Mars Petcare Launches Online Resources to Welcome Pets Into the Workplace

FRANKLIN, Tenn., June 22, 2017 — Friday, June 23rd is a day known for bringing furry friends to work, and pets all over the country will be roaming the halls of many businesses. And for good reason too – according to the BANFIELD™ Pet Hospital’s 2017 Pet-Friendly Workplace PAWrometer™ survey, nearly 90 percent of employees at pet-friendly workplaces said having pets at work improves sense of well-being. In a day where recruiting and retaining talent is highly competitive, the survey also adds that this unique perk increases company morale, loyalty and productivity.

To help companies across the country who may not know where to start when allowing pets in the workplace, Mars Petcare is launching a new online resource, “Pets Work at Work”, to help companies create a pet-friendly workplace. This is part of the company’s recently-launched initiative, BETTER CITIES FOR PETS™, which advocates for fewer pets in shelters, more pet-friendly places (including offices!), and happier, healthier lives for both people and pets.

The comprehensive suite of tools includes tips and tricks for how to successfully welcome pets at work. Some of the materials include:

• A sample pet policy to help businesses and offices define what works for them;
• Leadership and legal considerations to welcoming pets into businesses;
• How to communicate a pet policy internally and externally; and
• Engaging (and adorable!) signage to post within offices, including welcome posters and a pet-friendly space sign for businesses and offices to use.

“We see firsthand the benefits of having pets at work with our pet-friendly office year-round,” said Casey Coke Murphy, Pet Behaviorist at Mars Petcare. “Pets lower our blood pressure, reduce social isolation, can contribute to lower stress levels and increase communication in the workplace which can ultimately make a job more satisfying for employees.”

The BETTER CITIES FOR PETS™ program aims to help create more pet friendly cities in the U.S., and welcoming pets into more places is a key focus area. By making resources available for any and all employers to download to implement pet-friendly office policies, the company is applying best practices and learnings from years of welcoming pets into their corporate offices every day, combined with scientific findings around the benefits of pets in the workplace through the WALTHAM® Centre for Pet Nutrition, Mars Petcare’s research center.

For more information on how to create a pet-friendly workplace, to download the Pets Work at Work toolkit, and to learn more about BETTER CITIES FOR PETS™, please visit www.bettercitiesforpets.com.

About BETTER CITIES FOR PETS™
BETTER CITIES FOR PETS™ is a program of Mars Petcare US, the world’s leading pet nutrition and health care business, created 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. For more information about Mars Petcare and BETTER CITIES FOR PETS™, visit www.bettercitiesforpets.com.

About Mars Petcare US
Mars Petcare is the world’s leading pet nutrition and health care business. Mars Petcare believes that pets make people’s lives better and that pet ownership brings joy and benefits which should be accessible to everyone. In the United States, Mars Petcare food brands include PEDIGREE®, IAMS®, ROYAL CANIN®, GREENIES®, CESAR®, NUTRO® and SHEBA®. Veterinary practices include BANFIELD® and BLUE PEARL®. Specialty brands include WISDOM PANEL® Canine DNA Tests and WHISTLE® GPS Pet Tracker. The company’s WALTHAM™ Centre for Pet Nutrition is a leading scientific authority on pet nutrition and wellbeing. Mars Petcare has more than 40,000 Associates worldwide. For more information about Mars Petcare’s purpose: A BETTER WORLD FOR PETS®, visit www.bettercitiesforpets.com.