Mars Petcare launches Pedigree's adoption campaign ‘#BeIndieProud'

Pet food and nutrition brand Mars Petcare has launched its all-new stray adoption campaign for its leading dog food brand Pedigree. The #BeIndieProud campaign aims at promoting and facilitating Indie stray dog adoption, backed by 30+ partner N.G.O.s across the country.

Zee5 India, the creative partner of the campaign has brought forth real-life tales of people and their experience of adopting the strays. The film shows, three real life narratives of people from different walks of life, who tackled different barriers around stray adoption and have welcomed them into their homes.

According to the Mars Petcare Pet Homelessness Index, a study conducted by Mars Petcare in 9 countries with 15000+ respondents stated that India has a low EPH of 2.4 on a scale of 10, as opposed to the global average of 8.1.

India has an estimated stray dog population of 62 million that are not cared for, nor are they welcomed in homes. There is a persisting stigma against stray dogs and their behavior. There is a lack of awareness about their conduct, as people are more breed centric than dog centric. With the #BeIndieProud campaign, Pedigree aims at eradicating pet homelessness by providing as many helpless pets as possible with a home. Mars Petcare has partnered with 30+ N.G.O. s and has dedicated a toll-free number to facilitate these adoptions and aims to reach a target of 5,000 adoptions.

Ganesh Ramani, Managing Director, MARS Petcare, said, “The Pet Homelessness Index showed that India has a low EPH of 2.4, and a huge population of stray dogs that are overlooked. There are various stigmas around stray dogs and their behavior. We have undertaken various initiatives like pet health camps, thought leadership seminars, Indie dog shows, vaccination drives, to create awareness and conversation around stray dogs. With the #BeIndieProud campaign we aim to encourage stray dog adoption and see that all pets are wanted, cared for, and welcomed in people’s lives.”

Gaurav Kanwal, Chief Revenue Officer, Zee5 India said, “Dog adoption has seen an upsurge in India, but the strays who are fighting many odds in dismal conditions, and probably the ones who need a home the most are unfortunately the last to be picked. As a socially responsible brand, we were excited to join hands with Mars Petcare for the campaign and bring forth the real-life stories of some of these canines finding their forever homes. At Zee5, our endeavor has been to identify the varied facets of human emotions and create relatable content which resonates with our audience. With this film, we aim to drive awareness around the need to adopt the strays and welcome them to a friendly home environment. We are positive the campaign will witness widespread acceptance and together we will be able to make the world a better place for our very own furry friends.”