For over 20 years, Mars through its brands Pedigree and Whiskas has been supporting the German Animal Welfare Association (Deutscher Tierschutzbund e.V.). This is Germany's largest and most important animal protection organisation with its over 800,000 members and 500 participating animal shelters. Numerous animal protection activities are being promoted and carried out in a joint effort as part of this cooperation.

Support for local animal shelters

One of the main actions is making contributions towards rescuing, caring for and placing abandoned animals back into families. That is why helping animal shelters at the local level is one important area we strongly support.

Apart from extensive food donations and special production runs for animal shelters, 40 custom vehicles for member clubs of the German Animal Welfare Association have been donated in the last seven years. These vehicles greatly benefit the work of pet shelters and are a big relief in carrying out their everyday activities.

This wide-ranging engagement is supplemented by supporting both national and regional animal shelter communications, providing contributions to shelter events and by remaining vigilant in case of an emergency at a local animal shelter.

German Animal Protection Award

Time and again animal protection needs to be brought to the public's attention. Thus in 2008, the German Animal Protection Award was presented for the third time - an award created by the Whiskas and Pedigree brands, the German Animal Welfare Association, and the magazine "Funk Uhr". By receiving this award animal welfare activists making effective contributions to the well being of animals are recognised for their work.

Campaign: "You take my pet, I take yours" (Nimmst du mein Tier, nehm' ich dein Tier)

Since 1994, the German Animal Welfare Association has been helping pet owners ensure their pets are well taken care of while they are on vacation. This program continues to be actively supported by both Pedigree and Whiskas.

In this campaign the animal shelters, together with the German Animal Welfare Association, bring together pet owners willing to take care of another pet while its owner is on vacation and vice versa. Pet owners can now go on vacation without worrying about their animal.

Campaign "Adoption Drive" (Liebevolles Zuhause gesucht!)

Started in 2006, the Pedigree brand each year has been supporting placement activities for homeless dogs. This action was initiated by the German Animal Welfare Association as part of their "Adoption Drive" campaign. Altogether, several hundred thousand euro have been donated by Mars for the food, care and placement of dogs currently in re-homing centres.

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