FRANKLIN, Tenn., Oct. 3, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The Mobil Delvac™ and PEDIGREE® brands announced today they are teaming up to launch the "Mutts4Trucks" campaign, a new program pairing professional truck drivers with shelter dogs. The goal of the program is to make a positive impact on the mental and physical well-being of truckers and shine a light on the benefits of dog adoption.
The Mutts4Trucks campaign officially kicked off with a dog adoption event on Friday, Sept. 27, 2019, at the TravelCenters of America Nashville. The event featured appearances by GRAMMY® award-nominated country music star Cassadee Pope and the popular trucking YouTube couple TheCraftyTrucker.
At the event, truckers were able to adopt a new best friend from the Nashville Humane Association to be their companion on the road. Drivers also received a car-safe harness, leash, PEDIGREE dog food and more.
Amber Carlton-Wise, a truck driver with Werner Enterprises who has been driving for about a month, adopted a dog at the event, noting that she often gets lonely on the road.
"I'm lonely, sometimes I get bored, or when I go home on home-time, I don't know what to do because I'm so used to trucking now," said Carlton-Wise. "So I said I have all this time and I got love – everyone's got love to give – so I'll use that love for a pup."
Helping Professional Drivers with Pet Companionship
Truckers are vital to the U.S. economy. In fact, nearly three-quarters of the country depend on truckers to deliver goods to their community.1 However, driving can be a lonely job. Professional drivers spend an average of 240 nights away from home per year,2 and nearly a third of drivers say being alone and away from their families is a significant issue affecting their mental health.3
Pairing dogs with professional drivers provides drivers with a mental, physical and emotional health boost through pet companionship. Research from the Human Animal Bond Research Institute has shown that 80 percent of pet owners say their pet makes them feel less lonely, and 76 percent agree human-animal interactions can help address social isolation.4
"Having worked with truck drivers for the past 90 years, the Mobil Delvac brand has seen first-hand the valuable economic contributions and personal sacrifices that truckers make on a daily basis," said Leah Ritter, Mobil Delvac brand advisor. "We are committed to showing our appreciation for their tireless work by helping improve their well-being – and by teaming up with the PEDIGREE brand, we hope to bring more joy to some of the nearly 3.5 million truckers on the road today who are committed to keeping our economy moving."
Helping Dogs Find Forever Homes
The Mobil Delvac and PEDIGREE program will also benefit canine companions. According to the PEDIGREE Foundation, nearly four million pets end up in shelters every year, and nearly half of them never find a place to call home.
"We know dogs have mood-boosting effects on the people whose lives they touch, and we also know that life on the road for a trucker can be lonely," said Elizabeth Barrett, PEDIGREE brand manager. "The Mutts4Trucks program benefits both dog and driver, because it brings a forever home to dogs in need, while providing truckers with a furry friend for the road."
Mutts4Trucks also supports the Mars Petcare BETTER CITIES FOR PETS™ program by doing its part to help end pet homelessness and bring attention to the benefits of the human-animal bond. The program helps cities be more pet-friendly so two- and four-legged friends can enjoy a happier and healthier life together with more pets welcome in more places.
The Mutts4Trucks campaign will continue into 2020 as the Mobil Delvac and PEDIGREE brands follow the journey of several truckers and their new dogs while on the road. Over the course of several months, the program will see the impact on the emotional and physical well-being of both the drivers and their adopted pets, while on the road together.
To learn more about the Mutts4Trucks campaign, please visit Mutts4Trucks.com.
About the PEDIGREE® Brand
The PEDIGREE® Brand is the number one brand of dog food and treats in the world, feeding more dogs than any other brand. The PEDIGREE® Brand offers a wide variety of products and formats for dogs at every life stage. The PEDIGREE® Brand is built on an unwavering love for all dogs and a commitment to dog adoption. For more information, please visit www.Pedigree.com.
About ExxonMobil
ExxonMobil, the largest publicly traded international oil and gas company, uses technology and innovation to help meet the world's growing energy needs. ExxonMobil holds an industry-leading inventory of resources, is one of the largest refiners and marketers of petroleum products, and its chemical company is one of the largest in the world. For more information, visit www.exxonmobil.com or follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/exxonmobil.
About Mars Petcare
Mars Petcare is a diverse and growing business with 85,000 Associates across 50+ countries dedicated to one purpose: A BETTER WORLD FOR PETS™. With 75 years of experience, our portfolio of almost 50 brands serves the health and nutrition needs of the world's pets – including brands PEDIGREE®, WHISKAS®, ROYAL CANIN®, NUTRO™, GREENIES™, SHEBA®, CESAR®, IAMS™ and EUKANUBA™ as well as The WALTHAM™ Centre for Pet Nutrition which has advanced research in the nutrition and health of pets for over 50 years. Mars Petcare is also a leading veterinary health provider through a network of over 2,000 pet hospitals including BANFIELD™, BLUEPEARL™, PET PARTNERS™, VCA™, Linnaeus and AniCura. We're also active in innovation and technology for pets, with WISDOM PANEL™ genetic health screening and DNA testing for dogs, the WHISTLE™ GPS dog tracker, and LEAP VENTURE STUDIO accelerator and COMPANION FUND™ programs that drive innovation and disruption in the pet care industry. As a family business and guided by our principles, we are privileged with the flexibility to fight for what we believe in – and we choose to fight for: A BETTER WORLD FOR PETS.
1 https://www.trucking.org/News_and_Information_Reports_Industry_Data.aspx
2 https://www.tcsfuel.com/blog/national-truck-driver-appreciation-week/
3 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22757596
4 HABRI and Mars Petcare Loneliness and Social Isolation Study. Conducted by Edelman Intelligence. December 2018.
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SOURCE PEDIGREE
