Nearly 1.4 Million Orphaned Animals Have Been Adopted Through the Iams Home 4
the Holidays 2009 Pet Adoption Drive

Hilary Swank , Helen Woodward Animal Center and More Than 3,500 Animal Organizations Work Together to Promote Pet Adoption and Reduce Pet Homelessness

TORONTO , Jan. 14 /CNW/ - After setting its most aggressive pet adoption goal to-date - Iams Home 4 the Holidays (IH4TH) announced today that 1,363,638 million animals were adopted through the global program. Between Oct. 1 and Jan. 4, 2010 , more than 3,500 animal organizations and IH4TH ambassador, two-time Academy Award(R)-winning actress Hilary Swank , were a powerful combination in the massive effort to help reduce pet homelessness. In Canada , Quebec actress and television personality Geneviève Brouillette acted as the French Canadian Program Ambassador along side her four-legged canine companion, Leo.

"I'm proud to be part of such an amazing cause and I hope the many families who adopted through the IH4TH program will experience the same unconditional love and fulfillment my dogs Karoo and Rumi give me every day," said Swank. "I hope our success inspires everyone to get involved and continue to help eradicate pet homelessness because there are millions of animals who still need our help and we all have the ability to help make a difference."

Quebec celebrity and French spokesperson Genevieve Brouillette adds, "I salute those who followed their hearts and opted to go to a shelter to adopt a pet for the holidays. There are so many lovable and beautiful dogs and cats who want to find a new home. I wish all families a lifetime of wonderful memories with their new pet."

In Canada , more than 145 animal shelters participated in this annual adoption drive. "We were thrilled to once again partner with Iams for the Home 4 the Holidays campaign," says Steve Carroll , Chief Executive Officer, Canadian Federation of Humane Societies. "Thanks to the hard work and dedication of animal shelters from across Canada , we have made a significant impact on the lives of homeless animals in Canada ."

Since 1999, with the support of participating animal organizations from 17 countries, IH4TH continues to be one of the world's largest and most successful pet adoption programs. The following animals were adopted this year:

    
    -   729,357 dogs
    -   588,265 cats
    -   46,016 other animals (including rabbits, reptiles, horses, birds and
        more)
    

"Every year I continue to be inspired by the outpouring of love and commitment I see as millions of people experience the joy of pet adoption," said Mike Arms , founder of IH4TH and president of Helen Woodward Animal Center. "Not only has IH4TH made a tremendous impact on pets, we've improved the lives of people who work tirelessly with animal organizations around the world to help homeless animals every day."

To ensure adoptions are successful for pet parents and their new 4-legged family members, everyone who adopted through the program received an Iams adoption kit and DVD loaded with important information about nutrition, training and proper care.

"All of us at Iams are committed to helping orphaned pets and we'll continue to aggressively work with participating animal organizations to make sure they have the tools and support they need so that more animals find loving homes," according to Dan Rajczak, senior vice president - Global Snacks and Pet Care.

The 2010 program will kick-off on October 1 ; however there are plenty of ways to get involved now. To learn more about how to make a difference in the life of an orphaned pet, including finding participating shelters, volunteering or making a donation to support animal organizations and pets awaiting new homes, visit www.iamshome4theholidays.com.

    
    Important Facts
    ---------------

    -   To date, 145 Canadian shelters from coast-to-coast participated in
        this year's program.
    -   More than 15 countries participate in this adoption drive, making
        Iams Home 4 the Holidays one of the world's largest pet adoption
        programs. There are participating shelters in the United States of
        America, Canada, Iran, Australia, India, New Zealand, Iraq and more.
    -   In Canada, the program was executed in partnership with the Canadian
        Federation of Humane Societies (CFHS), Swiffer and Febreze.

    About Iams Home 4 the Holidays (IH4TH)
    --------------------------------------
    

As one of the most successful pet adoption programs in the world, IH4TH partners with thousands of animal organizations dedicated to finding forever homes for orphaned pets. Founded by Helen Woodward Animal Center and supported by Iams, IH4TH began in 1999 with just 14 participating animal shelters in San Diego County. Since it began 11 years ago, IH4TH - along with more than 3,500 pet adoption centers - has helped 4.3 million families experience the joy of pet adoption, including nearly 1.4 million pet adoptions from this past year alone. For more information, please visit www.iamshome4theholidays.com or follow us at www.twitter.com/IH4TH or www.facebook.com/IH4TH.

    
    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. 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.

    
    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(R) and Iams(R) Dog & Cat Foods or general pet care and nutrition information, call the Iams Consumer Care Center at [phone]. You can also visit us on the Web at www.iams.com or www.eukanuba.com.

    
    About Procter & Gamble
    ----------------------
    

Four billion times a day, P&G brands touch the lives of people around the world. The company has one of the strongest portfolios of trusted, quality, leadership brands, including Pampers(R), Tide(R), Ariel(R), Always(R), Whisper(R), Pantene(R), Mach3(R), Bounty(R), Dawn(R), Gain(R), Pringles(R), Charmin(R), Downy(R), Lenor(R), Iams(R), Crest(R), Oral-B(R), Actonel(R), Duracell(R), Olay(R), Head & Shoulders(R), Wella(R), Gillette(R), Braun(R) and Fusion(R). The P&G community includes approximately 135,000 employees working in about 80 countries worldwide. Please visit http://www.pg.com for the latest news and in-depth information about P&G and its brands.

For further information: and photos, please contact: Ana Aujla, Optimum PR, [phone], [email protected] OR Andrea Hynes, Optimum PR, [phone], [email protected]