Pet ownership is on the rise amid the pandemic with more than 11 million households having welcomed a new pet during COVID-191. While people continue to seek companionship and welcome new pets to their families, Mars Petcare is supporting the millions of pets in need of homes by expanding its annual BETTER CITIES FOR PETS Adoption Weekend. This year the event was held virtually during Adopt a Shelter Pet Month on October 17-18 and included shelters across BETTER CITIES FOR PETS certified cities in Middle Tennessee and Houston. As part of Adoption Weekend, Mars Petcare covered up to $100,000 in adoption fees.
Tennessee Titans welcomed 200 adoptable dog and cat cutouts at Nissan Stadium for the game vs. the Houston Texans ahead of the 12th Mars Petcare annual BETTER CITIES FOR PETS Adoption Weekend, taking place Oct. 17-18 in Nashville and Houston.
Joining in to support this year's event was Mars Petcare partner, the Tennessee Titans, who are promoting the importance of pet adoption to find loving homes for hundreds of pets in their hometown. To help facilitate the adoption of pets in both participating cities, the Tennessee Titans placed 200 cutouts of adoptable dogs and cats in the stadium for the Oct. 18 game against the Houston Texans. Viewers were be able to see these pets in the stands and can visit www.BetterCitiesforPets.com/AdoptionWeekend2020 for more information about adoptable pets in the two cities.
"Now more than ever people are looking to pets for comfort and companionship, and we want to ensure as many people as possible can experience the love and support that pets can offer," said Jam Stewart, Vice President of Corporate Affairs at Mars Petcare. "By expanding this year's BETTER CITIES FOR PETS Adoption Weekend, we hope to help more people find their forever friend and further support our mission of ending pet homelessness."
The Mars Petcare BETTER CITIES FOR PETS Adoption Weekend was hosted virtually via Zoom on Saturday (Oct. 17) and Sunday (Oct. 18) to promote a safe and contact-free process. The event included both dogs and cats available for adoption. Participating shelters included:
- Friends for Life Animal Shelter – Houston, TX
- Houston Humane Society – Houston, TX
- Metro Animal Care and Control – Nashville, TN
- Nashville Humane Association – Nashville, TN
- Williamson County Animal Center – Franklin, TN
"We're proud to work with Mars Petcare to promote this year's adoption weekend," said Gil Beverly, Titans Sr. Vice President, Chief Marketing and Revenue Officer. "We're excited to lend our seats to these pets in need of a loving home and promote this important cause in a safe and healthy manner."
A complete schedule for each virtual event by market was available at www.BetterCitiesforPets.com/AdoptionWeekend2020. In addition to paying for the adoption of all pets that find a loving home as a result of the event, Mars Petcare provided every family who adopts with a starter kit that includes food from PEDIGREE and IAMS, treats from GREENIES and TEMPTATIONS , as well as coupons and swag from BANFIELD Pet Hospital, VCA Animal Hospitals, WISDOM PANEL test kits, the PEDIGREE Foundation and the BETTER CITIES FOR PETS program. The company also offered free virtual pet training 101 sessions for the new pet parents, hosted by Mars Petcare Associate volunteers and pet experts.
Beyond Adoption Weekend, Mars Petcare is continuing to work with cities and government to help enable people to enjoy the many benefits of pet ownership by advocating for pet-friendly cities, including affordable pet-friendly housing. For more information on the BETTER CITIES FOR PETS program, visit: www.bettercitiesforpets.com
