Homeless Pets Get Love on #GivingTuesday from Mars Petcare

FRANKLIN, Tenn., Nov. 29, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Pets make our lives healthier, safer and happier, yet millions of pets end up homeless every year in the United States. That's why this #GivingTuesday, Mars Petcare and its brands and foundations are teaming up to donate nearly $785,000 in financial and in-kind donations to shelters and rescues that help homeless pets.

"Shelters and rescues work tirelessly to help homeless pets," said Mark Johnson, regional president of Mars Petcare NA. "#GivingTuesday is a special chance for pet owners and non-pet owners alike to support these organizations because we know how pets make us and our world better."

Anyone looking to get involved can join Mars Petcare and its foundations in a number of ways to support pets in need this season. Here's how:

• To make sure homeless dogs are #neverlostagain, for every Whistle® GPS Pet Tracker purchased Friday, November 25, through Tuesday, November 29, at whistle.com, Whistle will donate a tracker and three months of free service to an adoptable shelter dog, up to 1,000 donations. Fifty of these donations will go to shelters in Mars Petcare's hometown community of greater Nashville, helping care for the more than 10,000 homeless animals in middle Tennessee.
• To encourage adoption and give adopting families insights about their new pet, Mars Veterinary's Wisdom Panel® brand will provide 10 doggie DNA kits to three animal shelters selected by winners of its "Guess the Breed" Facebook game, totaling 30 kits that will give families insight into their new pet's history. To participate, play this week's game on the Wisdom Panel Facebook page at facebook.com/DoggieDNA.
• To assist organizations around the country that help dogs in need, today, PEDIGREE® Foundation is announcing the recipients of its 2016 grants, awarding more than $600,000 to pets in need. Join by donating to the 2017 grant fund by visiting pedigreefoundation.org or texting "pedigreerescues" to 41444.
• To help provide disaster relief for pets, veterinary assistance grants, pet advocacy and more, Banfield Pet Hospital® is kicking off a donation matching campaign. Through the end of the year, Banfield will match all donations made to Banfield Foundation®, up to $50,000.

Find more about how Mars Petcare is helping to change the world for pets, visit https://www.facebook.com/ABetterWorldforPets.

About Mars Petcare US

Mars Petcare is the world's leading pet nutrition and health care business. A BETTER WORLD FOR PETS® is the vision statement held by Mars Petcare as we believe that pets make our lives better and that pet ownership brings joy and benefits which should be accessible to everyone. In the United States, Mars Petcare food brands include PEDIGREE®, IAMS®, ROYAL CANIN®, GREENIES®, CESAR®, NUTRO® and SHEBA®. Veterinary practices include BANFIELD® and BLUE PEARL®. Specialty brands include WISDOM PANEL® Canine DNA Tests and WHISTLE® GPS Pet Tracker. The company's WALTHAM™ Centre for Pet Nutrition is a leading scientific authority on pet nutrition and wellbeing. Mars Petcare has more than 37,000 Associates worldwide. For more information about Mars Petcare's vision of A BETTER WORLD FOR PETS™, visit https://www.facebook.com/ABetterWorldforPets.

About Whistle

Whistle is the pet tech brand born out of a love for pets. Founded in 2012 by Ben Jacobs, Steven Eidelman, and Kevin Lloyd, Whistle is on a mission to equip pet owners with simple tools that help them stay connected to their pets from anywhere. The award-winning flagship product, Whistle® GPS Pet Tracker, combines best in breed location tracking with activity monitoring to offer the 150 million pet parents in the U.S. peace of mind about their best friends. For more information about Whistle visit www.whistle.com or www.facebook.com/whistlelabs or www.twitter.com/whistlelabs.

About Mars Veterinary

Mars Veterinary is a business unit of Mars Petcare and the makers of Wisdom Panel® brand canine DNA tests. Its mission is facilitating responsible pet care by enhancing the well-being and relationship between pets, pet owners and veterinarians through valuable insights into pets as individuals. For nearly a decade Mars Veterinary has researched and developed state-of-the-art genetic tests for mixed-breed dogs, revolutionizing personalized pet care. By discovering a mixed-breed dog's ancestry, pet owners and veterinarians can work together to tailor wellness programs that fit the one-of-a-kind needs of a mixed-breed dog. For more information, visit www.wisdompanel.com.

About PEDIGREE® Foundation

Formed in 2008 by the makers of PEDIGREE® food for dogs, the PEDIGREE® Foundation is an independent 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to helping dogs in need find loving homes by supporting the good work of shelters and dog rescue organizations throughout the country. Through no fault of their own, more than four million dogs end up in shelters and rescue organizations every year, and nearly half of them never find a place to call home. For more information on how you can support the foundation visit https://www.pedigreefoundation.org/.

About Banfield Foundation®

Founded in 2015 by Banfield Pet Hospital®, the Banfield Foundation® is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization committed to improving the well-being of pets and communities. Our mission is to elevate the power of the human-animal bond, strengthen the pet welfare community, provide disaster relief for pets and advance the science of veterinary medicine through fostering innovation and education. We also offer support for all aspects of veterinary care and provide grants to nonprofit organizations in order keep pets healthy and in loving homes. For more information visit BanfieldFoundation.org or follow us at www.facebook.com/BanfieldFoundation.

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SOURCE Mars Petcare