KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA - Media OutReach - 26 November 2020 - TheCovid-19 outbreak has affected everyone, includinganimals, to varying degrees. According to non-profit organisation Homeless& Orphan Pets Exist (H.O.P.E), there has been a 30% increase in animalabandonment at the animal shelter during the Movement Control Order. This ispossibly due to the growing financial burden that pet owners are facing. 

Understandably,with the current economic climate, donations to the H.O.P.E animal shelterlocated in Pekan Nenas, Johor have reduced greatly. Daily, H.O.P.E feeds anaverage of 1.2 tonnes (1,200 kg) of pet food to over 3,000 dogs and 200 catsthat it is currently sheltering. This works out to more than RM140,000 neededto ensure these furry friends are fed on a monthly basis; and this is on top ofthe RM20,000 incurred for medical expenses and miscellaneous.

With the goal ofimproving the lives of pets through nutrition, shelter and education, pet careproduct brands WHISKAS® and PEDIGREE® are collaborating with H.O.P.E. animalshelter to raise funds via the "Shop for H.O.P.E." campaign on Shopee happeningfrom now till 6 December 2020.

Through thiscampaign, Shopee users and pet lovers can make donations of RM10, RM20 or evenRM50 to the animal shelter. Additionally, for every purchase made through theWhiskas and Pedigree Official Store on Shopee, 10% will be converted toproducts which will later be presented to H.O.P.E. 

Mars Petcare Southeast Asia Pet Nutrition D-CommerceDirector Phua Fui Ching said, "Ever so often, wecome across a news article or video on social media on animals being abandonedand it is heart-wrenching. At Mars Petcare, we believe that pets make the worlda better place and therefore, collaborating with H.O.P.E as well as Shopee isone of the many initiatives to achieve our goal in creating a better world forpets where they are healthy, happy and welcomed. Through this partnership, wehope to raise at least RM10,000 worth of pet food to be donated to H.O.P.E tohelp ease their burden."

In a bid togarner more proceeds for the animal shelter, WHISKAS® and PEDIGREE® will alsobe offering in-store vouchers of RM7 off with a minimum spend of RM70 and RM10off with a minimum spend of RM100 to encourage pet lovers to purchase more fromthe store.

To find out moreor show support for the Shop for H.O.P.E. campaign, visit https://shopee.com.my/m/hope.whiskaspedigree

About Mars Petcare:

Partof Mars, Incorporated, a family-owned business with more than a century ofhistory making diverse products and offering services for people and the petspeople love, the 85,000 Associates across 50+ countries in Mars Petcare are dedicated to onepurpose: A BETTER WORLD FOR PETS. With 75 years ofexperience, our portfolio of almost 50 brands serves the health and nutritionneeds of the world's pets -- including brands PEDIGREE^®, WHISKAS^®, ROYAL CANIN^®, NUTRO™, GREENIES™, SHEBA^®, CESAR^®, IAMS™ and EUKANUBA™ as well asthe WALTHAM Petcare Science Institute which hasadvanced research in the nutrition and health of pets for over 50 years. MarsPetcare is also a leading veterinary health provider through an internationalnetwork of over 2,000 pet hospitals and diagnostic services including BANFIELD™, BLUEPEARL™, VCA™, Linnaeus, AniCura and Antech. We're alsoactive in innovation and technology for pets, with WISDOM PANEL™ genetichealth screening and DNA testing for dogs, the WHISTLE™ GPS dogtracker, and LEAP VENTURE STUDIO acceleratorand COMPANION FUND™ programs thatdrive innovation and disruption in the pet care industry. As a family business and guided by ourprinciples, we are privileged with the flexibility to fight for what we believein -- and we choose to fight for: A BETTER WORLD FOR PETS.

About Mars, Incorporated:

Mars is a family-owned business with more than a century of history making diverse products and offering services for people and the pets people love. With over $35 billion in sales, the company is a global business that produces some of the world's best-loved brands: M&M's®, SNICKERS®, TWIX®, MILKY WAY®, DOVE®, PEDIGREE®, ROYAL CANIN®, WHISKAS®, EXTRA®, ORBIT®, 5™, SKITTLES®, UNCLE BEN'S®, and COCOAVIA®. Mars also provides veterinary health services that include BANFIELD® Pet Hospitals, Blue Pearl®, VCA® and Pet Partners™. Headquartered in McLean, VA, Mars operates in more than 80 countries. The Mars Five Principles -- Quality, Responsibility, Mutuality, Efficiency and Freedom -- inspire its more than 115,000 Associates to create value for all its partners and deliver growth they are proud of every day.