MARS TO RECEIVE DOG AWARD
Dogs@work named Mars, Incorporated as a 2018 recipient of The DOG Award. “With empathy and merit, Mars has established the dog as a valuable addition to its many company campuses in America and abroad ,” says Debbie Black, Director of Dogs@work. “Mars has demonstrated excellence through its embrace of dogs in the workplace, providing a model for other American businesses to follow.”
“The DOG Award is about more than recognizing successful organizations,” says Black. “Companies which earn The DOG award exemplify what it means to invest in every level of its employees’ performance. Mars is at the forefront of the dogs at work movement.”
Dogs@work acknowledged Mars as having dog-friendly environments across the globe, including its offices in Taiwan, Mexico, Brazil, Japan, and Russia. Recently, Mars Incorporated began a three year study, The Pet Insight Project, of over 200,000 dogs and their link with human health.
“Pets can’t speak for themselves, so it’s up to people and communities to advocate for them and the many ways they make our lives better,” said Mark Johnson, President of Mars Petcare North America.
For 2018, Dogs@work will announce ten American companies in their inaugural class of recipients of The DOG Award. “Studies have shown a tremendous contribution from dogs at the office,” says Black. “At the office, dogs increase morale, de-stress the environs, facilitate meaningful communication, and increase productivity. One in ten companies in America include dogs in their workplace design. Its time for other companies to look at Mars and observe what they are doing with their canine policy.”
The Latin phrase, A bonis ad meliora, embedded in the gold circle of The DOG Award means from good to better. “Mars, incorporated has made its good company better by including their employees’ dogs in its culture,” says David Paul Kirkpatrick, a director at Dogs@work, and the former President of Paramount Pictures and the former President of Walt Disney Pictures.
Mars is one of the largest and most successful family-owned companies in the world. Its brands include M&Ms, Snickers, Cesar, Wrigleys, Pedigree, and Dolmio. For over one hundred years, the Five Principals have been at the heart of the Mars culture. The principals are: quality, responsibility, mutuality, efficiency, and freedom.
Dogs@work is an animal advocacy group that encourages positive awareness of dogs in corporate culture. Research shows that 1 in 10 companies support dogs in the workplace. Over 44% of American households have a dog. 37% of dog owners would sacrifice vacation time or a pay raise to be able to bring their dog to work. 44% of dog lovers would consider a career move for a pet-friendly workplace. In the OnePoll study of 2018, 97% of HR decision makers believe that employee happiness is a key component in productivity.
On October 2, 2018, The DOG Award will be presented to Grant F. Reid, CEO of Mars Incorporated, at Mars Headquarters in McLean, Virginia. “It’s exciting for us to be presenting this award to Mars with both dogs and their humans in attendance,” says Black. “Dogs make for better companies, and a better world.”
To join Dogs@work Nation, please find us at dogs@work.com
