Iams Home 4 the Holidays, one of the world's largest pet adoption drives, announced that nearly 1.3 million pets were placed in forever homes between Oct. 1, 2012 and Jan. 2, 2013. As part of the annual drive Iams has donated more meals than ever before, with 5.5 million bowls of food going to homeless pets, surpassing the original goal of 5 million donations. More than 8.3 million pets have been placed in forever homes since Iams and founding partner Helen Woodward Animal Center, along with thousands of animal organizations across the globe partnered to do something about shelter overpopulation when the program first started in 1999.

Wyatt, a tiny kitten was abandoned and found near death was nursed back to health and found his forever home through Iams Home 4 the Holidays. (Photo: Business Wire)

“We're celebrating the fact that in just three months we helped save the lives of almost 1.3 million animals,” said Mike Arms, founder of the adoption drive and president of Helen Woodward Animal Center. “We're proud of the work we've done and we're especially proud of the hard work the partner organizations continue to do every day. Take the story of Wyatt, a tiny kitten who was abandoned and found near death. Wyatt was nursed back to health by dedicated cat rescue volunteers and has since found his forever home. Stories like these show us the importance of promoting pet adoption and how a program like Iams Home 4 the Holidays can make a huge difference in the life of a pet."

Homes were found for:

• Dogs 684,896
• Cats 553,550
• Other 26,663 (including rabbits, reptiles, horses, birds and more)

Adoption wasn't the only way people got involved this year as the program also focused on providing proper nutrition for pets still awaiting families. Consumers were able to share their passion for pets and help Iams donate food to participating animal shelters by buying specially marked bags of food, taking part in the Digital Dish Drive on the Iams Facebook page (Facebook.com/Iams) or joining the Iams Life Long Rewards program at local shelters or online (www.iams.com). Meals donations were also triggered through the Iams YouTube page (YouTube.com/Iams) with every view, like or share of YouTube sensation Andrew Grantham's Singing Pets Holiday Video.

"From the millions of families and pets who have been impacted over the years, to the more than 15.5 million bowls of food Iams has donated in the past three years alone, we're very proud of the work we've accomplished,” said Ondrea Francy, Iams general manager. “We think premium nutrition like Iams is an important part of the pet-adoption process to keep pets looking and feeling their best until they're adopted."

About Iams Home 4 the Holidays

As one of the most successful pet adoption programs in the world, Iams Home 4 the Holidays partners with thousands of animal organizations dedicated to finding forever homes for orphaned pets. Founded by Helen Woodward Animal Center and supported by Iams, the campaign began in 1999 with just 14 participating animal shelters in San Diego County. Since it began 14 years ago, Iams Home 4 the Holidays has helped more than 8 million families experience the joy of pet adoption, including nearly 1.3 million pet adoptions this year alone. For more information, please visit Facebook.com/Iams.

About Helen Woodward Animal Center

Helen Woodward Animal Center is a private, non-profit organization where “people help animals and animals help people.” Founded in 1972 in Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., the Center provides services for more than 57,000 people and thousands of animals annually through adoptions, educational and therapeutic programs both onsite and throughout the community. Helen Woodward Animal Center is also the creator of the international Home 4 the Holidays pet adoption drive and the Animal Center Education Services program, teaching the business of saving lives to animal welfare leaders from around the world. For more information, follow us on Twitter at Twitter.com/hwac or visit us at animalcenter.org or Facebook.com/helenwoodwardanimalcenter.

About P&G Pet Care

For more than 60 years, P&G Pet Care (NYSE:PG), the maker of Iams and Eukanuba, has enhanced the well-being of dogs and cats by providing world-class quality foods and pet care products. To learn more about Eukanuba® and Iams® Dog & Cat Foods or general pet care and nutrition information, call the Iams Consumer Care Center at (800) 525-4267. You can also visit us on the Web at www.iams.com or www.eukanuba.com.

About Procter & Gamble

P&G serves approximately 4.6 billion people around the world with its brands. The Company has one of the strongest portfolios of trusted, quality, leadership brands, including Pampers®, Tide®, Ariel®, Always®, Whisper®, Pantene®, Mach3®, Bounty®, Dawn®, Fairy®, Gain®, Charmin®, Downy®, Lenor®, Iams®, Crest®, Oral-B®, Duracell®, Olay®, Head & Shoulders®, Wella®, Gillette®, Braun®, Fusion®, Ace®, Febreze®, Ambi Pur®, SK-II®, and Vicks®. The P&G community includes operations in approximately 75 countries worldwide. Please visit http://www.pg.com for the latest news and in-depth information about P&G and its brands.

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