Subaru of America, Inc. today announced the return of its Subaru Loves Pets initiative, dedicating the month of October to supporting the well-being and protection of animals across the country. As in past years, Subaru will continue its partnership with The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals® (ASPCA®), working together to help the approximately 3.3 million dogs that enter shelters annually find a safe, loving home.
A commitment to caring for pets is integral to the Subaru Love Promise and this year, Subaru is expanding its dedication by establishing the first-ever National Make A Dog’s Day on October 22. On this day, Subaru and its retailers will sponsor a nationwide effort to help the hardest-to-adopt shelter dogs find loving homes. Working closely with the ASPCA, the automaker will champion special needs dogs, specifically senior dogs, amputees, visually and hearing-impaired dogs, and dogs with birth defects and physical challenges. The automaker invites dog lovers to do something special for their loving companions on this day.
“Pets play a big role in our lives and the lives of Subaru owners. While we support efforts all year dedicated to the betterment of animals’ lives, in October, we make a concerted effort to help shelter pets – particularly the hard-to-adopt ones – find loving homes,” said Alan Bethke, Senior Vice President of Marketing, Subaru of America, Inc. “We are proud to establish the official National Make a Dog’s Day on October 22 and shine a light on the hundreds of thousands of dogs that are often times passed over including those with special needs.”
To support the Subaru Loves Pets initiative and National Make A Dog’s Day, Subaru will launch a new creative campaign and will air dog-focused commercials throughout the month of October across broadcast and digital platforms. The campaign includes television spots that feature the automaker’s beloved spokesdogs, The Barkleys, on their latest adventures, as well as introduces some new faces through a set of advertising spots, entitled “The Underdogs.” These spots will feature the dogs needing the most help getting adopted and debunk the myths, as well as celebrate their unique charms.
Consumers are invited to do something special to celebrate their dogs on October 22 and share their happy dog in social posts using #MakeADogsDay. Consumers can join the effort to help hard-to-adopt dogs by considering adopting a shelter dog, volunteering at an animal shelter, or participating in a Subaru retailer collection drive.
Throughout October, select Subaru retailers across the country will collect unused pet supplies crucial to maintaining the health and well-being of shelter animals. In addition to these collection efforts, Subaru and participating retailers will donate 5,500 shelter supply kits and 4,800 new pet parent kits to local shelters. Also, more than 100 participating Subaru retailers will work in conjunction with animal shelters in their communities to host pet adoption events.