Andy Cohen engages with students while leading a lesson in New York on April 20, 2017. Along with a $20,000 donation to North Shore Animal League America’s Mutt-i-grees program, Purina ONE is partnering with Mutt-i-grees and Andy Cohen as part of its ONE Difference Campaign, which focuses on nourishing the lives of both students and shelter dogs across the country. (Photo by Amy Sussman/AP Images for Purina ONE)
From April 20 to May 31, 2017, Nestlé Purina PetCare Company will donate $10 (U.S. dollars) to the animal shelter/rescue organization North Shore Animal League America (NSALA) for each new consumer who registers for the Purina ONE 28 Day Challenge subject to a maximum donation of $20,000. The Purina ONE 28 Day Challenge invites dog owners to their dog’s food to Purina ONE SMARTBLEND.
Andy Cohen’s rescue dog, Wacha, enjoys a Purina ONE lunch on in New York City on April 20, 2017. (Photo by Amy Sussman/AP Images for Purina ONE)
For the second consecutive year, the ONE Difference campaign will benefit NSALA’s Mutt-i-grees, a shelter-led academic curriculum that brings shelter dogs into classrooms and libraries, allowing students to engage with the pets while learning lessons in emotional competence, academic achievement and social awareness. According to a Purina press release, Mutt-i-grees was developed by The Pet Savers Foundation, an affiliate of NSALA and Yale University School of the 21st Century. More than 4,000 schools and libraries nationwide participate in the program.
On April 20, 2017, Purina elebrated its ONE Difference campaign today with the help of television personality Andy Cohen and his former shelter dog Wacha. The Bravo executive/talk show host joined the brand and North Shore Animal League America at a library in New York City to name Wacha an honorary “Mutt-i-gree” for the day and help lead a lesson with area elementary school students.
The Better with Pets at Purina Farms (Photo courtesy of Purina Farms)
Purina Farms Visitor Center in Gray Summit, Missouri, is re-opening for the 2017 season on March 18. The center is located about 40 miles west of downtown St. Louis. Here is more information from a Purina press release:
New for the 2017 season is a fresh paint job at the Visitor Center to incorporate Purina’s iconic Checkerboard red, along with a new main entrance.
The Purina Farms Visitor Center is open from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday in the spring and fall (Tuesday through Sunday from Memorial Day to Labor Day) and includes the following guest offerings:
Interactive Better with Pets exhibit, where pet lovers of all ages can celebrate the powerful relationship people and pets share and learn about responsible pet care. Guests can help trigger a donation to the Petfinder Foundation in support of homeless pets* simply by turning in the pet I.D. card they receive at the beginning of the experience. The Petfinder Foundation provides grants to shelters and rescue groups around the U.S. to help them in their life-saving work to place homeless pets in loving homes. Learn more about all the exhibit has to offer here.
Incredible Dog Arena, where the Purina® Pro Plan® Performance Team dogs demonstrate their amazing skills in flying disc, diving dog and agility during three shows daily
(Photo courtesy of Purina Farms)
Pet Center, which features a 20-foot, multi-level home for cats and an opportunity to meet the dogs who perform in our shows
Barn and play area, which houses domestic farm animals and also features rope swings, tunnels and pedal tractors.
There’s also a theatre, a concession area, gift shop, and information center.
In addition to daily activities at the Visitor Center, Purina Farms hosts events year-round, including the popular Springtime Village March 29-April 15. Purina Farms also hosts some of the most prestigious dog and cat shows in the country at the Purina Event Center, including national all-breed dog shows like the Dalmatian Club of America, Poodle Club of America and the German Shepherd Dog Club of America.
Obe’s ProBowl tracks a pet’s food and water intake, provides feedback on consumption, and alerts pet owners to any changes that are out of the ordinary compared to normal consumption habits.(Photo courtesy of Nestlé Purina)
Nestlé Purina has named high-tech pet bowl company Obe the winner of Purina’s first Pet Care Innovation Prize. The Prize is a partnership between Nestlé Purina and investment firms Active Capital and Cultivation Capital. Obe’s flagship product is ProBowl, a patent-pending, dishwasher safe bowl with a smart base that connects to a phone and WiFi via an app. ProBowl tracks a pet’s food and water intake, provides feedback on consumption, and alerts pet owners to any changes that are out of the ordinary compared to normal consumption habits. The ProBowl app can also sync with Amazon to have pet food automatically delivered to your door.
(Photo courtesy of Obe)
According to a Nestlé Purina press release, more than 80 companies from 11 countries applied for the Pet Care Innovation Prize. Obe was one of five finalists for the award. All finalists received a $10,000 cash prize along with immersion in a multi-day accelerator program in St. Louis. As the grand prize winner, Obe received an additional $10,000 for business development and will be an exhibitor at the 2017 Global Pet Expo, one of the world’s largest pet industry events. Expo attendees can meet Obe’s founders and see the ProBowl in action, and retailers can find out how ProBowl can help them drive traffic to their online and brick-and-mortar stores.
Obe founder Hilary Jensen (Photo courtesy of Nestlé Purina)
Obe is a San-Francisco based company founded by Hilary Jensen, who named the company after her dog, whose nickname was Obe. Jensen commented in a statement: “It’s an honor to be the first-ever winner of the Pet Care Innovation Prize and to be connected with Purina and other great companies who are all working toward the same goal: bettering the lives of pets. The support from the Pet Care Innovation Prize has been invaluable to the growth of the business.”
Jensen added, “We are all busy with a lot to remember. ProBowl takes a few things off your list, so you don’t have to worry. No more texting your spouse to find out whether the dog has been fed, or who is going to pick up the dog food. ProBowl is simple enough that even your 8-year-old can feed your pet the right amount every meal. Knowing ProBowl takes care of the details for me lets me spend more time the way I want, with my dog of course!”
Pet owners interested in pre-ordering the ProBowl, which starts at $99, can visit ObeDog.com for more information. Shipping is expected to begin in the spring of 2017.
