Hill's Pet Nutrition's Legacy of Disaster Relief for Pets

I am entering Hill's Fabulous Blog Contest that I learned of at BlogPaws2013. No compensation has been received for this post.

On May 8, 2013 Hill's Pet Nutrition announced its first-of-kind National Disaster Relief Network to help pets during emergencies. It was intended to be leading up to National Animal Disaster Preparedness Day on May 11 and also helps educate pet owners on what they can do to keep their pets safe when disaster strikes.

On May 20, 2013 an EF5 tornado descended upon Moore, Oklahoma destroying everything in its wake, killing 24 people, including 7 children, and leaving hundreds of pets in need.

Hill's Oklahoma relief began within two hours of the disaster. On May 24 Hill's activated its Disaster Relief Network. As a result Hill's has already shipped thousands of pounds of dog and cat food. In the coming weeks the company is planning a convoy of food, pet supplies and other items to support stricken families.




Hill's timely announcement only days before a natural disaster struck was coincidental. But the company has a legacy of involvement in disaster relief for pets beginning as far back as Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

• 2012 Hurricane Sandy: Hill's provided relief to pet owners by partnering with area shelters, PetSmart Charities and Petco, and the Red Cross to donate and distribute 103,000 pounds of pet food.
• 2011 Joplin, MO: Donated Science Diet® pet food to help feed pets arriving at local shelters.
• 2010 Japanese Tsunami: Provided support to tsunami victims through coordination with parent company Colgate-Palmolive. Hill's Japan donated several tons of pet food for pets in need.
• 2010 Gulf Coast Oil Spill: Hill's joined forces with the American Veterinary Medical Foundation and animal health company Merial to support more than 90 veterinary clinics and shelters to provide pet food and medical care to pets of affected Louisiana residents.
• 2007 California Wildfires: Hill's worked closely with relief organizations in California to help feed dogs and cats affected by the wildfires by donating 25 tons of Science Diet® and Prescription Diet® pet food distributed through local veterinary clinics.
• 2005 Hurricanes Katrina and Rita: Hill's donated 100 tons of Hill's Science Diet® and Prescription Diet® pet food to feed displaced pets to veterinary clinics, Veterinary Medical Assistance Teams, veterinary schools and other locations where homeless pets were receiving care or being housed. Hill's team of veterinarians also donated their expertise to the rescue efforts in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.

As pet owners we uses several factors in deciding what food to buy our pets. But how many of us use knowledge of Hill's Pet Nutrition's National Disaster Relief Network or a company's community involvement in helping animals in need? These could easily become factors due to recent disasters and calls for help.