France now has almost eight million dogs and ten million cats. Our mission goes beyond providing them with healthy food. We also contribute to their well being by supporting many animal rights NGOs.
  
With charity “30 millions d’amis”, Pedigree® supports the ”Agir pour l’adoption” campaign (Acting for Adoption) to encourage people to adopt dogs in shelters. In 2008 and 2009, it provided 850,000 meals to shelters selected by the charity for the quality of their service and the well being of their animals.

Through its flagship brands Pedigree® and Whiskas®, Mars Petcare has been fighting for 25 years against holiday-time abandonment with the campaign  Ils partent Avec Nous (They Go With Us)
 
In addition, MARS Petcare promotes the benefits of pet ownership and supports NGOs such as:

• “Parole de chien”, an association that trains volunteer masters with their dogs to visit with elderly or disabled people and stage events .
•  The national federation of avalanche dogs.
•  Handi’Chiens …

For more than 30 years, MARS Petcare has sponsored AFIRAC (the French Association of Research on pets).
By creating AFIRAC, Mars Petcare illustrated its desire to contribute to the relevant and documented knowledge about the relationship between humans and animals.
AFIRAC’s mission is to study the social phenomenon of the cohabitation of pets and persons and to look at the issues it raises. Aside from research, AFIRAC also conducts actions of information, education and for pets in cities. The NGO initiated multidisciplinary working groups on the harmonious inclusion of pets in cities, on pets in schools and on the benefits of an animal presence.
Published works include (in French):

• Children, pets and school
•  Pets in schools
•  Elderly people and pets: maintaining the Link
•  Dogs as partners in life: applications and perspectives for human health

More information : http://www.afirac.org/