THE PEDIGREE® BRAND LAUNCHES ESSENTIAL SUPPORT DOGS PROGRAM TO CELEBRATE DOGS AND PROVIDE UP TO $2.5 MILLION IN SUPPORT AND NUTRITION FOR PETS IN NEED

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May 10, 2022, 09:00 ET

Pet Parents Encouraged to Share Their Essential Support Dog Stories in an Effort to Help Dogs in Need and Help End Pet Homelessness

FRANKLIN, Tenn., May 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The past 14 dog years – that's two in human years – have been tough on everyone, but they have been made a little bit easier with the unwavering support of our most essential companions – dogs. In fact, 23 million households added a pet during the pandemic, and 84% of pet parents say their emotional bond with their pets increased during that time.¹

The PEDIGREE® brand’s Essential Support Dogs program celebrates all dogs as our essential supporters and provides assistance to dogs in need. Through the program, the brand created a nationwide support fund that will provide up to $2.5 million in nutritional and financial assistance to help ensure dogs can stay with their loving families.

Today, the PEDIGREE® brand, proudly part of the Mars family of brands, is launching its Essential Support Dogs program, designed to celebrate dogs as essential supporters through challenging times. As part of the program, the PEDIGREE brand has created a nationwide support fund that will provide up to $2.5 million in nutritional and financial assistance across the U.S. to help ensure dogs can stay with their loving families. All pet parents are eligible for discounts on their PEDIGREE dry products, and families in need may also sign up for ongoing financial support at EssentialSupportDogs.com.

"Dogs have been our biggest champions over the past few years, providing us with companionship and support when we've needed it most. It's time that we give back to them," said Jean-Paul Jansen, Vice President of Marketing for Mars Petcare North America. "The PEDIGREE brand's Essential Support Dogs program strives to provide critical nutrition and care for deserving pets. We're inviting pet parents across the country to join us in recognizing these essential supporters and furthering our ambition to end pet homelessness."

To celebrate how dogs support their pet parents, the brand teamed up with Walmart to offer discounts in-store for PEDIGREE dry products. Now through July 26, pet parents across the country can receive $2 off their next purchase of PEDIGREE dry products. Those who are seeking financial assistance can sign up for the program online at EssentialSupportDogs.com to receive additional coupons for PEDIGREE dry products over the course of three months.

Starting today, pet parents can share a video or photo on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok or Twitter showing why or how their four-legged friend is essential. For each post between May 10 and July 26 that shares the campaign hashtag #EssentialSupportDogs and tags the PEDIGREE brand's account, the PEDIGREE brand will donate $5, up to $100K, to PEDIGREE Foundation to provide assistance for dogs in need through its Safety Net grants. These grants were established by PEDIGREE Foundation with the goal of keeping people and pets together through immediate assistance with medical expenses, nutrition or temporary housing. The Safety Net grants will be awarded to shelters and organizations this summer based on their program's ability to keep people and their pets together through hardships.

Built off the belief that pets make the world a better place, the Essential Support Dogs program is part of the work Mars, Incorporated and its other much loved petcare brands are doing to create a world where pets are healthy, happy and welcome. Because the world we want tomorrow is A Better World for Pets™. To learn more, please visit EssentialSupportDogs.com. Those interested in donating to the cause or wanting to purchase a dog tag can check out pedigreefoundation.org or the DOGS RULE.® store at dogsrulestore.com.

About the PEDIGREE^® Brand
The PEDIGREE Brand, proudly part of Mars, Incorporated, is the number one brand of dog food and treats in the world, feeding more dogs than any other brand. The PEDIGREE Brand offers a wide variety of products and formats for dogs at every life stage. The PEDIGREE Brand is built on an unwavering love for all dogs and a commitment to dog adoption. For more information, please visit www.Pedigree.com.

About PEDIGREE Foundation
We believe every dog deserves a loving, forever home. PEDIGREE Foundation is an independent 501(c)(3) non-profit organization working to help end pet homelessness. Nearly 3.1 million dogs end up in shelters and rescues every year, and nearly half never find a home. The foundation was established in 2008 by Mars Petcare, maker of PEDIGREE® food for dogs, to help increase dog adoption rates. We’ve awarded more than 5,800 grants and nearly $10 million to U.S. shelters and rescues that help dogs in need. At PEDIGREE Foundation, we’re working toward a day when all dogs are safe, secure, cared for, fed well and loved. See how you can help at PedigreeFoundation.org.

About Mars Petcare
Part of Mars, Incorporated, a family-owned business with more than a century of history making diverse products and offering services for people and the pets people love, the 85,000 Associates across 50+ countries in Mars Petcare are dedicated to one purpose: A BETTER WORLD FOR PETS™. With 85 years of experience, our portfolio of almost 50 brands serves the health and nutrition needs of the world's pets – including brands PEDIGREE^®, WHISKAS^®, ROYAL CANIN^®, NUTRO™, GREENIES™, SHEBA^®, CESAR^®, IAMS™ and EUKANUBA™ as well as the WALTHAM Petcare Science Institute which has advanced research in the nutrition and health of pets for over 50 years. Mars Petcare is also a leading veterinary health provider through an international network of over 2,000 pet hospitals and diagnostic services including BANFIELD™, BLUEPEARL™, VCA™, Linnaeus, AniCura and Antech. We're also active in innovation and technology for pets, with WISDOM PANEL™ genetic health screening and DNA testing for dogs, the WHISTLE™ GPS dog tracker, and LEAP VENTURE STUDIO accelerator and COMPANION FUND™ programs that drive innovation and disruption in the pet care industry. As a family business and guided by our principles, we are privileged with the flexibility to fight for what we believe in – and we choose to fight for our Purpose: A BETTER WORLD FOR PETS.

About MARS, INCORPORATED
For more than a century, Mars, Incorporated has been driven by the belief that the world we want tomorrow starts with how we do business today. This idea is at the center of who we have always been as a global, family-owned business. Today, Mars is transforming, innovating and evolving in ways that affirm our commitment to making a positive impact on the world around us.

Across our diverse and expanding portfolio of confectionery, food and petcare products and services, we employ 133,000 dedicated Associates who are all moving in the same direction: forward. With $40 billion in annual sales, we produce some of the world's best-loved brands including DOVE^®, EXTRA^®, M&M's^®, MILKY WAY^®, SNICKERS^®, TWIX^®, ORBIT^®, PEDIGREE^®, ROYAL CANIN^®, SKITTLES^®, BEN'S ORIGINAL™, WHISKAS^®, COCOAVIA^® and 5™; and take care of half of the world's pets through our nutrition, health and services businesses, including AniCura, Banfield Pet Hospitals™, BluePearl^®, Linnaeus and VCA™.