SM News Release Assignment

Uber Announces Joint "Four Legs and Four Wheels" Initiative With ASPCA 

News Facts​

• The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals states in a recent report that approximately 6.5 million dogs and cats are relinquished to local SPCA shelters each year. Approximately 3.2 million of these are dogs and 3.3 million are cats.
• Based on historical trends, 1.5 million of these animals will be euthanized each year. Almost 700,000 of these will be dogs and 860,000 will be cats. Approximately 3.2 million pets are adopted each year. Half of this number are dogs and the other half are cats. According to the ASPCA, populations of animal shelters are increasing at a rate of approximately 1.8 million animals each year.
• To help support the work of the ASPCA and its efforts at reorganization, Uber will donate 10 percent of its profits to the ASPCA for the duration of the event. The ASPCA is a registered non-profit based in New York.
• The program will begin on Wednesday, August 1, 2018, and end on Sunday, September 30, 2018. There will be an opening ceremony held in Uber's corporate offices in San Francisco, California, on Tuesday, July 31, 2018. ASPCA leadership will be in attendance, and local SPCA volunteers are welcome to attend. Surge Pricing will not be in effect for this event.

• Wages, tips, bonuses and other payments to Uber drivers will be unaffected by this event. Uber's leadership expects company earnings to increase over the duration of the event as a result of the publicity.
• Employees will be eligible for one $350 stipend to help new owners handle the expenses associated with new pets. The funds are expected to be used to purchase food, bedding, toys, etc. and paying for any medical expenses.
• As Uber's reputation grows, it is decreasing the number and the extent of promotions it offers to new customers. This decrease in costs raises profit levels. Uber has the fiscal status, as of the first quarter of 2018, to begin large-scale philanthropic efforts such as this event.

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Quotations
Jason Droege, vice president of UberEverything:
​     "The welfare of animals has always been of huge importance to both Uber, and the people who make up this company. We're not alone in that. People care about animals, and we believe that they will do all that they can to help if they're given an opportunity to do so. That's why we reached out to the ASPCA to start this event. Through this program, we're going to give people across the country both a reason and an opportunity to adopt a pet that they might not have adopted otherwise. Is it going to be an expensive partnership for us? Of course, it is. But it will be worth it. It is our hope that the donations will substantially benefit the ASPCA and its work. As far as Uber's leadership is concerned, if a single family finds a new pet, then all of this will be more than worthwhile."​

Matt Bershadker, president and CEO of the ASPCA:
     "This campaign is going to be incredibly important to us as an organization. With the revenue we're expecting, we might be able to completely overhaul our entire administrative system, which would help us advance our causes around the country. This will be the first of many steps in the process of making our organization into the advocacy group that it can be

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About the Companies:
ASPCA:
"The ASPCA’s efforts to protect animals span from federal laws to local courts to community engagement. We’re helping to prevent harmful situations for animals and to take action when they occur."

​Uber:
"We were founded in 2009 to solve an important problem; how do you get a ride at the push of a button? More than five billion trips later, we've started tackling even greater challenges: making transportation safer... delivering food quickly and affordably... and reducing congestion in cities by getting more people into fewer cars."

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For More Information:
Adam Ontiveros-Oberg
Uber Public Relations Officer
(012)-345-6789
ajontive@uber.com

The above information is not intended to be factual but is part of a class assignment on writing social media news releases at the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, Syracuse University, July 2018.
All information is intended to be sourced appropriately.