The Ad Council, the Humane Society of the United States and Maddie’s Fund^® launch new PSA campaign focused on keeping ‘Pets and People Together’

New campaign encourages people to ‘Be a Helper’ by supporting pets in local communities

New York, NY, (Oct. 12, 2022) – The Ad Council, the Humane Society of the United States and Maddie’s Fund^® have launched “Pets and People Together,” a new, fully integrated public service announcement (PSA) campaign to inspire pet lovers everywhere to #BeAHelper. Ninety-seven percent of pet owners consider their pet to be a member of the family. At any given time, anyone may experience a crisis that can temporarily impact their ability to care for their pets.

Pets and People Together highlights that the best place for pets is with their people. Communities have a vital role to play in preserving the human-pet bond. People who understand the value of pets in our everyday lives may not be aware of the ways they can help keep pets and people together. This includes reuniting lost pets with their owners, donating pet supplies or funds for owners in need, or offering short- or long-term fostering. These actions ensure both pets and people are able to continue to benefit from the unique and powerful connection they share.

“We are incredibly excited for this new campaign. If the last few years have taught us anything, it’s the vital role our pets play in our health, happiness and well-being, and how amazing it is when our community comes together,” said Mary Ippoliti-Smith, Executive Leadership Team at Maddie’s Fund. “Keeping families together is more important than ever, and we all have the opportunity to help make this happen.”

The three new video PSAs feature touching stories about individuals and their pets. “Magic Hour” is a heartwarming film showing how the small act of donating pet supplies to families in need can bring joy to pet owners and their pets. The second film, “Muse,” unveils how financial donations from “helpers” can keep pets and people together through unexpected hardship. The third and final inspiring work, “Foster,” dives into the benefits of short-term foster care by neighbors or friends and how it can make a huge impact.

“Everyone deserves the opportunity to experience the unconditional love and meaningful relationship a pet offers,” said Kitty Block, President and CEO of the Humane Society of the United States. “Our new Pets and People Together campaign highlights that each of us has a role to play in our community to help ensure that families and their beloved pets stay together.”

“Pets and People Together showcases the important role that community can play in keeping pets and people together. Everyday people can take actions both big and small to help ensure families with pets can stay together, even in the face of financial or medical hardships, or if a pet gets separated from their family,” said Heidi Arthur, Chief Campaign Development Officer at Ad Council. “We’ve proven countless times that when the Ad Council partners with the Humane Society of the United States and Maddie’s Fund, we can change an issue for the better. We’re proud of our continued partnership with these two impactful organizations.”

In 2009, the Ad Council, in collaboration with the Humane Society of the United States and Maddie’s Fund, launched the Shelter Pet Project with the goal of encouraging pet adoption from local shelters. Since its launch, the Shelter Pet Project has helped more than 3 million people search for pets available for adoption near them. The success of the campaign over the years has given rise to a new opportunity to help inform audiences about a variety of other ways they can support both pets and people in their community.

The work was created pro bono by creative agency Wunderman Thompson, which donated its services to develop the strategy and create the PSAs. In addition to television PSAs, the campaign features print, digital, out-of-home and radio PSAs. The PSAs drive to a fresh, resource-packed website, PetsandPeopleTogether.org, developed in partnership with digital agency Viget.

“Though not everyone can adopt a pet, everyone can be a helper,” said Melissa Krimm, Group Business Director at Wunderman Thompson. “Whether dropping off a bag of kibble at your local food pantry or donating to a veterinary fund, every bit of kindness counts. It takes a village to raise a pet.”

People who want to positively impact their community are encouraged to visit PetsAndPeopleTogether.org, where they can learn valuable information including how to foster a pet for a friend, neighbor or family member; how to donate toward the cost of a pet’s veterinary care and what to do when you find or lose a pet. Follow Pets and People Together on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to learn more. Individuals can also use the hashtag #BeAHelper to share what they are doing in their communities to help keep pets and people together.

About the Ad Council
The Ad Council has a long history of creating life-saving public service communications in times of national crisis, starting in the organization's earliest days during World War II to September 11th and natural disasters like Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Sandy and, most recently, leading the industry’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Its deep relationships with media outlets, the creative community, issue experts and government leaders make the organization uniquely poised to quickly distribute life-saving impactful information to millions of Americans.

The Ad Council is where creativity and causes converge. The non-profit organization brings together the most creative minds in advertising, media, technology and marketing to address many of the nation's most important causes. The Ad Council has created many of the most iconic campaigns in advertising history. Friends Don't Let Friends Drive Drunk. Smokey Bear. Love Has No Labels.

The Ad Council's innovative social impact campaigns raise awareness, inspire action and save lives. To learn more, visit AdCouncil.org, follow the Ad Council's communities on Facebook and Twitter, and view the creative on YouTube.

About the Humane Society of the United States
We fight the big fights to end suffering for all animals. Together with millions of supporters, the Humane Society of the United States takes on puppy mills, factory farms, the fur trade, trophy hunting, animal cosmetics testing and other cruel industries. Through our rescue, response and sanctuary work, as well as other direct services, we help thousands of animals in need every year. We fight all forms of animal cruelty to achieve the vision behind our name: a humane society.

Learn more about our work at humanesociety.org. Subscribe to Kitty Block’s blog, A Humane World. Follow the HSUS Media Relations department on Twitter. Read the award-winning All Animals magazine. Listen to the Humane Voices Podcast.

About Maddie’s Fund^®
Maddie's Fund^® is a family foundation established in 1994 by Dave and Cheryl Duffield and is the fulfillment of a promise to their inspirational dog, Maddie. She provided them much joy for over ten years and continues to inspire them today.

The Foundation has awarded over $265 million in grants toward increased community collaborations and live outcomes, pioneering shelter medicine education and establishing foster care as a standard across the U.S. Maddie’s Fund proudly offers the industry a national voice, important funding opportunities for bold ideas, learning resources and access to collaborate and share innovative solutions.

The Foundation invests its resources in a commitment to keeping pets and people together, creating a safety net of care for animals in need and operating within a culture of inclusiveness and humility. #ThanksToMaddie

About Wunderman Thompson
At Wunderman Thompson we exist to inspire growth for ambitious brands. Part creative agency, part consultancy and part technology company, our experts provide end-to-end capabilities at a global scale to deliver inspiration across the entire brand and customer experience.

We are 20,000 strong in 90 markets around the world, where our people bring together creative storytelling, diverse perspectives, inclusive thinking, and highly specialized vertical capabilities, to drive growth for our clients. We offer deep expertise across the entire customer journey, including communications, commerce, consultancy, CRM, CX, data, production, and technology.

In 2020, Wunderman Thompson launched Inspire, a proprietary global platform that explores what makes brands inspiring and what inspires consumers. Rooted in a rigorous, multidimensional research methodology, the platform identifies the qualities a brand must embody, the narratives it should weave, and the experiences it can design in order to spark people’s inspiration and culminates in an annual list of the Inspire Score Top 100 Most Inspiring Brands in the World.

Wunderman Thompson is a WPP agency (NYSE: WPP).

For more information, please visit us at www.wundermanthompson.com, subscribe to our newsletter, and follow Wunderman Thompson on our social channels via Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

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Press Contacts:

Sean Williams
Manager, Marketing & Communications
Ad Council
[email protected]

Sharon Fletcher
Director, Marketing & Communications
Maddie’s Fund
[email protected]
925-310-5458

Melissa Smith
Senior Specialist, Media Relations
The Humane Society of the United States
[email protected]
231-360-7676