(PRESS RELEASE) Cities across the country are acknowledging the needs of pets in their neighborhoods; in fact 82 percent of U.S. mayors agree that pets positively impact their communities. To help cities better accommodate pets, Mars Petcare and the U.S. Conference of Mayors (USCM) announced the recipients of the BETTER CITIES FOR PETS™ $100,000 grant program. The funds will be awarded to:
- Fort. Worth, Texas: Fort Worth will use their $50,000 BETTER CITIES FOR PETS™ Grant to implement the Pets for Life program, a national program that provides pet wellness resources to residents in under-served communities. In its first year, Fort Worth expects to help 700 pets.
- Richmond, Virginia: Richmond will use their $30,000 BETTER CITIES FOR PETS™ Grant to improve human health and wellness through increased registered therapy animal teams with Pet Partners.
- Hallandale Beach, Florida: Every year in Broward County more than 30,000 domesticated animals become homeless, and with this $20,000 BETTER CITIES FOR PETS™ Grant, Hallandale will implement a new program to engage the community in pet ownership education and support local pets.
The grant program is a result of Mars Petcare and USCM’s ongoing mission to drive change across the country and help cities create pet-friendly policies. To jump start change in additional communities, Mars Petcare will also provide $1 million in NUTRO™ dog food among the 50 cities who applied for the grants and expressed a passion for creating more pet-friendly programs.
More information on the grant recipients and what they are doing in their communities to improve the lives of pets and their owners can be found here.
