Retailers Across South Africa Collaborate with Mars to Celebrate World Animal Day and Support Pet Welfare

L to R: Cape of Good Hope SPCA CEO, Mqabuko Moyo Ndukwana; Cape Town City Mayor, Geordin Hill-Lewis; Paws-A-While founder, Carolyn Dugdeon and Alderman JP Smith: Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security for the City of Cape Town. Image supplied

The campaign, aligned with Mars’ “A Better World for Pets” mission, extended beyond products to promote education, adoption, awareness, and responsible pet ownership across the country.

This initiative marked a national first. By combining the reach of South Africa’s most-loved retailers with Mars’ global pet-care expertise, the collaboration turned compassion into collective action.

Together, the partners showcased how pet food manufacturers, retailers, civic leaders, and the public can work hand in hand to help pets thrive.

Bringing awareness to life

The collaboration culminated in South Africa’s largest World Animal Day celebration, held on Sunday, 5 October 2025 at the Sea Point Promenade. The event drew over 1,000 attendees and more than 20 welfare organisations, including Paws-A-While and the Cape of Good Hope SPCA, with the City of Cape Town as a key supporter.

Hosted by the non-profit Paws-A-While, the event blended community celebration with meaningful education. Families met and adopted rescue pets, explored a bustling pet-friendly market with local brands and experts, enjoyed live entertainment, supported causes through food stalls, and took part in interactive welfare and nutrition activations.

Since its founding in 2021, Paws-A-While has conducted over 500 sterilisations, facilitated more than 600 successful adoptions, and partnered with over 20 welfare organisations and a range of pet care brands. It has engaged 60 NGOs through food aid, adoption drives, and vaccination campaigns, while its community of passionate pet lovers continues to amplify messages of compassion, responsibility, and care.

To mark the occasion, Mars, alongside Royal Canin, Pick n Pay, Takealot, and Pet Express, also donated nearly one thousand kilograms of pet food to welfare organisations, supporting ongoing sterilisation and feeding programmes in under-resourced communities. The initiative was further strengthened by public education drives on responsible pet care, adoption, and nutrition, reaching thousands of pet owners nationwide.

A pet-obsessed world

With more than one billion pets globally, the world is increasingly pet-obsessed. Mars’ 2024 global pet parent study, including South Africa, found that an estimated 56% of people identify as pet parents, with nearly half being first-time owners. One in three respondents said their pet is the most important thing in their lives.

This rise in pet ownership continues to shape consumer behaviour. Pet food has become one of the fastest-growing retail categories in South Africa, reflecting how families increasingly prioritise their pets’ wellbeing.

By extending efforts beyond products into awareness and community engagement, Mars and its retail partners helped translate public enthusiasm into long-term welfare gains for companion animals, supporting a sector that continues to expand rapidly in South Africa.

Mars spokesperson, Suraya Hamdulay, corporate affairs director, Sub-Saharan Africa, “Our mission is to create a Better World for Pets. We have a long history of partnering with others on this journey. This new collaboration for World Animal Day is a unique opportunity to bring education, awareness, and support to pets and their families across South Africa.”