Charlee Bear to sponsor pet adoption tour

Charlee Bear Dog Products, maker of the original Charlee Bear Dog Treats and grain-free Bear Crunch Dog Treats, will sponsor FIDO Friendly magazine’s 7th annual Get Your Licks on Route 66 month-long pet adoption tour. The cross-country series of events begins September 11 at the Western Riverside County/City Animal Shelter in Riverside, California, USA.
Get Your Licks on Route 66 will visit animal shelters in 15 cities to support adoption events and help shed light on the plight of homeless pets. In its first six years, the tour has assisted in placing more than 3,000 animals with adoptive families. This is the third year that Charlee Bear has sponsored the tour.
 “Charlee Bear is proud to support FIDO Friendly on its annual Route 66 tour of shelters to aid in finding forever homes for pets who are in need,” says Ava Olsen, brand manager for Charlee Bear Dog Products. “Just as our simple, wholesome treats help reinforce the bond between dog and human, the tour brings attention to thousands of animals who so desperately need a loving family. Charlee Bear will continue to support shelters doing important, life-saving work.”

One Dog Organic Bakery donates 100 bags of treats in May

One Dog Organic Bakery L.L.C. (ODOB) donated more than 100 bags of treats to its rescue partner of the month, bringing total treats donated to more than 200 pounds. The donations during May marks a new record for ODOB.
ODOB owner Veronica Glynn recognized an opportunity to share her love for rescued dogs and her passion for safe, nutritious dog food to help minimize some of this financial burden faced by rescue groups and shelters.
“Both of our pups have been rescued and I estimate that 80% of my customers have rescued their fur family. We believe that all dogs should have access to safe and nutritious food. Feeding your dog something so small as a treat shouldn’t be a life or death decision,” Glynn said.
In February 2015, ODOB launched its K9 Rescue Outreach campaign and had its first rescue signed up less 24 hours later. Scheduling already into April 2016, the program provides much more than safe food to its rescue partners. Every month, ODOB features a Rescue Spotlight on its weekly blog about those who have dedicated their lives to rescuing animals.
When asked how helpful the K9 Rescue Outreach program is to his organization, Tip Burrows, executive director of the Humane Society of Grand Bahama, said: “Extremely helpful. Firstly, treats are a luxury for our shelter dogs. Healthy treats even more of one.”
“I have the best job in the world and being able to make a difference in one dog’s life, something so small as providing a treat to a dog who has never experienced human kindness. It just doesn’t get any better than that,” said Glynn.

Mars to donate food to kitten rescued at plant

Mars Petcare will donate a one-year supply of Sheba, Iams and Temptations treats to the new adoptive owner of a kitten that was rescued after it hitched a ride under the truck that belongs to an employee of the Mars plant in Hackettstown, New Jersey, USA.
The orange and white tabby kitten reportedly traveled 28 miles inside the engine compartment of a pickup truck from East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania to the Mars chocolate plant when the truck’s owner went to work. The three-to-four-month-old kitten survived the ride without injury.
Police and employees of the Hackettstown Department of Public Works and Mars helped free the kitten, who ran a short distance before he was caught.
 If no one claims ownership of the kitten by July 10, it will be put up for adoption. Dozens of interested adopters have called the shelter where the kitten is being held.

Natural Pawz makes record donation to Houston shelters

Houston, Texas, USA-based Natural Pawz pet supply and grooming chain celebrated National Pet Day on April 11 by donating 100,000 pounds of dog food to local animal shelters and rescue groups.
The donation purportedly was the largest pet food donation in the city’s history, and was four times larger than the company’s recent annual donations. The donation, valued at US$250,000, will feed 5,000 shelter dogs for six to eight weeks.
The food was donated by Merrick, Nature’s Variety and Petcurean. For every pound of Nature’s Variety purchased, Nature’s Variety donated a pound, with a total donation of 10,000 pounds, which went to the city’s the Rescue Bank National Pet Food Distribution Program.
"Natural Pawz’s generous donation is a huge benefit to the Rescue Bank community in Houston,” said Elizabeth Asher, executive director, Rescue Bank. "Nature's Variety is a great food; receiving 10,000 pounds of puppy food at the height of puppy season will help us support the smaller rescue groups that struggle with resources. In turn, more puppies will be saved from shelters or the streets.”
Natural Pawz warehoused and inventoried all 100,000 pounds of food and delivered 30,000-40,000 pounds to the City of Houston BARC Animal Shelter, 35,000 pounds to the Houston Humane Society, and 10,000 to the Rescue Bank. Twenty other local rescue groups each received 700 pounds of food.
"We really wanted to spread the food out as much as we could to affect as many people as possible,” said Biff Picone, who co-owns 15 Natural Pawz stores. "We wanted to do something that made a statement in Houston and increase awareness and that’s what we think we did.”

Merrick to donate US$25,000 in pet food

Merrick Pet Care will donate US$25,000 in Merrick pet food – nearly 50,000 meals – to local pet shelters and animal rescues as part of its Merrick’s Homeruns for Shelters campaign held this spring in conjunction with the start of baseball season.
Merrick’s Homeruns for Shelters Facebook program culminates with a US$1,000 donation of the company’s all-natural food to a local shelter for every home run hit by home teams during Opening Day baseball games this month.
Merrick invited its Facebook community of pet parents to nominate and vote on their favorite local shelters to receive a US$1,000 food donation. During baseball home openers this April, home teams racked up 25 total homeruns for a grand total US$25,000 donation.
“Every pet deserves a healthy meal, especially those pets most in need awaiting their forever home,” said Mark Sapir, vice president of marketing for Merrick Pet Care. “What better way to help them thrive than to knock it out of the park for them at the start of baseball season.”
 “With more than 600 shelter nominations, more than 16,000 votes, and 25 homers leading to 25 local shelters receiving free food, we are thrilled our pet parent community came out in a big way to support their local shelters,” said Sapir.

Hill’s Pet Nutrition helps feed shelter animals

US-based Hill's Pet Nutrition has two charitable programs that partner with animal shelters to provide quality petfood to animals in need.
Established in 2002, Hill's Food, Shelter and Love program has donated more than US$275 million worth of Science Diet brand foods to more than 1,000 shelters nationwide. The aim of the program is to boost the health of shelter animals so they are more adoptable. Since its creation, the program and has helped more than 7 million pets find new homes. Food, Shelter and Love is active in all 50 US states and helps feed more than 100,000 homeless pets in more than 800 shelters daily.
Hill's Disaster Relief Network is an intervention that provides petfood to communities affected by natural disasters. In the wake of disasters, petfood owners often have trouble obtaining food for their animals. The Disaster Relief Network distributes emergency petfood through a nationwide network of 100 shelter partners. To date, Hill's has contributed to relief efforts in the aftermaths of Hurricanes Sandy, Isaac and Katrina; tornadoes in Oklahoma, Kansas and Missouri; and fires in Colorado Springs, Arizona and Idaho.

Solid Gold Pet donates US$500,000 in premium petfood

Solid Gold Pet has partnered with Petco to donate an estimated US$500,000 of premium petfood to selected charities across the US. The partnership kicked off at the beginning of January 2015.

"We strongly believe in the benefits of good pet nutrition for all pets and are proud to partner with a leading specialty pet retailer like Petco to help make a difference to dogs and cats in need," said Michelle Higdon, CEO of Solid Gold Pet. "We know that great nutrition makes all of the difference in the world to a pet's quality of life. We call this bringing out their Inner Gold." 

Dogswell donates 15,000 pounds of petfood at NKLA adoption weekend

Dogswell teamed up with Best Friends Animal Society to help people feed their dogs at NKLA Adoption Weekend with LiveFree food. For each dog adopted, Dogswell donated three months of LiveFree dog food and more than five pallets to Best Friends Animal Society—more than 15,000 pounds of dog food.
Dogswell's LiveFree food is available exclusively at independent pet retailers and at Unleashed by Petco. A round-up video of the event is available on YouTube.

PMMI 'Pack Gives Back' raises money for K9s for Warriors

The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies' (PMMI) "Pack Gives Back" event at Pack Expo International and Pharma Expo 2014 raised over US$34,000 for K9s for Warriors, a charitable organization dedicated to providing service dogs to military veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress as a result of their service since 9/11. The Nov. 3 event, open only to Pack Expo and Pharma Expo registrants, featured former Tonight Show host and comedian Jay Leno.

Leno entertained a sold-out crowd of 1,900, and funds raised included a portion of ticket sales and supplemental donations collected online and on site at Pack Expo. The program includes three weeks’ training for the canine/warrior teams at the K9s for Warriors facility in Ponte Vedra, Florida. Over 90% of the partnered dogs are obtained through rescue groups.
“We’re always happy to support those that have fought for our country,” said Charles D. Yuska, president and CEO of PMMI. “Our service men and women have given so much for us. It’s a pleasure to be able to give something back to them.” A link for donations will be active through November 2014 at Packexpointernational.com, and donations are always accepted at K9sforWarriors.org.

Caru Pet Foods donates petfood to Chicago animal rescues

Caru Pet Foods has donated 5,700 pounds of the company's Natural Stews petfood to six Chicagoland rescues and animal care facilities: Tender Loving Care, Chicago Anti-Cruelty Society, K9 4 Keeps, Chicago Canine Rescue, Pet Project Rescue and One Tail At A Time. In turn, One Tail At A Time allocated a portion of their Caru Natural Stews to the local Animal Care & Control, and Project Rescue Chicago shared with Animal Welfare League's Chicago intake facility and Be Fido's Friend.

In July, Caru donated 600 pounds of stews to It's A Pittie Rescue as a part of Daily Kibble's rescue initiative. With more than 6,000 pounds of product, worth more than US$40,000 in retail value, donated to date in its first year of business, "Caru is really living up to it's name, which means 'to love' in Welsh," said Caru CEO and Co-Founder Adrian Pettyan. The company said it looks forward to supporting other rescues and shelters in the future.

Merrick Pet Care, Tree House partner to feed homeless cats

Tree House Humane Society and Merrick Pet Care have announced an exclusive partnership to provide Chicago, Illinois homeless cats with quality nutrition while they’re awaiting their forever homes. Merrick is now providing Tree House with petfood for all of Tree House’s residents—formerly sick, injured, abused and neglected stray cats.

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“Tree House Humane Society is committed to ensuring the health and happiness of every pet in our adoption program,” said Dave de Funiak, Tree House’s executive director. “We are proud to provide the pets in our care with Merrick and Organix cat food during their stay and provide a foundation of health and nutrition that we hope will continue for the rest of their lives.”
As Tree House’s exclusive feeding partner, Merrick will provide all of the meals to each resident cat, including Merrick Purrfect Bistro and Organix kibble and canned food, as they begin the journey to find a new home. From their first meal at both of Tree House’s Chicago Adoption Centers (Uptown and Bucktown) until adoption day, each Tree House cat will enjoy recipes made in Merrick’s kitchens.
“Tree House has a proven record of helping pets in need and we are pleased to partner with them to feed homeless cats awaiting their forever homes,” said Greg Shearson, CEO of Merrick. “Together, we can better help cats not only survive, but thrive through feeding them more wholesome, natural and nutritious foods.”
In addition to supporting the shelter-feeding program, Merrick will help each new family kick-off a healthy at-home eating program by offering each adopter a coupon to be applied to a supply of dry/canned food for the transition to their new home.

Halo, Freekibble.com partner for 2013 Holiday Kibble Drop 'Inpire Tour'

For the third year in a row, Freekibble.com and Ellen DeGeneres' natural petfood company, Halo, Purely for Pets, are teaming up to help homeless dogs and cats across the US this holiday season. During the 2013 Holiday Kibble Drop "Inspire Tour," Halo and Freekibble.com will deliver more than 500,000 meals to pets in need.
The Kibble Drop trucks, including two 18-wheelers, will make a combined 12 stops throughout this holiday season. At each Kibble Drop location, five to eight shelters will receive a petfood donation of Spot's Stew in honor of a special, inspirational pet in that city. 
"Supporting shelters is part of our company's mission," says Halo CEO, Steve Marton. "We are inspired by the stories of hope and love we hear every day-and want to honor those pets, pet owners and organizations who exemplify the incredible bond we have with our pets."
As Freekibble.com's official petfood sponsor since 2010, Halo donates the kibble distributed to shelters and rescues throughout the US.
"This year is the third annual Holiday Kibble Drop, and I couldn't be more excited to be a part of it," says Mimi Ausland, Freekibble.com founder. "It makes me feel great to know that so many homeless dogs and cats will be getting healthy, nutritious meals over the holidays. I hope the Kibble Drop will also inspire people to help shelter pets and to think of other ways they can make an impact on animals' lives."
2013 Kibble Drop Cities include: Nashville, Tennessee; Washington, DC: Raleigh, North Carolina; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Greenwich, Connecticut; New York, New York; Wichita, Kansas; Phoenix, Arizona; Las Vegas, Nevada; Los Angeles, California; San Francisco, California; Bend, Oregon.
Participating retailers include: Phydeaux, Doggie Style, Pet Pantry Warehouse, All Paws, Pet Club, At Your Service Pets, Red Barn Feed and Saddlery, and Pet Food Express.
Additionally, partners like GreaterGood.org and C.H. Robinson donate resources, time and effort to the trip. Both organizations donate a portion of the freight costs and offer volunteers at each stop.

Nutro Pet Foods donates to support Holiday Pet Food Drive

Nutro Pet Foods is teaming up with Rocky's Ace Hardware of Springfield, Massachusetts, USA, to help support its third annual Holiday Pet Food Drive. Nutro is donating more than US$1,500 worth of dog and cat food to get the drive started. 
Each of the 32 Rocky's Ace Hardware stores in the area is partnering with a local humane society or shelter to collect food during the holiday season for pets in need. The petfood drive runs through December 23. 

Royal Canin, Banfield hosting holiday petfood drive

Banfield Charitable Trust, Banfield Pet Hospital and Royal Canin are asking pet owners and advocates across the US to take the "Pledge to End Pet Hunger" in support of the eighth annual holiday petfood drive. The program, launched on November 29 and running through December 31, raises awareness about pet hunger, collects petfood and raises funds to benefit senior citizen pet owners needing support in the care of their companions.
"Pets play an invaluable role in the lives of people who face difficult life circumstances," said Dianne McGill, executive director and CEO of Banfield Charitable Trust. "It is our hope that people will gain a greater understanding of the challenges facing senior citizen pet owners and how lack of food is contributing to the overcrowding of shelters in every community. Spreading the message and making a donation will enrich and save lives."
Supporters are encouraged to get involved with the annual holiday petfood drive in several ways:

•  Take The Pledge To End Pet Hunger: Royal Canin will donate one pound of petfood for every pledge made on facebook.com/RoyalCanin.us.
• Make A Monetary Donation: Make a monetary donation at www.banfieldcharitabletrust.org or at Banfield Pet Hospitals to fund grants for local Meals on Wheels petfood programs. For a donation of US$10 or more, KONG will donate a toy to the pet of a Meals On Wheels client.
• Donate bags and cans of dog and cat food at one of Banfield Pet Hospital's more than 830 locations across the US.
"We are committed to promoting the well-being of cats and dogs, while also helping their owners through this pet food drive," said Dr. Brent Mayabb, corporate affairs director for Royal Canin USA. "Royal Canin is proud to partner with Banfield Charitable Trust and our fan communities to raise awareness of this cause, and in the end, make a significant donation to the Meals on Wheels program."
Royal Canin has committed to making a 30,000 pound petfood donation, and with the help of people who take the pledge, they will donate an additional 20,000 pounds. All petfood donations and 100 percent of all monetary donations will benefit Meals On Wheels petfood distribution programs across the US.

Nestlé Purina to donate cat food, pet supplies to domestic abuse victims in New York, USA

In recognition of Domestic Violence Awareness Month in October, Urban Resource Institute (URI) and Nestlé Purina are teaming up in support of URIPALS, an initiative in New York, New York, USA, to allow victims of domestic violence to enter shelters with their pets. Purina will donate welcome kits and educational materials for families entering URI's domestic violence shelter.
By working together, URI and Purina hope to raise awareness about the impact of abuse on the whole family, including pets, and reduce barriers to escape and recovery.
"When victims of domestic violence flee abusive situations, they are often forced to uproot their entire lives, leaving behind key belongings and supplies," said Nathaniel Fields, president of URI. "Our goal at the Urban Resource Institute is to provide survivors-including pets-with the resources and services they need to rebuild stable, secure lives. We are grateful for Purina's support of URIPALS, which will provide critical supplies to ensure that families entering shelter with their pets have the resources they need to recover together after escaping abuse."
Currently in its six-month pilot phase, URIPALS is accepting families with cats and smaller animals into its shelter, and hopes to expand the program to include dogs in December. As such, Purina's welcome kits during this phase of the program will be tailored to cats, including items such as food, toys, crates and other accessories. Purina is also donating a year's supply of food and litter to families upon leaving the shelter. In addition to these welcome kits, families will receive educational materials designed to guide them in best practices for caring for their pets.
"We are proud to support the Urban Resource Institute in its mission to provide comfort to victims of domestic abuse and their pets," said Michael Kotick, senior brand manager, Purina. "At Purina, we believe people and pets are better together, and the strong bond between pet owners and their pets can prove to be beneficial no matter what the circumstances."

Pet 360, Halo, Freekibble.com team up to give free petfood in Halloween promotion

Pet360, Freekibble.com and Halo, Purely for Pets have teamed up for a Halloween promotion that invites pet owners to show off their pets' tricks to win a prize pack and have petfood donated to their favorite animal shelter.
Now through October 13, pet owners can submit their photos and videos on Pet360's website or Facebook page. A team of judges will select five photos and five videos as finalists and the public will have the chance to vote for their favorite on October 16. 
The contest will award two grand-prize winners, one for best photo and one for best video, each with a US$1,000 prize pack from Halo petfood brand. In addition, Freekibble.com will donate 10,000 meals of Halo's Spot's Stew to the animal shelter of each winner's choosing. 

Castor & Pollux petfood co., PetSmart donate $25,000 to support pediatric cancer research

Castor & Pollux petfood company recently presented CureSearch with a check for US$25,000 as part of the CureSearch for Children's Cancer partnership with PetSmart that began in 2012. As part of this partnership, proceeds from sales of Castor & Pollux Organix Large Breed Adult dry dog food were donated to CureSearch to support research in pediatric cancer.
The dog food bag's mascot, a Great Dane named Bentley, visited the 2013 CureSearch Walk for Children's Cancer in Chicago, Illinois, USA, where the check was presented. Children and families at the event had the chance to pet Bentley and ask questions about his role as a therapy dog, as well.

Petfood distribution grant from Banfield Charitable Trust helps low-income seniors

Banfield Charitable Trust recently provided low-income seniors at Old Colony Elder Services in Brockton, Massachusetts, USA, with a petfood distribution grant.
"Low-income seniors are among America's millions struggling with hunger and food insecurity. Many seniors and individuals with disabilities receive nutritious daily meals through Old Colony's Meals on Wheels program. In an effort to keep seniors and their beloved pets well-nourished, Old Colony now also provides nutrition support for their pets," said Old Colony's enterprising executive director, Diana DiGiorgi.
Meals on Wheels volunteers noticed the need after seeing that some recipients who could not afford petfood were also sharing their human food meals with their pet. 
The US$2,500 grant helps Old Colony purchase and distribute dog food and cat food to clients, allowing them to remain in their homes and still care for their pets. Old Colony was already receiving help from Hanson Grain Co., which has donated a considerable amount of dog food, DiGiorgi said. So, the Banfield grant allows Old Colony to expand services and equally divide the money between dog and cat food. 

Petfood donation program provides free petfood to low-income families

A new pet food donation program is feeding the pets of low-income families and food stamp recipients in the US who would otherwise not be able to feed their pets, according to a report.
The pet food donation-based program, Pet Food Stamps, had more than 45,000 pets sign up in two weeks, said founder and executive director, Marc Okon.
Based in New York, USA, the program is open to anyone in the US. Once a family’s need and income is verified, they receive pet food monthly, for a six-month period, from online pet food retailer Pet Food Direct. Families can only apply for the program through an online application, but Okon said mail-in applications will be accepted once the program is moved to its new office.
"We're not looking for government funding at this point," said Okon. "Should the government be willing to provide assistance further down the line, we will look into it."
Okon said the program's nonprofit status is pending.

Spring Naturals donates $10,000 to animal organizations in past year

Spring Naturals brand of dog dinners and dog treats has donated more than US$10,000 to various animal organizations since debuting in the pet food market in January 2012.
As part of a partnership with Daily Kibble, Spring Naturals' Share the Love campaign allowed fans to submit their information and an animal rescue group of their choice for the chance to win one of two prize packages. Spring Naturals donated a total of more than US$3,250 worth of dog food and dog treats to the Boston Brigade, the Atlantic Bulldog Rescue and their nominees.
Launched on May 1, 2012, Spring Into Action, an ongoing campaign dedicated to honoring animal advocates and the work they do in their community, has also brought money to animal organizations. The campaign encourages users to visit Spring Naturals' Facebook page via the "Spring Into Action" tab to vote for and share the story of their favorite animal advocate. The nominee with the most votes at the end of the month is then featured on the Facebook page, and Spring Naturals also delivers US$250 worth of food and treats to the winning nominee and the animal organization of their choice. The Spring Into Action grand-prize winner will receive US$2,000 worth of dog dinners plus a US$500 cash donation to the animal rescue organization of their choice.
Along with the Spring Into Action campaign, Spring Naturals' sponsored a 2-year-old mixed breed female puppy named Spring. Spring Naturals donated a year's supply of dog food and treats, as well as the costs of the dog's initial medical care, a total value of US$1,000.
Additionally, Spring Naturals' latest effort to support animal welfare was the 12 Dogs of Christmas campaign, which brought a total of US$1,550 in donations, pet food and treats to Project Rescue Chicago in Chicago, Illinois, USA. In total, the company has worked with more than 10 animal welfare groups, shelters and rescues in the past year.