On Mars Petcare Thought Leadership Seminar platform, MARS Petcare, the top pet food manufacturer in the world, assembled key players in the field of animal welfare, including representatives from NGOs, academia, the government, and the medical community. The seminar, a first-of-its-kind event, highlighted the need for more pet-friendly city planning and the need to make both owned and stray pets feel welcomed and cared for. Animal nutrition, health, and healthcare were discussed on a panel on the welfare of dogs and cats that included specialists from around the world and from India.

The was the fourth seminar in the series. In Hyderabad in June 2021, the first panel discussion was centered on the state of animal care, with a focus on strays in particular, and the actions made by the government and NGOs in that regard. The second seminar discussed the difficulties in building better cities for pets and their registration, and it was held in Bengaluru in October 2021. Building better cities for pets and One Health, a collaborative, multisectoral, and transdisciplinary approach working at the local, regional, national, and global levels to achieve optimal health outcomes by recognizing the interconnection between people, animals, plants, and their shared environment, were the topics of the third seminar, which took place in Chennai in May 2022.

Among the panelists were Dr. S Chinny Krishna, Founder, Blue Cross of India, Chennai, Dr. Chanchal Guha, Vice-Chancellor, WBUAFS (West Bengal University of Animals & Fishery Science), Ms. Nitasha Doger, Scientist D, FAD (Foodgrains, allied products), BIS (Bureau of Indian Standards), Mr. Binod Kumar IAS, Municipal Commissioner, Municipal Corporation, Kolkata, Ms. Cecilia Villaverde, Co-chair of WSAVA Global Nutrition Committee, Dr. Satarupa Sanyal, Film Director & Social Activist, Kolkata, Ms. Sushmita Lahiri, Founder & Secretary, Voice for Animals, Kolkata, Dr. Rubina Mondal, Postdoctoral Researcher at the Indian Institute of Science Education & Research (IISER), Kolkata, Dr. Utpal Das, In-Charge, Animal Resources Department, Municipal Corporation of Kolkata, Mr. Suvagata Chakrabarty, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Kolkata, Ms. Santi Das Basak, Add Special Superintendent of Police CID.

MARS Petcare was successful in starting conversations and raising awareness about the issues surrounding homeless animals through the Thought Leadership Seminar.

Priyanka Dutta