x Chris Godwin | More Than a Pet

In collaboration with UNINTERRUPTED, the multi-Emmy Award-winning athlete empowerment brand within The SpringHill Company founded by LeBron James and Maverick Carter, Chris Godwin joined forces with Hill's Pet Nutrition and PetSmart to create More Than A Pet, a heartwarming series where Chris shares his love for advocating for shelter dogs, including his personal adoption of Ziggy, who he was able to give the second chance she deserved. More Than A Pet is a fun play on UNINTERRUPTED's "More Than An Athlete" - an expression that reimagines the connection to the athlete's world beyond sport. While Chris Godwin is More Than An Athlete, Ziggy is also More Than A Pet.

"Second chances are really important, especially for animals like Ziggy. It inspired us to find a way to give back and help more pets. We created the Team Godwin Foundation and our Second Chance Fund - this is a place we have been able to make a difference for pets in need," said Godwin, MVPets campaign spokesperson. "We can't do it alone, so I am grateful for companies like Hill's Pet Nutrition and PetSmart for all they do to provide support and resources to help pets in need. It's been great working with both companies to raise awareness about the importance of pet adoption and giving pets the second chance they deserve."

Watch: More Than A Pet

When he's not playing football, he's playing fetch with his dogs. Godwin also shares an inside look at how he'll do anything for his pets and invites other pet parents to join in creating an MVPet player card in collaboration with Hill's and PetSmart.

How It Works:

• Step 1: Visit MVPets.com and upload your pet's photo
• Step 2: Customize a jersey design
• Step 3: Share your custom player card using #MVPet and #AnythingForPets on social

For every MVPet Player Card created through Feb. 15, 2023, PetSmart and Hill's Pet Nutrition are donating $1 to PetSmart Charities, up to $150,000.

"For the last 75 years, Hill's Pet Nutrition has been on a mission to help enrich and lengthen the special relationships between people and their pets. Through our Hill's Food, Shelter & Love program, we've helped provide more than $300 million in pet food to more than 1,000 shelters and have helped more than 13 million pets find new homes," said Caroline Chulick, Head of Marketing for Hill's Pet Nutrition U.S. "We are proud to join forces with PetSmart to raise awareness about the importance of pet adoption and provide engaging ways for pet parents to celebrate the special relationships with their pets and support shelter pets in need."

"Our MVPets and 'More than a Pet' campaigns are the perfect way for PetSmart and Hill's to celebrate what all pet parents – star athletes or not - already know: pets change our lives for the better, and we'll do anything for them," says PetSmart Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer Will Smith. "It's only fitting then that these initiatives support PetSmart Charities, which has helped more than 10 million pets find loving homes. With our commitment of up to $150,000 in partnership with Hill's, we're shining a light on how adoption enriches the lives of pets and the people who love them."

Learn more hillspet.com and petsmart.com.

About Hill's Pet Nutrition

Founded 75 years ago with an unwavering commitment to science-led pet nutrition, Hill's Pet Nutrition is on a mission to help enrich and lengthen the special relationships between people and their pets. Hill's is dedicated to pioneering research for dogs and cats using a scientific understanding of their specific needs. As a leading veterinarian recommended pet food brand, knowledge is our first ingredient with 220+ veterinarians, PhD nutritionists and food scientists working to develop breakthrough innovations in pet health. Hill's Prescription Diet therapeutic nutrition plus our everyday foods, Hill's Science Diet, Hill's Healthy Advantage and Hill's Bioactive Recipe, are sold at vet clinics and pet specialty retailers worldwide. For more information about our products and nutritional philosophy, visit HillsPet.com or HillsVet.com. To learn more about Hill's Food, Shelter & Love program, visit hillspet.com/shelter.

About PetSmart 

PetSmart LLC is the leading pet retailer offering products, services and solutions for the lifetime needs of pets. At PetSmart, we love pets and we believe pets make us better people. Every day with every connection, PetSmart's passionate associates help bring pet parents closer to their pets so together they can live more fulfilled lives. This vision impacts everything we do for our customers, the way we support our associates and how we give back to our communities.

PetSmart operates approximately 1,660 pet stores in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico, as well as more than 200 in-store PetSmart PetsHotel® dog and cat boarding facilities. We provide a broad range of competitively priced pet food and products, as well as services such as dog training, pet grooming, pet boarding, PetSmart Doggie Day Camp™ and pet adoption.

PetSmart, PetSmart Charities® and PetSmart Charities® of Canada work with more than 2,000 animal welfare organizations to bring adoptable pets into stores so they have the best chance possible of finding a forever home.

Through this in-store adoption program and other signature events, PetSmart has facilitated over 10 million adoptions, more than any other brick-and-mortar organization.

About UNINTERRUPTED

UNINTERRUPTED is the multi-Emmy Award-winning athlete empowerment brand within The SpringHill Company, founded by LeBron James and Maverick Carter, that combines revolutionary media, experiences and consumer products in the space of sports culture. The brand was built from "More Than an Athlete" — an expression that reimagines the connection to the athlete's world beyond sport. UNINTERRUPTED empowers athletes as creators and storytellers to inspire all people to unleash the "more than" within themselves. Original content properties and franchises include The Shop, Top Class, Love Is UNINTERRUPTED, What's My Name: Muhammad Ali, Kneading Dough, More Than An Athlete, Throwing Bones, Greatness Code, Golden: The Journey of USA's Elite Gymnasts and many more.

SOURCE Hill's Pet Nutrition