Nearly 1.4 Million Orphaned Animals Have Been Adopted in Just Three Months Through the Iams Home 4 the Holidays 2009 Pet Adoption Drive

MASON, Ohio, Jan. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- After setting its most aggressive pet adoption goal to-date – Iams Home 4 the Holidays (IH4TH) announced today that 1,363,638 animals were adopted through the global program. Between Oct. 1, 2009 and Jan. 4, 2010, more than 3,500 animal organizations and IH4TH ambassador, two-time Academy Award®-winning actress Hilary Swank, were a powerful combination in the massive effort to help reduce pet homelessness.

"I'm proud to be part of such an amazing cause and I hope the many families who adopted through the IH4TH program will experience the same unconditional love and fulfillment my dogs Karoo and Rumi give me every day," said Swank. "I hope our success inspires everyone to get involved and continue to help eradicate pet homelessness because there are millions of animals who still need our help and we all have the ability to help make a difference."

Since 1999, with the support of participating animal organizations from 17 countries, IH4TH continues to be one of the world's largest and most successful pet adoption programs. The following animals were adopted this year:

• 729,357 dogs
• 588,265 cats
• 46,016 other animals (including rabbits, reptiles, horses, birds and more)

"Every year I continue to be inspired by the outpouring of love and commitment I see as millions of people experience the joy of pet adoption," said Mike Arms, founder of IH4TH and president of Helen Woodward Animal Center. "Not only has IH4TH made a tremendous impact on pets, we've improved the lives of people who work tirelessly with animal organizations around the world to help homeless animals every day."

To ensure adoptions are successful for pet parents and their new 4-legged family members, everyone who adopted through the program received an Iams adoption kit and DVD loaded with important information about nutrition, training and proper care.

"All of us at Iams are committed to helping orphaned pets and we'll continue to aggressively work with participating animal organizations to make sure they have the tools and support they need so that more animals find loving homes," according to Dan Rajczak, senior vice president – Global Snacks and Pet Care.

The 2010 program will kick-off on Oct.1, however there are plenty of ways to get involved now. To learn more about how to make a difference in the life of an orphaned pet, including finding participating shelters, volunteering or making a donation to support animal organizations and pets awaiting new homes, visit www.iamshome4theholidays.com.

About Iams Home 4 the Holidays (IH4TH)

As one of the most successful pet adoption programs in the world, IH4TH partners with thousands of animal organizations dedicated to finding forever homes for orphaned pets. Founded by Helen Woodward Animal Center and supported by Iams, IH4TH began in 1999 with just 14 participating animal shelters in San Diego County. Since it began 11 years ago, IH4TH – along with more than 3,500 pet adoption centers – has helped 4.6 million families experience the joy of pet adoption, including nearly 1.4 million pet adoptions from this past year alone. For more information, please visit www.iamshome4theholidays.com or follow us at www.twitter.com/IH4TH or www.facebook.com/IH4TH.

About Helen Woodward Animal Center

Helen Woodward Animal Center is a private, non-profit organization where "people help animals and animals help people." Founded in 1972 in Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., the Center provides services for more than 57,000 people and thousands of animals annually. Helen Woodward Animal Center is also the creator of the international Home 4 the Holidays pet adoption drive and the Animal Center Education Services program, teaching the business of saving lives to animal welfare leaders from around the world.

About P&G Pet Care

For more than 60 years, P&G Pet Care (NYSE: PG), the maker of Iams and Eukanuba, has enhanced the well-being of dogs and cats by providing world-class quality foods and pet care products. To learn more about Eukanuba® and Iams® Dog & Cat Foods or general pet care and nutrition information, call the Iams Consumer Care Center at (800) 446-3075. You can also visit us on the Web at www.iams.com or www.eukanuba.com.

About Procter & Gamble

Four billion times a day, P&G brands touch the lives of people around the world. The company has one of the strongest portfolios of trusted, quality, leadership brands, including Pampers®, Tide®, Ariel®, Always®, Whisper®, Pantene®, Mach3®, Bounty®, Dawn®, Gain®, Pringles®, Charmin®, Downy®, Lenor®, Iams®, Crest®, Oral-B®, Actonel®, Duracell®, Olay®, Head & Shoulders®, Wella®, Gillette®, Braun® and Fusion®. The P&G community includes approximately 135,000 employees working in about 80 countries worldwide. Please visit http://www.pg.com for the latest news and in-depth information about P&G and its brands.

SOURCE Iams