BETTER CITIES FOR PETS™ Celebrates Washington, D.C.'s Commitment to Pets

WASHINGTON, April 21, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- It's no secret that clean cities create happier and healthier places to live for residents and pets alike. Mars Petcare applauds D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and the District of Columbia for becoming a leading pet-friendly city by joining the BETTER CITIES FOR PETS™ movement and adopting more pet-friendly programs through a $25,000 grant issued today by Mars Petcare's BETTER CITIES FOR PETS™ program.

The city has partnered with Mars Petcare on a number of pet-friendly initiatives already this year, including:

Grant for Pet-Friendly Programs
The $25,000 grant issued today will allow Humane Rescue Alliance (HRA), the District of Columbia and Mars Petcare to partner on a campaign focused on enjoying the city with your dog responsibly, including installation of multiple pet amenity stations with waste bags that will also include educational messaging in key locations across the city. By expanding the mayor's existing Clean Cities Initiative to include new pet-friendly amenities, the city will improve quality of life for people with pets and make it easier for D.C. residents to clean up after their pets.

"We are thrilled that Washington, D.C. is joining the BETTER CITIES FOR PETS™ movement to provide more pet-friendly services for people and pets," said Brad Figel, vice president of North America Public Affairs for Mars, Incorporated and a 30 year D.C. resident. "The city's commitment to educating about responsible pet ownership and providing amenities to help residents clean up after their pets will help make the city safer and cleaner for everyone. We hope cities across the country follow the example D.C. is setting and make similar commitments to create a collective impact across the country."

D.C.'s Cherry Blossom Festival Goes Pet-Friendly
Washington, D.C.'s commitment to pets came just in time for the National Cherry Blossom Festival which featured a partnership between Mars Petcare and the festival to make select signature events "pet-friendly." The thousands of daily festival attendees were offered new amenities for their pets, including comfort stations featuring waste bag distribution, treats, shade, and water stations using bowls with potable water to keep dogs hydrated and out of the sun, as well as educational resources on responsible pet ownership and the importance of creating more pet-friendly spaces.

Advocating for Pet Friendly Cities Across the U.S.
To help U.S. communities across the country adopt similar policies and programs, this spring Mars Petcare and the BETTER CITIES FOR PETS™ initiative will issue three grants totaling $100,000 in partnership with the United States Conference of Mayors (USCM).

USCM member mayors can apply now through April 27 to be considered for a grant designed to help cities promote, support, and expand pet-friendly programs and policies in communities across the country. Applications must demonstrate a commitment to continuing and expanding their pet-friendly community efforts. To view the complete Eligibility Guidelines and to apply, visit www.usmayors.org/pets.

About BETTER CITIES FOR PETS™
BETTER CITIES FOR PETS™ is a program of Mars Petcare US, the world's leading pet nutrition and health care business, created to help communities become more pet-friendly by bringing the voice of pets and their owners to places of influence and advocating for fewer pets in shelters, more pet-friendly places, and happier, healthier lives for both people and pets. Mars Petcare works with key partners, businesses and local governments to better understand how to improve communities by: providing safe and welcoming shelters that lead to forever homes; encouraging pet-friendly, responsible homes for pets; welcoming more pets into local businesses, and giving pets plenty of park space to play. For more information about Mars Petcare and BETTER CITIES FOR PETS™, visit www.bettercitiesforpets.com.

About Mars Petcare US
Mars Petcare is a diverse and growing business with 75,000 Associates across 50+ countries all dedicated to building our vision: A Better World For Pets™, by serving the health and nutrition needs of almost half the world's pets. With over 75 years of experience, Mars Petcare has developed an enviable portfolio of almost 50 brands, including the leading global pet nutrition brands PEDIGREE®, WHISKAS®, ROYAL CANIN®, NUTRO™, GREENIES™, SHEBA®, CESAR®, IAMS™ and EUKANUBA™. Mars Petcare is also the world's largest veterinary health provider through a network of over 2,000 pet hospitals including BANFIELD™, BLUE PEARL™, PET PARTNERS™, and VCA™. The company is also at the forefront of emerging innovation and technology for pets, pet owners and veterinarians, with WISDOM HEALTH™, a patented genetic technology testing for dogs and the WHISTLE™ GPS dog tracker, as well as the LEAP VENTURE STUDIO accelerator and COMPANION FUND™ programs to support startup innovation and the next generation of disruptors in the pet care industry. As part of the Mars family of companies, we are privileged with the freedom and the flexibility to fight for what we believe in – and we choose to fight to make our vision a reality.

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SOURCE Mars Petcare US