The reason, in part, comes by way of help from Mars Petcare U.S., which donates pet food on an as-needed basis to the Temple Animal Services facility.
Mars Inc., known for M&Ms and Snickers, is parent company to Mars Petcare, based in Franklin, Tenn.
In 2006, Mars Inc. acquired Doane Pet Care in Temple, according to Debra Fair, public relations manager with Mars Petcare U.S. The Temple site now makes Pedigree dog food, which is a Mars Petcare product.
As Doane, the company made “store brand” dog foods, according to Stan Whitman, site manager at the Temple plant. The facility has had its presence in Temple for about 22 years now, Whitman said.
Although the Temple Animal Services facility receives pet food donations from a number of sources, about 18 months ago Mars began donating food to the shelter on an “as need basis.”
What that means, according to Walter Hetzel, shelter supervisor, is any time supplies wear thin or a special need arises, all the shelter has to do is get on the phone and a pallet of dog food from Mars will arrive a short time later.
“All we have to do is call them, and when they have people available, they deliver it,” he said. “They are not donating broken bags or expired stock, they are donating brand new stuff.”
He said the arrangement came about shortly after Mars bought Doane.
“A Doane’s official toured our facility and made the offer that they would provide the animal shelter with dog and cat food - basically all we need,” Hetzel said.
He added that between regular donations, both from Mars and others dog food suppliers in town, the shelter has only had to make a request about three or four times since the program began.
“Between what they bring us on a routine cycle and our donations from other sources it’s very rare that we’ve ever had to call them,” Hetzel said.
Some donations are prompted by a special request, he said, explaining that one time when the shelter had an unusually large number of puppies being housed, Mars provided all their puppy food for them.
As Mars Petcare, the Temple company makes Pedigree dog food and also has taken an active role in the pet community, Hetzel said, not only supplying food to the shelter but helping out in a volunteer capacity as well.
During a pet adoption event June 3 at the shelter, Mars Petcare, as part of the Mars nationwide Volunteer Day program, sent volunteers to help. Volunteers supplied labor, free pet food and promotional efforts.
During the event, the shelter tripled its daily average of nine dogs adopted, Hetzel said.
The shelter and Mars had a similar event last year, and Whitman helped out in a firsthand way.
“Last year we adopted Molly from the city of Temple shelter,” he said of his family’s border collie. “Seeing her with my wife - we just had to take her home.”
The Whitman family also owns Cutter, an Australian shepherd.
The Temple volunteer event was one of a Mars-wide effort involving its 52 other company units and plant sites, including those producing food, snack food and pet care products.
“They sent a whole crew out here to do whatever we needed, including cleaning out storage sheds and pet taxis (crates),” Hetzel said. “And while they were doing volunteer work for us, they bought lunch for us, and I haven’t figured that one out yet.”
Ms. Fair, who has two cavalier King Charles spaniels rescued from a puppy mill, said it was a natural for Mars Petcare employees to help out at the shelter.
“We’re obviously a company that focuses on pets and it’s really a part of our DNA, and the core of what we do,” she said.
