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Mars Petcare US Continues to Support Pets In Wake of Nashville Flood
Company Demonstrates On-Going Commitment at Nashville Rising Event

Franklin, Tenn. (June 22, 2010) — MARS Petcare US continues to demonstrate its passion for helping pets and people in need within the Nashville area, which is home to the company's headquarters. Today, the company has partnered with the Nashville Humane Association (NHA) as a sponsor of the Nashville Rising concert to help drive awareness for on-going support efforts—and to help pet owners prepare in the event of another catastrophe.

"For pet owners, when disaster strikes, it's not only about taking care of yourself and your family but also about making sure you're appropriately prepared to care for your pet," said Debra Fair, Vice President, Corporate Affairs at Mars Petcare US. "That's why we're here. We don't want people to forget about how important it is to consider the pets in the house, too."

Alfie, an adorable terrier mix left behind in the wake of May's flooding was present at the event (courtesy of the NHA) to remind people about the need for pet adoptions of abandoned animals.

"People often think that 'it won't happen to us,' but the Nashville floods proved otherwise," said Lisa Reeves, NHA spokeswoman. "Between our organization and Metro Animal Care & Control, we provided support to more than 1,000 animals."

In an effort to ease the burden created by the flooding, MARS Petcare US associates donated blankets, towels, pet crates/carriers, and 4,000 pounds of dog and cat food to local shelters, including Happy Tales Humane Society, Williamson County Animal Control, Nashville Humane Association and Davidson County Animal Control. The company also assisted the City of Franklin in identifying pet shelters that could take abandoned pets into their facilities.

Pet Preparation for Emergencies

The company along with NHA also offered a list of pet preparedness tips to concert-goers today, including:

1. Know where you and your pets can go in the event of an emergency—whether it's to the home of a friend or family member, pet-friendly hotel, animal shelter or boarding facility.
2. Place your contact information, including the name of an out-of-area contact, on your pets' ID tags, microchip registrations and licenses.
3. Prepare an emergency kit of leashes, collars, extra ID tags, water, food, medications, health records, and photos to prove ownership. Make sure to have enough food and water on hand for at least three days for each pet, including bowls, cat litter, litter box and manual can opener.
4. After the storm, don't allow your pets to roam loose, they can easily get lost in these situations. Keep dogs on leashes and cats in carriers when not inside the house.

For more information and tips, visit www.ready.gov/america/getakit/pets.html. Visit http://www.nashvillerising.org for more information about the concert. Visit www.cfmt.org for more information about the concert beneficiary, the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee Consumers who want to help dogs find loving homes can visit www.pedigreefoundation.org.