Science tells us that when people have a pet, they tend to get more exercise, report less loneliness and stress, and have stronger social ties. That’s probably why more people than ever see pets as family. They make our lives better, and we want to spend as much time with them as we can.

The BETTER CITIES FOR PETS™ program encourages and helps cities to be pet-friendly so more people can enjoy the benefits of a life with pets. It was created by Mars Petcare, the world’s leading pet nutrition and health care company, in partnership with experts in city planning and key government stakeholders.

It includes a playbook for cities, city certification program and free online resources.

The BETTER CITIES FOR PETS™ Model

The BETTER CITIES FOR PETS™ model – the core of our assessment for certified cities – lays out 12 key focus areas for pet-friendly cities and the fundamentals that support them.

Cities can tackle improvements to achieve the model and make life better for people and pets using resources at BetterCitiesForPets.com.

See how cities are working to make life better for people and pets, and the seven trends that are driving them. Check out the full BETTER CITIES FOR PETS™ 2019 Annual Report here or download a PDF version below.