Mars Petcare will award $100,000 in grants for innovative city initiatives that help pets and pet parents

FRANKLIN, Tenn., June 27, 2023 – Being pet friendly is an important factor in cities’ future health and growth. That’s what 98% of cities said when Mars Petcare surveyed participants in the BETTER CITIES FOR PETS™ program about their needs and concerns.* To support this and other benefits of pets for people and cities, Mars Petcare is proud to announce its sixth year of grants for cities. Applications are open now and will be accepted through August 11, 2023.

The company plans to award five $20,000 grants in 2023, for a total of $100,000. The grants are being administered by Civic Design Center and are available to cities or their designated NGO/non-profit partner. Grants may focus on any of the four areas of the BETTER CITIES FOR PETS program’s pet-friendly cities model: Shelters, Homes, Parks and Businesses. Cities that receive grants in 2023 will also receive up to $2,000 in optional consultation services from Civic Design Center to help implement their program.

“When we surveyed BETTER CITIES FOR PETS program participants, emerging needs that stood out included helping people secure pet-friendly housing, assisting pet parents in tough times and supporting unhoused people with pets,” said Lisa Campbell, Vice President of Corporate Affairs at Mars Petcare. “We’re thrilled our 2022 grants are already helping cities like Houston, Spokane and Phoenix tackle these challenges, and we’re excited for our 2023 grants to support even more innovative programs across the country.”

Other findings from Mars Petcare’s 2023 survey of BETTER CITIES FOR PETS program participants* included:

• 98% of respondents said pet-friendly businesses have a positive economic impact on cities.
• 90% said that pet-friendly housing options make a city more attractive for people considering moving there.
• 88% said their city’s tourism is improved by having pet-friendly places.
• 83% said they need to expand efforts to reach underserved communities about pet-related resources.
• 75% said that having pet-friendly housing available for all income levels is important to reduce human homelessness.

Mars Petcare’s BETTER CITIES FOR PETS program grants are designed to assist cities with innovative programs and policies that address these and other important needs. Since 2018, the company has awarded approximately a million dollars in food donations and nearly half a million dollars in grants that have helped cities create or expand pet-friendly initiatives.

To be eligible for a BETTER CITIES FOR PETS program grant, cities must be a Certified City or have completed the City Assessment that is part of the 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.

This year, Mars Petcare also announced Workplace Grants from its CESAR® brand, which is working to make the world a more dog-friendly place. The grants are designed to help businesses make simple changes to welcome dogs into their offices. Applications for 2023 CESAR® Workplace Grants are due by Friday, July 28, 2023.

Learn more about Mars Petcare grants and find links to apply 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. We’re also dedicated to providing a safe and fun place for dogs to stay and socialize at over 200 Camp Bow Wow® doggy day care and boarding facilities. 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: A BETTER WORLD FOR PETS.

* Mars Petcare online survey of BETTER CITIES FOR PETS™ program participants, conducted in January and February 2023.