The pet food brand Pedigree shows indie doggos some love in a new campaign

ZEE5 India, the creative partner of the campaign, presents the real stories of people and their experiences of adopting stray dogs.

Real friendships are forged, not bought, and this is especially true of all species. Many NGOs in India are encouraging interested families to adopt indie dog breeds, and the latest brand to do so is Pedigree.

Pedigree is a dog food brand from MARS Petcare, an Indian pet food and nutrition brand. It has launched its all-new stray adoption campaign. The #BeIndieProud campaign aims to promote and facilitate the adoption of stray dogs into the indie, supported by over 30 partner NGOs across the country.

India has a high dominance of the stray dog ​​population for which there are no vaccinations, birth controls, animal shelters or foster families. A study conducted by MARS Petcare in nine countries of more than 15,000 participants found that India has a low EPH of 2.4 on a scale of 10, as opposed to the global average of 8.1.

ZEE5 India, the creative partner of the campaign, presents the real stories of people and their experiences of adopting stray dogs. The film shows three real life stories of people from different walks of life who have overcome various barriers to adopting strays and welcoming them to their loving home.

India has an estimated population of 62 million stray dogs that are neither cared for nor welcomed into homes. Street dogs and their behavior are still stigmatized. There is a lack of awareness of their behavior as people are more race-oriented than dog-oriented.

With the # BeIndieProud campaign, Pedigree aims to eradicate pet homelessness by providing loving homes to as many helpless pets as possible. MARS Petcare has partnered with over 30 NGOs and set up a toll free number to facilitate these adoptions and aims to achieve a target of 5,000 adoptions.

Commenting on the campaign, Ganesh Ramani, MARS Petcare Managing Director, said, “The Pet Homelessness Index has shown India has a low EPH of 2.4 and is overlooking a huge population of stray dogs. There are various stigmatizations surrounding stray dogs and their behavior. We have taken various initiatives such as pet health camps, thought leadership seminars, indie dog shows, vaccination campaigns, etc. to create awareness and conversation about stray dogs. With the # BeIndieProud campaign, we want to promote the adoption of stray dogs and ensure that all pets in people’s lives are looked for, cared for and welcomed. “

Gaurav Kanwal, Chief Revenue Officer, ZEE5 India added, “Dog adoption has seen an upswing in India, but the strays, who struggle against many adversities in bleak conditions and probably most in need of homes, are unfortunately the last to be selected. As a socially responsible brand, we were delighted to be working with MARS Petcare on the campaign and telling the real-life stories of some of these dogs that have found their home forever. ”

“With ZEE5 it was our aim to identify the diverse facets of human emotions and to create assignable content that resonates with our audience. With this film we want to raise awareness of the need to adopt the strays and to welcome them into a friendly home environment. We are confident that the campaign will find widespread acceptance and together we can make the world a better place for our own furry friends. “