SHEBA® Brightens Lives of Cats in Shelters Across the Country for Random Acts of Kindness Day

NASHVILLE, USA, February 19, 2015 /3BL Media/ – To celebrate this year’s National Random Acts of Kindness Day, the makers of SHEBA® cat food decided to show some kindness to cats waiting for homes in animal shelters across the country.

With these cats in mind, SHEBA® wanted to help make them really happy with a 2 million can donation to shelters nationwide through partner organization Rescue Bank. Every year, approximately 3.4 million cats enter animal shelters, and only about 1.3 million get adopted.

“The need for food donations to support cats in shelters is almost as strong as it is for dogs, but cat rescue groups receive about one tenth as much food as their canine counterparts do,” said Elizabeth Asher, Executive Director, Rescue Bank. “The SHEBA® brand’s donation of 2 million cans of food will make a huge difference to rescue organizations across America, providing great food to the cats, but also financial savings that can be applied to vet care to help make the cats more adoption ready.”

“We’re thrilled to be able to help cats in shelters from coast-to-coast purr in excitement today,” said Arren Beach, SHEBA® Brand Manager, Mars Petcare. “At SHEBA®, we love cats and people who love cats. The shelters benefiting from the donation do so much for the well-being of cats, so we thought giving food for Random Acts of Kindness Day was a great way to show our appreciation for the love and kindness they show animals every day.”

The SHEBA® brand is encouraging cat lovers everywhere to jump in and help make even more cats really happy for Random Acts of Kindness Day. Check out this video to see how happy the cats at one of the shelters were about receiving some of the 2 million cans of delicious SHEBA® Entrées. For every share, view or like of the video, SHEBA® will donate an additional can to cats in shelters, for up to 1 million additional cans in 2015. Friends of felines can also join the conversation online by using the hashtags #ShebaGives and #RAK

For more information on SHEBA® , visit Sheba.com or Facebook.com/ShebaBrand.

About SHEBA® Brand

The SHEBA® Brand knows that cat owners love cats for their independent spirits, personalities, and discerning palettes. That’s why SHEBA® puts cats at the heart of everything it does, creating premium recipes designed to entice their unique tastes and desires. SHEBA® Entrées have real beef, poultry or seafood as the first ingredient for an irresistible taste cats love. Unlike the big cat food brands, all 21 varieties of premium SHEBA® Entrées are formulated without corn, wheat, soy or artificial flavors. Look for SHEBA® Brand premium cat food at retailers nationwide. For more information, visit www.sheba.com

About Mars Petcare US

Mars Petcare US is the U.S. operations of the world’s largest petcare company at the privately-held Mars, Incorporated. Mars Petcare US produces some of the world’s most beloved pet care brands, including PEDIGREE® Food for Dogs, CESAR® Canine Cuisine, IAMS® Pet Food, SHEBA® Entrée for Cats, WHISKAS® Food for Cats, GOODLIFETM Food for Cats , and TEMPTATIONS® Treats for Cats, as well as exclusive brands products for some of the leading retailers in the U.S. Headquartered in Franklin, Tenn., more than 3,000 Mars Petcare US associates make, sell and distribute its high-quality pet food from 17 manufacturing facilities located in communities across the U.S. For more information, please visit www.mars.com

About Rescue Bank

Rescue Bank operates on the national food bank model, serving community-based animal welfare groups that typically lack access to resources. Rescue Bank recognizes that these smaller, less-visible groups represent a substantial portion of America’s animal rescue resource.
Rescue Bank works with name-brand suppliers to deliver donated pet food to serve both the ongoing needs of more than 1,200 animal welfare organizations and the immediate needs of communities after disasters such as Superstorm Sandy and Midwestern tornados. Since establishing its national network in 2011, Rescue Bank has delivered more that 80 million meals of nutritious, wholesome pet food. For more information, please visit www.rescuebank.org

About Mars, Incorporated

In 1911, Frank C. Mars made the first Mars candies in his Tacoma, Washington kitchen and established Mars’ first roots as a confectionery company. In the 1920s, Forrest E. Mars, Sr. joined his father in business and together they launched the MILKY WAY® bar. In 1932, Forrest, Sr. moved to the United Kingdom with a dream of building a business based on the objective of creating a “mutuality of benefits for all stakeholders” – this objective serves as the foundation of Mars, Incorporated today. Based in McLean, Virginia, Mars has net sales of more than $33 billion, six business segments including Petcare, Chocolate, Wrigley, Food, Drinks, Symbioscience, and more than 75,000 Associates worldwide that are putting its Principles into action to make a difference for people and the planet through its performance.

Mars brands include: Petcare – PEDIGREE®, ROYAL CANIN®, WHISKAS®, KITEKAT®, BANFIELD® Pet Hospital and NUTRO®; Chocolate – M&M’S®, SNICKERS®, DOVE®, GALAXY®, MARS®, MILKY WAY® and TWIX®; Wrigley – DOUBLEMINT®, EXTRA®, ORBIT® and 5™ chewing gums, SKITTLES® and STARBURST® candies, and ALTOIDS® AND LIFESAVERS® mints. Food – UNCLE BEN’S®, DOLMIO®, EBLY®, MASTERFOODS®, SEEDS OF CHANGE® and ROYCO®; Drinks – ALTERRA COFFEE ROASTERS™, THE BRIGHT TEA COMPANY™, KLIX® and FLAVIA®; Symbioscience – COCOAVIA™ and WISDOM PANEL™.

For more information, please visit www.mars.com. Follow us: facebook.com/mars, twitter.com/marsglobal, youtube.com/mars, linkedin.com/company/mars