TUCSON, Ariz., March 7, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Pima Animal Care Center is getting a new "catty shack" and "catio" for its working cat project. Not all cats are suitable as pets, and the working cat project helps find a new purpose for these cats by placing them in environments where they can flourish, such as working alongside humans to control rat and mice populations. By finding more suitable homes for these cats, the program also helps lower euthanasia rates and control feral cat populations. The new "catty shack" and "catio" provide a space for these cats until they are adopted to a working situation.
More than 400 Mars Petcare volunteers from across the country gathered to pick up where they left off last year by building these housing areas.
At the same time, the adjacent Christopher Columbus Dog Park will soon have a play area specifically dedicated to low-energy dogs. While the park currently has separate areas for large dogs and small dogs, Mars Petcare volunteers are constructing a special area for more low-energy dogs to play separated from dogs that are more rambunctious to ensure that lower energy dogs get their exercise without feeling overwhelmed or becoming stressed. Volunteers are also building new shade structures to keep pets cool and gravel the park to make it more aesthetically pleasing and easier for the city to maintain.
"We are excited to be back in Tucson continuing the work we started last year at Pima Animal Care Center and Christopher Columbus Dog Park," said Tom Baldwin, Customer Managing Director, Pet Nutrition North America, Mars Petcare. "This year's volunteer efforts -- whether it's building a 'catio,' making a new toy or providing a space for dogs to play – help us live our purpose by helping homeless pets and beautifying pet friendly places."
A BETTER WORLD FOR PETS® is the purpose Mars Petcare aims to support by coming together with more than 400 Mars Petcare Associates for an afternoon of service. The event is a key component of Mars Petcare's annual National Sales Planning Meeting, and represents the largest Mars Petcare US Mars Volunteer Program (MVP) event since the program's inception.
"Through our MVP program, we strive to leave a lasting impression on our host city," said Baldwin. "Associates from all business units and locations really get to see the shelter and park develop from when we started volunteering last year."
Across Mars, Associates are encouraged to give their time, skills and passion to improve the world around them through MVP events – one of the company's signature volunteer programs. MVP offers Associates 16 hours of paid time off to volunteer in their backyards throughout the year. In the last year alone, Mars Petcare and its Associates' giving efforts in the US resulted in:
- More than 5,000 volunteers giving back to their communities
- More than 30,000 volunteer hours
- Helping more than 77,000 pets and more than 131,000 people
To learn more about Mars Petcare and its MVP volunteer efforts, visit https://www.facebook.com/MarsPetcareUS/.
About Mars Petcare US
Mars Petcare is the world's leading pet nutrition and health care business. A BETTER WORLD FOR PETS™ is the purpose statement held by Mars Petcare as we believe that pets make our lives better and that pet ownership brings joy and benefits which should be accessible to everyone. In the United States, Mars Petcare food brands include PEDIGREE®, IAMS™, ROYAL CANIN®, GREENIES™, CESAR®, NUTRO™ and SHEBA®. Veterinary practices include BANFIELD™ and BLUE PEARL™. Specialty brands include WISDOM PANEL™ Canine DNA Tests and WHISTLE™ GPS Pet Tracker. The company's WALTHAM™ Centre for Pet Nutrition is a leading scientific authority on pet nutrition and wellbeing. Mars Petcare has more than 37,000 Associates worldwide. For more information about Mars Petcare's purpose: A BETTER WORLD FOR PETS™, visit www.bettercitiesforpets.com.
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SOURCE Mars Petcare US
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