"Pioneer Award" Recognizes Mars 30-Year Contribution to Research
07 October 2007 - Japan
David Teasdale, Mars receives the Pioneer Award from Dr. Dennis Turner, IAHAIO
The company reaffirmed its long-standing commitment to research on the Human–Companion Animal Bond.
Tokyo – 7 October 2007 – Mars, Incorporated, the global leader in petcare, today received the "Pioneer Award" at the Tokyo Conference of the International Association of Human-Animal Interaction Organizations (IAHAIO). The outstanding contributions of Mars to the field of Human-Companion Animal Bond, spanning over more than three decades, makes the company the first and only recipient of the Award.
A new area of research
In the 1950’s and 1960’s, a handful of innovative therapists and educators successfully included pets in their programs. In the 1970’s, there was no real body of research on the benefits of companion animals. Despite the presence of millions of pets in family life, the human-companion animal bond was still not considered a legitimate area of scientific inquiry. Mars, owner of leading petcare brands WHISKAS® and PEDIGREE®, felt that it had a responsibility to foster the development of a field that would be known as the Human-Companion Animal Bond (HCAB).
Rather than conduct this type of research internally, the company decided to support and enable independent thinking. This approach was a key factor in cultivating the extraordinary openness of the field and its diversity of perspectives and topics.
A well-connected research community
The more than 1,100 HCAB researchers and practitioners participating in the Tokyo Conference have looked back at the distance covered since such pioneers as Boris Levinson, Sam & Elizabeth Corson, Leo Bustad and others who, generally working in isolation, published their first reports starting in the 1960’s.
"Mars played a crucial role in bringing together what was a fragmented and heterogeneous group of pet-focused researchers and helping us build a genuine research community," said IAHAIO President Dr. Dennis Turner. "The HCAB think-tanks that were set up with Mars help since the 1970’s and – importantly – the international conferences Mars supported, were instrumental in developing and reviewing a common body of knowledge recognized by the broader scientific community, including the World Health Organization. They also helped us define directions for the work ahead."
"We are very proud to participate in this great adventure, and we’re proud we could make a difference," said David Teasdale, President of Mars Japan, who accepted the Award for Mars. "As a family-owned business, we can sometimes make unusual investment decisions: this is what we call our Freedom, one of the Five Principles that guide us in our work. And it is very rewarding to see how dynamic and productive this research community is today and to play a part in it."
Renewed commitment
David Teasdale took the opportunity to reaffirm the company’s direct support to research initiatives in saying: "After reviewing the scientific literature and existing results, we have identified three broad areas in which we believe our support will be most effective in the future: Pets and Child Development, Pets and Quality of Life for the community-based elderly, and Barriers to Pet Ownership."
Three studies were recently awarded funding by Waltham Center for Pet Nutrition and the American Association of Human-Animal Bond Veterinarians. The first study looks at the impact on weight control for obese elderly people when offered the opportunity to walk shelter dogs; this provides benefits for both the people and the dogs with which they spend time. A second study examines pet factors that underlie social support for elderly people. A third study works with children to explore the impact of culture on the Human-Animal bond.
Mars is looking forward to receiving new research proposals at bondresearch@eu.effem.com from research teams around the world for potential funding by Waltham in 2008.
About Mars, Incorporated
A family-owned company, Mars, Incorporated produces some of the world's leading petcare, confectionery, food, health and beverage brands, and operates in more than 65 countries. With headquarters in McLean, Virginia, Mars, Inc. employs over 42,000 associates worldwide with 100 manufacturing facilities globally. The company owns some of the world's favourite brands including PEDIGREE® Brand Food for Dogs and WHISKAS® and SHEBA® Brand Food for Cats, MARS®, M&M'S®, SNICKERS®, DOLMIO®, and UNCLE BEN'S®. The company's global sales exceed USD 21bn. annually.
Waltham is the state-of-the-art petcare research facility behind all Mars Inc. Petcare brands such as ROYAL CANIN®, PEDIGREE® and WHISKAS®. Located in the United Kingdom, Waltham is dedicated to progressing the health and welfare of pets worldwide. Waltham has been funding studies in the Owner-Pet Bond for over 30 years. See www.waltham.com for more details.
About IAHAIO
IAHAIO, the International Association of Human-Animal Interaction Organizations, was founded in 1990 to gather together national associations and related organizations interested in advancing the understanding and appreciation of the link between animals and humans.
The Society is registered in Washington, USA, and has national member organizations on four continents with representatives from four sub-committees co-ordinating membership, conferences, projects, and finance with other associations around the globe. For more information, visit
www.iahaio.org .