Jan 23, 2023
No Kill is all about innovation, and working together to save lives. That’s why we were so excited to have two Mars Ambassadors join us at Austin Pets Alive! for two weeks, to help us save puppies with canine parvovirus and distemper—diseases that are often fatal, and for which puppies are routinely euthanized at many animal shelters and clinics because of the false belief they cannot be treated and adopted.
APA! operates one of the country’s only Parvo Puppy ICUs, where around 1,000 puppies per year are treated, and we run a specialized distemper treatment program. Many more puppies could be saved, still, with more animal shelters adopting and using the lifesaving protocols we’ve developed, and greater public awareness of how to prevent and treat parvo and distemper.
Mars Ambassadors Devon Arcuri, BluePearl’s Creative Specialist, and Violet Matarico, Banfield Pet Hospital’s Practice Manager for the Woodbridge and Edison hospitals in New Jersey, came to do just that.
The Mars Ambassador program dispatches Mars employees to other organizations and communities, where they lend their expertise and build partnerships. Devon and Violet embedded with the APA! marketing and communications team, to develop critical materials and messaging.
Working alongside APA!’s staff, Devon and Violet produced web pages and resources, including FAQs, website banners and pages, social media recommendations, printed handouts and posters, and more.
It’s two weeks’ of work that will have a meaningful impact on animals’ lives. More puppies will get and stay well, and get to live as loved members of families, thanks to Devon and Violet’s time with APA! as Mars Ambassadors.
We asked Devon and Violet what their time at APA! meant to them.
“Mars focuses on sustainability; the world we want tomorrow starts with how we do business today,” Devon said. “With this project, Violet and I wanted to ensure that our work could keep growing after we left.”
“With development being one of my passions, the opportunity to provide insight and support for APA!’s Puppy Parvo ICU on a grand scale has been an experience of a lifetime,” said Violet. “These puppies and young dogs deserve a fighting chance, and APA! has paved the way.”
Thank you to Devon and Violet for sharing your knowledge and your passion to save the lives of vulnerable puppies!
