KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA - Media OutReach^[1] - 26 November 2020 - The Covid-19 outbreak has affected everyone, including animals, to varying degrees. According to non-profit organisation Homeless & Orphan Pets Exist (H.O.P.E), there has been a 30% increase in animal abandonment at the animal shelter during the Movement Control Order. This is possibly due to the growing financial burden that pet owners are facing. 

Understandably, with the current economic climate, donations to the H.O.P.E animal shelter located in Pekan Nenas, Johor have reduced greatly. Daily, H.O.P.E feeds an average of 1.2 tonnes (1,200 kg) of pet food to over 3,000 dogs and 200 cats that it is currently sheltering. This works out to more than RM140,000 needed to ensure these furry friends are fed on a monthly basis; and this is on top of the RM20,000 incurred for medical expenses and miscellaneous.

With the goal of improving the lives of pets through nutrition, shelter and education, pet care product brands WHISKAS® and PEDIGREE® are collaborating with H.O.P.E. animal shelter to raise funds via the "Shop for H.O.P.E." campaign on Shopee happening from now till 6 December 2020.

Through this campaign, Shopee users and pet lovers can make donations of RM10, RM20 or even RM50 to the animal shelter. Additionally, for every purchase made through the Whiskas and Pedigree Official Store on Shopee, 10% will be converted to products which will later be presented to H.O.P.E. 

Mars Petcare Southeast Asia Pet Nutrition D-Commerce Director Phua Fui Ching said, "Ever so often, we come across a news article or video on social media on animals being abandoned and it is heart-wrenching. At Mars Petcare, we believe that pets make the world a better place and therefore, collaborating with H.O.P.E as well as Shopee is one of the many initiatives to achieve our goal in creating a better world for pets where they are healthy, happy and welcomed. Through this partnership, we hope to raise at least RM10,000 worth of pet food to be donated to H.O.P.E to help ease their burden."

In a bid to garner more proceeds for the animal shelter, WHISKAS® and PEDIGREE® will also be offering in-store vouchers of RM7 off with a minimum spend of RM70 and RM10 off with a minimum spend of RM100 to encourage pet lovers to purchase more from the store.

To find out more or show support for the Shop for H.O.P.E. campaign, visit https://shopee.com.my/m/hope.whiskaspedigree^[2]

References

1. ^{^} Media OutReach (www.media-outreach.com)
2. ^{^} https://shopee.com.my/m/hope.whiskaspedigree (shopee.com.my)