Grants to be Awarded to Cities In Support of Pet-Friendly Initiatives

WASHINGTON, Jan. 23, 2019 Today, Mars Petcare and its BETTER CITIES FOR PETS™ program, in partnership with the U.S. Conference of Mayors (USCM), issued a call for 2019 grant entries for cities demonstrating their commitment to becoming more pet-friendly. This announcement coincides with the 87th U.S. Conference of Mayors (USCM) Winter Meeting, taking place this week in Washington, D.C.

“In 2018, we awarded grants to three deserving cities – Fort Worth, Texas, Richmond, Virginia and Hallandale Beach, Florida – to improve accessibility and pet-friendliness in their communities,” said Jam Stewart, Vice President of Corporate Affairs at Mars Petcare. “Those cities made tremendous progress in increasing their resources and making their community more pet-friendly. We’re excited to expand BETTER CITIES FOR PETS with this year’s grant program in partnership with USCM.”

Cities seeking grants must demonstrate a commitment to existing and future pet-friendly community efforts. Applications will be submitted to an independent panel of judges who will determine which cities will be awarded grants. Grant applications are due March 8 and grant recipients will be announced this summer during USCM’s 87th Annual Meeting starting June 28.

“Mayors have so many priorities to juggle – improving the health and wellness of their residents, and making their cities more attractive places to live, work and visit,” said Tom Cochran, CEO and Executive Director of the US Conference of Mayors. “That’s why we’re excited to once again partner with Mars Petcare’s BETTER CITIES FOR PETS program – it really addresses all these needs, in the form of our best and most loving friends – our pets.”

Launched in 2017, the Mars Petcare BETTER CITIES FOR PETS program has impacted 100+ cities, providing $100,000 in grants, $1 million in pet food donations, as well as resources and city-specific guidance, to help more communities become pet-friendly. In addition, the BETTER CITIES FOR PETS program has taken an active role in positively impacting legislation, lobbying for several policy changes to make communities to make them pet friendly.

To learn more about the 2019 grant applications visit: www.BetterCitiesforPets.com/mayors and www.usmayors.org/pets.

###

About BETTER CITIES FOR PETS™
The BETTER CITIES FOR PETS™ program was created by Mars Petcare US, the world’s leading pet nutrition and health care business, to help communities become more pet-friendly by bringing the voice of pets and their owners to places of influence and advocating for fewer pets in shelters, more pet-friendly places, and happier, healthier lives for both people and pets. Mars Petcare works with key partners, businesses and local governments to better understand how to improve communities by: providing safe and welcoming shelters that lead to forever homes; encouraging pet-friendly, responsible homes for pets; welcoming more pets into local businesses, and giving pets plenty of park space to play. For more information about Mars Petcare and the BETTER CITIES FOR PETS™ program, visit www.bettercitiesforpets.com.

About Mars Petcare US
Mars Petcare US is the U.S. operations of the world’s largest petcare company at the privately-held Mars, Incorporated. Mars Petcare US produces some of the world’s most beloved pet care brands, including PEDIGREE® Food and Treats for Dogs, CESAR® Canine Cuisine, IAMS™ Pet Food, SHEBA® Entrees for Cats, WHISKAS® Food for Cats, GREENIES™ Dental Chews and PILL POCKETS™ Treats, NUTRO™ Pet Food, EUKANUBA™ Pet Food and TEMPTATIONS™ Treats for Cats, as well as exclusive brands products for some of the leading retailers in the U.S. Headquartered in Franklin, Tenn., more than 3,700 Mars Petcare US associates make, sell and distribute its high-quality pet food from 20 manufacturing facilities located in communities across the U.S. For more information, please visit www.mars.com.

About The United States Conference of Mayors
The U.S. Conference of Mayors is the official nonpartisan organization of cities with populations of 30,000 or more. There are nearly 1,400 such cities in the country today, and each city is represented in the Conference by its chief elected official, the mayor. Like us on Facebook at facebook.com/usmayors, or follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/usmayors.