MASON, Ohio--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Iams Home 4 the Holidays, one of the world’s largest pet adoption programs, is thrilled to announce that it has reached the significant milestone of placing its 6 millionth homeless pet in a forever home. The landmark adoption comes in the program’s 13th year as Iams again teams with founding partner Helen Woodward Animal Center, along with more than 3,500 animal organizations from across the globe to encourage pet adoption.
“We are incredibly proud of this achievement and are grateful to those families who have opened their hearts – and their homes – to an animal in need,” said Mike Arms, founder of the adoption drive and president of Helen Woodward Animal Center. “Having reached our 6 millionth adoption, we recognize that there is still plenty of work to be done in our fight against pet homelessness, which is why we’re inspired to continue our work and this yearly program.”
This year’s campaign goal is to find homes for 1.5 million pets and donate 5 million meals to animals at participating adoption and rescue centers (through the Bags 4 Bowls campaign). So far, for the 2012 campaign, more than 520,000 pets have been adopted, including 270,159 dogs and 241,640 cats.
Through January 3, consumers can get involved by:
- Visiting the Iams Facebook page (www.facebook.com/iams) to search for adoptable pets.
- Becoming a fan of the Iams Facebook page (www.facebook.com/iams) and creating a custom adoption announcement or holiday card to share with family and friends. For each card created and shared, Iams will donate a meal to pets in need.
- Purchasing specially-marked packages of Iams dog or cat food during the duration of the campaign. For every specially-marked package sold, Iams will donate one bowl of food* to a participating Iams Home 4 the Holidays animal organization.
“We are thrilled to celebrate our 6 millionth pet adoption,” said Michel Brousset, Iams Marketing Director. “While we’re working towards our goal of placing even more animals into loving homes this holiday season, we recognize that not everyone is in the position to adopt a pet and we encourage those animal lovers to lend a hand through our Bags 4 Bowls program. Together, we can help millions of animals in need.”
To learn more about how to get involved in Iams Home 4 the Holidays and the Bags 4 Bowls program, including details about pets available for adoption, fun ways to donate meals and quick access to informative content and tips, visit www.facebook.com/iams.
About Iams Home 4 the Holidays (IH4TH)
As one of the most successful pet adoption programs in the world, IH4TH partners with thousands of animal organizations dedicated to finding forever homes for orphaned pets. Founded by Helen Woodward Animal Center and supported by Iams, IH4TH began in 1999 with just 14 participating animal shelters in San Diego County. Since it began 13 years ago, IH4TH – along with more than 3,500 pet adoption centers – has helped over 6 million families experience the joy of pet adoption, including nearly 1.1 million pet adoptions from 2010. For more information, please visit www.facebook.com/iams.
About Helen Woodward Animal Center
Helen Woodward Animal Center is a private, non-profit organization where “people help animals and animals help people.” Founded in 1972 in Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., the Center provides services for more than 57,000 people and thousands of animals annually through adoptions, educational and therapeutic programs both onsite and throughout the community. Helen Woodward Animal Center is also the creator of the international Home 4 the Holidays pet adoption drive and the Animal Center Education Services program, teaching the business of saving lives to animal welfare leaders from around the world.
About P&G Pet Care
For more than 60 years, P&G Pet Care (NYSE:PG), the maker of Iams and Eukanuba, has enhanced the well-being of dogs and cats by providing world-class quality foods and pet care products. To learn more about Eukanuba® and Iams® Dog & Cat Foods or general pet care and nutrition information, call the Consumer Care Center at (800) 446-3075. You can also visit us on the Web at www.iams.com or www.eukanuba.com.
About Procter & Gamble
P&G touches and improves the lives of about 4.4 billion people around the world with its portfolio of trusted, quality brands. The Company's leadership brands include Pampers®, Tide®, Ariel®, Always®, Whisper®, Pantene®, Mach3®, Bounty®, Dawn®, Fairy®, Gain®, Pringles®, Charmin®, Downy®, Lenor®, Iams®, Crest®, Oral-B®, Duracell®, Olay®, Head & Shoulders®, Wella®, Gillette®, Braun®, Fusion®, Ace®, Febreze®, and Ambi Pur®. With operations in about 80 countries, P&G brands are available in more than 180 countries worldwide. Please visit http://www.pg.com for the latest news and in-depth information about P&G and its brands.