SEATTLE — Mars Petcare has teamed up with Greater Good Charities on a new campaign, “Extend a Paw,” in which the pet food manufacturer will donate up to 2.5 million meals to animal shelters and pet rescues across the United States.

The company will match every purchase of select products made at Walmart, both in-store and online, through Sept. 30, donating one serving per purchase with a guaranteed donation of at least 1 million meals. Participating brands include IAMS, PEDIGREE, NUTRO and TEMPTATIONS.

“We’re pleased to participate in the Extend a Paw campaign with Mars Petcare to engage our Walmart customers in this important effort,” said Melody Richard, vice president of pets at Walmart US. “Great news on this program, our customers can participate however they want to shop – pickup and delivery, in store or on Walmart.com. We know that pet parents prioritize their beloved companions beginning with the food they buy, and this simple act can benefit millions of other animals in need.”

Greater Good Charities has provided more than 420 million meals to pets in need, including 500,000 meals to shelter pets and pet owners struggling through the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 alone. The nonprofit has partnered with several pet industry brands to facilitate donations throughout the pandemic. It provided more than $28 million to support COVID-19 disaster relief initiatives.

“Pet food is one of the largest operating expenses for animal welfare organizations,” said Liz Baker, chief executive officer of Greater Good Charities. “The pet food donations from Extend a Paw will help defray overall costs and allow animal welfare organizations to focus on other ways to save more pets’ lives and improve the quality of life for pets in need.”

Mars Petcare has also long supported pet shelters and animal rescues through multiple programs, including its PEDIGREE Foundation established in 2008, which has provided nearly $10 million in grants to support shelters and “help end pet homelessness.”

“We’ve enjoyed a long-standing partnership with Greater Good Charities and are thrilled to continue to make an impact together while engaging pet parents in a meaningful way through purchases made at Walmart stores and on Walmart.com,” said Josh Evertsen, senior vice president of customer development at Mars Petcare. “Everything we do at Mars Petcare is in service of our purpose, creating A BETTER WORLD FOR PETS™, and this program takes us one step closer to our ambition to end pet homelessness.”

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