Plato Pet Treats Launches Inaugural "Plato Wags Back" Program to Support Homeless Dogs and Veterans

FRESNO, CA--(Marketwired - May 26, 2015) - As part of its mission to provide health and safety for dogs through nutrition, California-based wholesome dog treat maker -- Plato Pet Treats -- announced its first-ever Plato Wags Back program. With the purchase of a bag of Plato Pet Treats, Plato will provide meaningful financial and product donations to rescues and shelters across the U.S. to help ensure that dogs are treated with love until they find their forever home. Additionally, throughout 2015, Plato Wags Back will directly aid three California rescue-based organizations -- Shelter to Soldier, Fresno Bully Rescue and Labsandfriends.org -- that either feed and care for homeless dogs or help enhance the lives of veterans who need assistance animals.

Plato Wags Back's mission is to champion the love and bond between dogs and people by treating every dog with kindness while enabling them to live a safe and healthy life. To make a difference in the lives of homeless dogs, supporters can participate in the program in the following ways.

• With the purchase of Plato Pet Treats, a donation will be made to animal rescues.
• Through Dec. 31, 2015, for every new Like on the Plato Pet Treats Facebook page, $1 will be donated to support veterans post deployment. Follow the page to learn about other ways to help homeless animals.

There are close to 7 million homeless pets in the U.S., with nearly 2.7 million animals likely to be euthanized this year alone. Compelled by these staggering statistics, Plato Pet Treats formalized Plato Wags Back to encourage Americans to help homeless pets and consider adoption.

"Dogs give us so much love and we want to return that love to dogs who need it most," said Aaron Merrell, co-founder and co-owner of Plato Pet Treats. "From sponsoring dog runs to adopting our first "Plato" canine to be trained as a service companion for a U.S. veteran, we are ecstatic to provide a voice to homeless animals through Plato Wags Back. Our goal is to continue to grow our program year over year to make a significant impact on the pet homelessness epidemic in our country."

Plato Wags Back Partner Organizations

• Shelter to Solider - A non-profit organization that rescues shelter dogs and trains them to be psychiatric service companions for wounded combat veterans. Every 63 minutes a U.S. veteran commits suicide and every 11 seconds an animal is euthanized; Shelter to Soldier works to aid and partner together two- and four-legged friends. Through the Wags Back program, Plato will fund the complete training of one dog (named Plato) at the San Diego-based training school. In addition, every Shelter to Soldier dog adopted will go home with wholesome, all natural Plato treats.
• Fresno Bully Rescue (FBR) - A volunteer-based, non-profit, no-kill shelter dedicated to rescuing Bully breed dogs in the Central Valley of Calif. Because of foreclosures in the state, an overwhelming amount of dogs are being surrendered and Bully breeds are typically the first to be euthanized if no one adopts or rescues them. Plato Wags Back will support FBR's spay and neuter program.
• Labsandfriends.org - An organization dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation and re-homing of Labrador retrievers and their "friends" in the greater Los Angeles area. The group's goal is to find the right family for every animal they rescue by providing education and compassion. Labsandfriends.org is run completely by volunteers, so all donations go toward helping animals in need. Plato Wags Back will be sponsoring one of the Lab runs located at Best Friends Animal Society's NKLA Pet Adoption Center in Los Angeles.

For more information on Plato Wags Back, visit PlatoPetTreats.com or Facebook.com/PlatoPetTreats.

About Plato Pet Treats
To meet the need for a truly healthy and safe treat alternative for dogs, Plato Pet Treats formulated a series of all-natural treats and supplements, including Plato Pet Treats Small Bites®, Plato Pet Treats Real Strips®, Plato Pet Treats Wild Alaskan Salmon Oil®, Plato Pet Treats Thinker Sticks®. Family owned and operated, all Plato Pet treats are slow-roasted in-house in Fresno, Calif. Unlike most pet treats, each ingredient can be traced back to its original source. Only fresh vegetables and meat ingredients are baked in the organic-certified facility - the Plato Way. More information on the entire Plato Pet Treat product line can be found at PlatoPetTreats.com or Facebook.com/PlatoPetTreats.