Mars Petcare will award $100,000 in grants to cities for initiatives that increase pet-friendliness

Franklin, Tenn., September 9, 2021 — For the fourth year, Mars Petcare’s BETTER CITIES FOR PETS™ program has announced plans to award grants to cities working to keep people and pets together and become more pet friendly. Applications are open and will be accepted through October 1.

Grants are available across the four focus areas of the BETTER CITIES FOR PETS program’s pet-friendly cities model: Shelters, Homes, Parks and Business. For this year’s grants, programs that support keeping people and pets together in difficult times and ending pet homelessness will be favored. Five $20,000 grants will be awarded, for a grand total of $100,000.

“Pets have played such an important role during the pandemic, giving people companionship and optimism when it was difficult to find elsewhere. Yet many people are also struggling to keep their pets due to financial hardships, loss of housing and health challenges,” said Lisa Campbell, Director of External Affairs at Mars Petcare. “This year’s priority will be programs that help keep more people and pets together through difficult times like these.”

Grants are available to cities or their designated non-profit partner. Each awarded city will also receive up to $2,000 in consultation services from Civic Design Center to help complete their project or program. To be eligible for a grant, cities must be a BETTER CITIES FOR PETS Certified City or have completed the City Assessment that is part of the certification program.

Learn more about the grants and find the link to apply at BetterCitiesForPets.com/grants.

About BETTER CITIES FOR PETS™
The BETTER CITIES FOR PETS program was created by Mars Petcare, the world’s leading pet nutrition and health care business, in partnership with experts in city planning and key government stakeholders. It includes a playbook for cities, city certification program, best practice research, policy advocacy, grants and free online resources. Find out more at BetterCitiesForPets.com.

About Mars Petcare
At Mars Petcare we have one purpose: A BETTER WORLD FOR PETS™. Through comprehensive veterinary care, nutrition, breakthrough programs in diagnostics, wearable health monitoring, DNA testing and pet welfare we help pets in more than 130 countries. For decades we’ve supported research into the incredible science of human-animal interaction at the Waltham Petcare Science Institute where scientists discover important advances in pet health and wellness. Mars Petcare is part of Mars, Incorporated, a global, family-owned business with a focus on becoming Sustainable in a Generation. Follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn.