Mars, Incorporated scores big with pets through summer of dog-friendly sporting events

Petcare company further amplifies adoption opportunities with local rescue partners

MCLEAN, Virginia (April 29, 2025) – Mars, Incorporated — a global leader and maker of beloved snacking, food and pet brands like M&M'S®, SNICKERS®, BEN'S ORIGINAL™, ROYAL CANIN®, PEDIGREE®, and CESAR®, among others — sponsors more than 30 professional sports teams across the U.S. This summer, Mars will leverage its relationships with teams and fans in Washington D.C. and Nashville – both BETTER CITIES FOR PETS™(Opens a new window) certified cities - to build on the Mars Petcare Purpose – A BETTER WORLD FOR PETS by hosting a series of dog-friendly games and pet adoption events.

"Creating moments where people and their pets can connect and enjoy life together is incredibly important to us at Mars and supports our Petcare purpose – A Better World for Pets," said Lisa Hackett Campbell, Senior Vice President, Corporate Affairs, Mars Pet Nutrition North America – a division of Mars, Incorporated. "By bringing brands like PEDIGREE and CESAR into the stadiums of some of the most iconic sports teams, we're excited to help fans make lasting memories with their pets and while also supporting our local shelter and rescue partners in their efforts to end pet homelessness."

A recent Pet Parent Study from Mars found that less than half of pet parents find their neighborhoods to be very pet-friendly, and almost a third of pet owners feel guilty about leaving their dogs and cats alone. To give pet parents and sports fans the chance to spend more time with their four-legged family members, Mars will sponsor twelve dog-friendly professional sporting events from April – September:

As the Official Petcare Partner of the Washington Spirit, Mars is hosting a "Pitchside Pups(Opens a new window)" themed game this Friday, May 2 where pet parents and their pups can enjoy a pre-match tailgate, live DJ, a halftime show with frisbee dog performers, and more.
Mars and its CESAR brand sponsor Nashville Soccer Club kicked off their continued partnership with a pet-friendly "Bark in the Park" night earlier this month on April 12. From May – August, fans can purchase "Pupside Seats(Opens a new window)," which will give pet parents the chance to bring dogs to select matches with special tickets and seats in the first row of the CESAR Corner Kicks Section.
Mars and its PEDIGREE brand sponsor the Washington Nationals' six Pups in the Park games which take place from April – September(Opens a new window) and give fans the opportunity to bring dogs to the ballpark. Proceeds from dog tickets purchased for Pups in the Park games benefit the Humane Rescue Alliance.

Mars also leverages its relationships with professional sports teams to support animal adoption. At the upcoming "Pitchside Pups" event, there will be a "Mars Pup Park" where attendees can meet and play with adoptable dogs from Wolf Trap Animal Rescue(Opens a new window), a non-profit and veterinarian-led animal rescue organization. For all dogs adopted at the event, Mars will match adoption fees with a donation. Similarly, the PEDIGREE Foundation supports Nashville Soccer Club's annual Pup Cup adoption event and sponsors their "Adoptable Dog of the Match" promotion to help get shelter dogs adopted. PEDIGREE also partners with the Washington Capitals, Tennessee Titans and Nashville Predators on efforts to raise awareness about pet adoption and local shelters. In 2022, in partnership with the Mars BETTER CITIES FOR PETS™ program, Nashville Predators opened Pups N Play, the first ever dog park outside an NHL arena, which provides a place to play dogs dwelling in downtown Nashville.

Globally headquartered in McLean, V.A., with more than 70,000 U.S.-based Associates, across 49 states, Mars has been driven by purpose for over a century, embracing opportunities to give back to communities where it operates. Leveraging its sports partnerships to provide fun, engaging experiences that people and pets can enjoy together is just one way the company continues to have a positive impact across the country.

MEDIA CONTACT
Mary Jane McComiskey
mary-jane.mccomiskey@effem.com

About Mars, Incorporated
Mars, Incorporated is driven by the belief that the world we want tomorrow starts with how we do business today. As a $50bn+ family-owned business, our diverse and expanding portfolio of leading pet care products and veterinary services support pets all around the world and our quality snacking and food products delight millions of people every day. We produce some of the world’s best-loved brands including ROYAL CANIN®, PEDIGREE®, WHISKAS®, CESAR®, DOVE®, EXTRA®, M&M’s®, SNICKERS® and BEN’S ORIGINAL™. Our international networks of pet hospitals, including BANFIELD™, BLUEPEARL™, VCA™ and ANICURA™ span preventive, general, specialty, and emergency veterinary care, and our global veterinary diagnostics business ANTECH® offers breakthrough capabilities in pet diagnostics. The Mars Five Principles—Quality, Responsibility, Mutuality, Efficiency and Freedom—inspire our 150,000 Associates to act every day to help create a better world for people, pets and the planet.

For more information about Mars, please visit www.mars.com. Join us on Facebook(Opens a new window), Instagram(Opens a new window), LinkedIn(Opens a new window) and YouTube(Opens a new window).