Today, the makers of PEDIGREE®, in partnership with 30 Canadian animal shelters; dog-lovers Jully Black, Eva Avila and Team Kevin Martin, will launch the fourth annual PEDIGREE ADOPTION DRIVE® campaign to show that shelter dogs are good dogs, and enable and empower Canadians to help them by adopting, donating and volunteering.
“Being a part of the 2011 PEDIGREE ADOPTION DRIVE campaign is truly a great opportunity because it gives me the chance to raise awareness about the importance of dog adoption.” said Jully Black, Canadian Juno Award Winning Singer/Songwriter. “The PEDIGREE ADOPTION DRIVE gives thousands of shelter dogs across Canada a chance to be a part of a loving home.”
Throw a Dog a Bone
A survey* commissioned by the makers of PEDIGREE® and conducted by Harris/Decima in 2010 revealed that half (49 per cent) of Canadians felt that not enough is being done to help raise awareness of the need to help shelter animals, but 81 per cent of Canadians also said that they were not currently supporting initiatives or organizations that help shelter dogs themselves.
The makers of PEDIGREE® have once again teamed up with 30 animal shelters across Canada and, to help shelter dogs find loving homes, will donate $1 Canadian, up to a maximum of $150,000 Canadian in 2011, for every view of its Adoption Stories videos to the shelters. The Adoption Stories videos can be viewed online at
(Link) and showcase real-life dogs — Bootsie and Phoenix —who both came to live in animal shelters while waiting for loving families to adopt them.
“We are very proud to partner with our 30 animal shelters across the country to promote awareness about the importance of adoption and bring these good dogs to the public,” said Aisha Hassan, Brand Manager, Pedigree Care & Treat, Mars Canada Inc. “Since the PEDIGREE ADOPTION DRIVE® campaign launched in 2007, we have helped raise $650,000 CDN for shelters across Canada and with this year’s donation commitment will bring that total to $800,000 CDN.”
The makers of PEDIGREE® will bring their Adoption Stories videos to life with Canadians through its Adoption Tour¸ which is travelling across the country to show first-hand that shelter dogs are good dogs. The PEDIGREE® Adoption Tour features a variety of interactive elements, including local shelter representatives and shelter dogs, to teach Canadians about these loving potential pets:
- Toronto: Wednesday, September 14, 2011 at Yonge-Dundas Square in partnership with Jully Black, members from Team Kevin Martin and the Humane Society of Durham Region;
- Montreal: Saturday, September 17, 2011 in the parking lot at Boulevard St. Laurent and Rue Prince Arthur in partnership with Eva Availa and Gerdy’s Rescues and Adoptions;
- Edmonton: Saturday, September 24, 2011 at the West Edmonton Mall Ice Palace ice rink in partnership with the Edmonton Humane Society;
- Halifax: Saturday, September 24, 2011 at the Halifax Shopping Centre in partnership with the Cape Breton SPCA;
- Vancouver: Saturday, October 1, 2011 at the TD Plaza in partnership with the Langley Patti Dale Animal Shelter.
All Dogs Are Top Dogs
“We asked our 30 PEDIGREE® partner shelters what is the most common reason dogs are brought to them and all of them stated owner lifestyle changes, including: no time due to a new baby or job; financial implications; divorce or separation; health of owner or owner moving somewhere that does not allow pets,” said Hassan. “We truly believe that one interaction between a person and a shelter dog can be the difference between a dog finding a home or spending months waiting in a shelter.”
“Shelter dogs are compassionate and loyal like any other dog,” said Black “Everyone deserves a second chance at a life full of compassion in a loving home surrounded by family. Shelter dogs are no different. They just want to be loved and accepted.”
To watch the PEDIGREE® Adoption Stories videos, or for more information on the 2011 PEDIGREE ADOPTION DRIVE® campaign including upcoming dates and locations for theAdoption Tour, please visit
Link.
About the PEDIGREE ADOPTION DRIVE® Campaign
The makers of PEDIGREE® have kicked off the fourth annual PEDIGREE ADOPTION DRIVE® campaign to show that shelter dogs are good dogs, and enable and empower Canadians to help them by adopting, volunteering and donating. The PEDIGREE ADOPTION DRIVE® campaign is committed to donating a maximum of $150,000 Canadian, in 2011, to 30 PEDIGREE® partner shelters across Canada to aid them in helping the animals admitted into their care with food, medical needs and a second chance to find a loving home. Since its inception in 2007 the PEDIGREE ADOPTION DRIVE® campaign has raised $650,000 Canadian, not including the 2011 donation commitment, to help shelter dogs find loving homes.
About the PEDIGREE® brand
PEDIGREE® is the number one brand of dog food in the world offering a wide variety of products for different dog life stages. As an innovative market leader, the makers of PEDIGREE® are at the forefront of dog nutrition and understand dog owner needs by providing a range of innovative food products and resources. PEDIGREE® products are available at grocery, pet specialty and mass merchandise outlets.
For more information on the PEDIGREE ADOPTION DRIVE® campaign and the
PEDIGREE® brand.
About the 2010 Survey
The data was gathered between April 29 and May 2, 2010 through Harris/Decima's weekly teleVox, the company's national omnibus survey, on behalf of the makers of PEDIGREE®. A representative sample of 1,008 Canadians were surveyed, and the corresponding margin of error for results based on the full sample is ±3.1%, 19 times out of 20. 
