Service Humans Programs

Mars Petcare launched its largest animal shelter volunteer program ever, as shelters are experiencing the worst rates of overpopulation and resource constraints in at least three years, with more than 250,000 dogs and cats in U.S. shelters, and 80,000 across Canada.

With the support of Bachelor alum Kaitlyn Bristowe, Mars Petcare is encouraging pet advocates and pet parents to reciprocate the support our pets show through acts of service in three ways: volunteering their time at local animal shelters, volunteering their homes by fostering and adopting, and volunteering their social platforms by sharing content about adoptable shelter pets.

To kick off the program, Kaitlyn Bristowe visited Nashville Humane Association and is advocating for homeless pets through social media. Eight out of ten shelters (84%) report that sharing pet content online leads to an increased adoption rate. Mars, Incorporated will also put its strength and scale behind the "Service Humans Needed" program, empowering its more than 60,000 Associates to volunteer 500,000 hours by the end of the year.

"As the shelter crisis has developed in recent months, we talked with many partners across the animal welfare community about how and where we could best help," said Silja Schiller-Moumtzidis, Global Director of Shelters and Pet Adoptions, Mars Petcare. "Shelter teams work tirelessly to help pets in need. We are thrilled that by uniting Associates across Mars in a timely volunteer program, we can offer relief when it's needed most."