Mars Petcare’s BETTER CITIES FOR PETS™ Program to Award $100,000 in Grants to Help Cities Keep People and Pets Together

It’s the company’s seventh year offering grants to help cities assist pet parents and be more pet friendly

FRANKLIN, TENN., UNITED STATES, May 9, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Pet ownership brings people together and helps cities feel connected. In fact, 91% of pet parents say having lots of pets makes a community feel more welcoming, and 88% want more pet-friendly places to connect with other pet lovers.*

Supporting these benefits of pets, once again in 2024, Mars Petcare will provide $100,000 in BETTER CITIES FOR PETS grants to help cities with programs designed to have a lasting impact on keeping people and pets together and making their community more pet friendly. Applications are open now and will be accepted through August 16, 2024.

The Power of Pet Ownership

“In our research and in conversations with BETTER CITIES FOR PETS partners, we see universal belief in the benefits of pet ownership,” said Lisa Campbell, Senior Vice President, Corporate Affairs at Mars Petcare. “We’re thrilled our grants can help cities that are taking innovative action for pets and pet parents, whether helping people keep pets in tough times, increasing pet-friendly housing, or making public spaces more welcoming to people and pets.”

Additional findings from Mars Petcare’s “Pets Connect Us” report* include:

• 70% of pet parents say owning a pet makes them more invested in their community.
• 79% say they’ve met neighbors through interactions related to pets.
• 83% say their neighbors are proactive about looking out for each other’s pets.
• 73% say they’ve connected with someone from a different generation, culture or racial/ethnic background through mutual affection for their pets.

About the Grants

Mars Petcare aims to award five $20,000 grants in 2024 to support initiatives in the four areas of the BETTER CITIES FOR PETS program’s pet-friendly cities model: Shelters, Homes, Parks and Businesses. The grants are being administered by Civic Design Center and are available to cities or their designated NGO/non-profit partner. Cities that receive 2024 grants will also receive up to $2,000 in optional consultation services from Civic Design Center to help implement their program.

Since 2018, the company has awarded more than half a million dollars in grants that have helped cities create or expand pet-friendly initiatives. Recipient cities have included Dallas, Texas; Las Vegas, Nevada; Key West, Florida; Fort Wayne, Indiana; Spokane, Washington; Houston, Texas; Phoenix, Arizona; Cheyenne, Wyoming; Schenectady, New York and others.

How to Apply

To be eligible for a BETTER CITIES FOR PETS program grant, cities must be a BETTER CITIES FOR PETS Certified City or have completed the City Assessment that is part of the BETTER CITIES FOR PETS city certification program. This program provides a national recognition platform for cities’ pet-friendly efforts, along with best practice research, policy advocacy and resources for initiatives that help pets and pet parents.

Interested cities can learn more about the grants and find FAQs and tips at BetterCitiesForPets.com/grants.

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.

* KRC Research conducted online surveys of 1,000 pet parents each from the U.S. and Canada from October 30 – November 6, 2023.

BETTER CITIES FOR PETS™ Program
Mars Pet Nutrition North America
info@bettercitiesforpets.com
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