When I first arrived home with Nigel, my rescue dog, we watched an awards show together. While he didn’t care much for the performances, he made himself right at home on the sofa and began snoring deeply, despite being a former street dog.
Having grown up with a rescue dog, I knew I’d want to adopt myself when I got my first pet. Turns out, I’m not alone in wanting to rehome a pet instead of buying one. According to new research by Mars, pet ownership is booming with more than 70% of people having pets, but over half (58%) haven’t adopted them. Although nearly a third desire to—in fact, pet adoption is widely viewed as a rewarding way to bring a pet into the family—many prospective parents feel uncertain about taking the next step.
So with pet adoption widely considered a fulfilling way to grow your family, what’s holding people back? For most, it’s the unknown: everything from a potential pet’s background to the more practical things like what to feed a new pet and how to best settle them into their new home.
Becoming a pet parent is a big decision, so it’s important you do your research and feel supported during the process. And with many prospective pet parents wanting to adopt, Mars has launched its Clearing the Path campaign to provide expert guidance and help more pets find loving homes with prepared and confident owners.
Coinciding with the annual Mars Global Adoption Weekend, starting October 2, the brand has curated an Adoption Hub packed with expert advice and tools that can help you find a local shelter and build confidence as you start the journey towards finding your new best pal.
One major area that continues to stump pet parents nationwide is how to pick the right food.
In fact, new Mars research showed that nearly three quarters of adopting owners (71%) change their pets’ diets after bringing them home, with nearly half (47%) wanting more expert advice to manage the transition. In the United States, specifically, the company found that 67% of adopters change their pet’s diet after adoption, with 40% of pet parents would value advice from veterinarians or pet nutrition experts. To help address that need, Mars has brought guidance from vets and pet nutrition experts on its Adoption Hub to cut through the head-scratching and conflicting internet opinions.
Thinking of adopting a pet? Visit the Mars Adoption Hub to find a shelter local to you and gather helpful resources for the journey ahead.
