Pawsome News…No Kitten Around! Mars Petcare Helps Nashville-Area Families Grow with Fee-Free Adoptions

FRANKLIN, Tenn., Aug. 22, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- If you're considering adding a pet to your family, you'll want to hightail it to one of three area shelters on August 26 and 27 for a Mars Petcare sponsored adoption event. The Franklin-based company is covering fees for all pets adopted at Metro Animal Care and Control, Nashville Humane Association and Williamson County Animal Center on Friday, August 26, and Saturday, August 27.

"More than 10,000 pets end up homeless in Middle Tennessee every year," said Mark Johnson, President of Mars Petcare US. "As a company that wants to make a better world for pets, that's heartbreaking to see. With so many resources at our headquarters here in Middle Tennessee, we believe this is an area where we can make a huge contribution."

Helping Nashville Lead Among BETTER CITIES FOR PETS™

Over the last eight years, Mars Petcare US has supported shelters around the country with 20 million pounds of food donations, 50,000 volunteer hours, and more than $6M in shelters renovations and Pedigree Foundation grants, plus more. In Middle Tennessee, the company hosts adoption events, Associates volunteer their time to renovate pet shelters, build and beautify dog parks and trails, teach kids how to be responsible pet owners, and distribute human and pet food at local food pantries. Collectively, Mars Petcare and its Associates have helped thousands of pets find loving homes. Now, the company is doing even more, in partnership with the City of Nashville and Nashville Mayor Megan Barry.

"I've always been passionate about animals – personally, and now in my role as Mayor of Nashville," said Mayor Barry. "My team and I are working to make Nashville a leading city for animal welfare, and we couldn't do it without support from partners like Mars Petcare. Our shared mission and partnership will allow us to work together to have a significant and lasting impact in our City."

Mars Petcare US is investing $150,000 into the Nashville area to help with important pet-related community initiatives, including supporting more spay-neuter programs, continuing to refresh and refurbish local shelters, educating about responsible pet ownership and enhancing outdoor play places.

"While still committed to helping pets find homes, new this year, we're setting out to raise awareness on the value of pets and help non-pet-owners accept them in new places," explained Johnson. "More than ever, we want to see pet owners thrive by increasing our quality of life by taking Nashville a step further as great city for people with pets."

August Adoption Event Promises More Fur-Ever Families

On Friday and Saturday, August 26 and 27, Metro Animal Care and Control, Nashville Humane Association and Williamson County Animal Center will offer fee-free adoptions, sponsored by Mars Petcare.

Doors will be open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and the organizations hope to find loving homes for as many as 400 pets. Mars Petcare will be on hand to provide pet food and other items at all three shelters and to answer questions and help families get off on the right "paw" with their new pet.

New pet owners will also receive a "wag bag" packed with helpful educational materials, product samples and other items from Mars Petcare's trusted brands, such as PEDIGREE®, IAMS®, SHEBA® and TEMPTATIONS®.

"Mars has been a longtime supporter of local shelters in the Nashville area," said Rebecca Morris, Public Information Officer, Metro Animal Care and Control. "Their commitment to ensuring that all of our animal shelters are warm and welcoming makes a long-lasting impact. By creating friendly environments, we're able to ensure that even more animals find the homes they deserve."

For more about Mars Petcare US and learn how you can help make Nashville an even better place for people and pets, visit http://bettercitiesforpets.tumblr.com/. 

About Mars Petcare US

Mars Petcare is the world's leading pet nutrition and health care business that strives to make A BETTER WORLD FOR PETS® every day. 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 how we're creating A BETTER WORLD FOR PETS™, visit https://www.facebook.com/ABetterWorldforPets.

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160822/400097LOGO 

SOURCE Mars Petcare