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5 Things I Learned at the Purina Better With Pets Summit

I am currently a member of the Purina Better with Pets and this post is part of my involvement. While Purina has provided me with materials and necessary resources to complete various activities, all statements and sentiments in this post are my own.

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This was my first visit to the Purina Better With Pets Summit. I was not sure what to expect. Would it just be Purina tooting their own horn about how great they are? Sure, there was some horn tooting, but I also learned so much about how pets enrich the lives of people and how Purina helps make it happen in more ways than I imagined.

What is the Purina Better With Pets Summit?

This quote from the event program sums up the event goals quite well:

This summit brought together the pet community experts and leaders to explore the future of pet care, and experience how passion, innovation for nutrition, and dedication to quality and safety will help improve the health and wellbeing of pets and the people who love them. Purina believes that by connecting pets and people, we can build stronger communities and shape a better world.

Pets are Their Family Too

I could really feel the true love that the Purina leadership team has for pets. Practically every presenter in the event brochure had a picture with their pets. I learned that pets are even welcome at the Purina headquarter’s in St. Louis. I was especially touched by a presentation given by Jason Christoffersen, the Factory Manager in Allentown, PA. He grew up on a small family farm in Michigan. It shaped his love for animals and created the commitment he has to keep them safe.

Purina is Making Safety a #1 Priority

The first discussion panel focused on demystifying quality and safety of pet food. Safety recalls from China still scare me to this day. It was relieving to learn that 99% of what Purina sells in the US is made in the US. Pet food is one of the most regulated products on the market. Purina is dedicated to using the highest quality ingredients. They focus on putting our pets nutritional needs first. The people at Purina research ingredients and execute far more quality and safety checks than I would have expected. They also made a strong point that the ingredients they select all have a purpose in the pet’s nutritional needs.

what I learned at the Purina Better with Pets Summit

A Passion for Pets Can Build a Better World

Our family loves our dog. She is a special part of our lives. Have you ever stopped to think about how a passion for pets can help the lives of others? The second discussion panel spoke about connecting pets and people to build a stronger community. I was especially touched by personal stories of how Purina helped keep pets in the lives of people who might not have them.

Hospital Visits & Therapy Dogs

Robin Harris has a daughter with Spina Bifida. She has had countless surgeries and long stays at the hospital. The family member she missed most was her dog Chocolate Chip Chewbacca. The Labradoodle is her best friend. Purina helped create a pet room where patients can visit with their pets during their hospital stays.

 


Above, I’m hanging out with some terrific social media influencers and Winnie The Therapy Dog. She brings joy to everyone she visits!

Therapy dogs also play an important role in the health and wellbeing of patients. One doctor on the panel said he wished he could write a prescription for a therapy pet for all patients. I met a number of therapy dogs at the event. I would certainly want to cuddle with one of these cuties if I were sick or recovering in the hospital, wouldn’t you?

Allow Families of Domestic Abuse to Keep Their Pets

This was possibly the most enlightening fact I heard during the summit. A shocking 48% of domestic violence victims won’t seek help at the expense of their pets. Purina helped the Urban Resource Institute, one of the largest domestic violence shelters in New York, create a space for pets. How amazing that these families can now seek help without fear of losing their pets. We spent some time creating gift boxes so that animals brought to (URI) will have the basics they need like collars, food bowls, blankets and more. I can’t imagine having to leave my home without our sweet dog (below).

what I learned at the Purina Better with Pets Summit

Adopt a Pet

Having a rescue dog myself, I have a passion for pet adoption. I spoke with the folks of the North Shore Animal League of America. They are an adoption center in Port Washington, NY that is helping to save hundreds of animals. They recently added a 14,000 square foot center where approximately 200 homeless cats can live in a stimulating, cage-free environment. Purina helps with efforts like these. Check out the information on the Purina site on How to Adopt a Dog.

The Impact of Good Nutrition for Pets

The final panel discussed why nutrition is important to our pets. They gave insight on nutrition having the power to not only help our pets live longer healthier lives, but also how it help treat nutrition responsive health conditions, which will give our pets longer healthier lives.

Improving Cognitive Health

I’ve seen the commercials about Purina Pro Plan Bright Mind, but I was skeptical about how it works in the “real world.” A lovely couple talked about their three dogs. Their oldest dog had slowed down quite a bit. They tried the Bright Mind product and saw significant improvement in their dog. While this is just one story, it does seem that Purina’s research in cognitive health has a promising future. They are releasing a similar product for older cats as well.

what I learned at the Purina Better with Pets Summit

Food for Sensitive Pets

Our dog is very sensitive to products with wheat and rice. She needs a product that is grain free. We have been delighted by the addition of the Purina Beyond Grain Free line of products. It seems that Purina continues to research products that minimize sensitivities in pets.

Customize Your Pet Food

Probably the second most interesting thing I found out at the summit was that you can customize your pet food with Purina. How cool is that? Check out Just Right Pet Food for more information. I really want to try this for our dog.

I believe it’s wise to research foods for yourself to decide what is best for your pet. There are websites where you can review ingredients, recalls, etc. Based on the Better With Pets Summit, I certainly think that Purina is headed in the right direction.

Taking Good Care of Our Rescue Dog - Printable Health Checklist Too!

The Last Word

I really enjoyed the Better With Pets Summit. I took away much more new information than I expected. Especially impressive, was the commitment Purina has toward making the pet-to-people connection as strong as possible. My dog, Panda was happy when I came home, especially with a new bag of Purina Beyond.

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  1. This sounds like a really cool experience! Although I do not have pets of my own, I can see how informative this could be for those who do own furry friends. Thanks for sharing!

  2. It’s nice to know that Purina held a Summit that also helps create awareness about our pets and their well being.

  3. Christina Aliperti says:

    Oh gosh, this is one event I would have loved to attend. I love all the great info and of course the fur babies.

  4. Purina has been our choice of pet food for as far back as I can remember. Attending a Pet Summit must have been an awesome experience. There are so many things to learn about having a pet and how to properly care for them. You’re right. Pets are family too!

  5. Mimi Green says:

    I didn’t even know pet summits were a thing. It sounds like a lot of fun. Nice to know Purins is involved in the community and worked with the Urban Resource Institute.

  6. Bonnie @wemake7 says:

    Say what? you can customize your own dog food? That is really awesome for dog owners.

  7. Rebecca Swenor says:

    This sounds like it was a great summit and I know Purina has been around for years. I love the quote above because it does explain what they are about. Our animals are indeed part of our families and we do anything to protect them. It is awesome how Purina has improved and all they programs they are involved in for sure. Thanks for sharing your experience.

  8. Reesa Lewandowski says:

    I love they are focusing on safety & cognitive health!

  9. Ali says:

    This sounds like such a cool experience. Purina has some pretty cool programs to help out the community – like the program to help those who have dealt with domestic violence.

  10. Stephen says:

    Aww, I don’t need therapy but how can I convince them to give me a therapy dog??

  11. Liz Mays says:

    What an amazing summit. Clearly they have a passion for the well-being of animals. I love that they helped the Urban Resource Institute create a place for pets.

  12. It sounds like this summit was so educational for the participants. I have a few friends that have cats. I’ll be sure to share this post with them!

  13. Pam Wattenbarger says:

    I love attending the Purina Better with Pets Summit. I always come back inspired with their passion for pets. And I love their partnership with the URI. I think that domestic violence victims need their pets with them.

  14. What a fun event to attend!!! I am a cat person, I love how they are just a part of the family!

  15. Sarah says:

    This is fantastic. I love your items here that you learned. When you get to attend a summit like this then come back to share your experience, it’s truly wonderful!

  16. lisa says:

    Purina is a great brand. They have been around a long time. We have 7 pets and they are our family too. Animals make it easy to give love.

  17. It was good to know how much they value animals and pets a-like – as an outsider getting to know all these makes me feel so good about them and makes me just realized that not all hope is gone, there are truly good people like them around.

  18. i have heard awesome things about Purina…always only good things. also those puppies are adorable.

  19. Alli Smith says:

    I learned so many great things about Purina that I didn’t know. I think it’s awesome that the domestic abuse shelter makes room for pets. No one would want to leave their pet behind.

  20. Awww, I love my pets so much. This sounds like a really great event. And I love Purina!

  21. susan says:

    Yes pets are like and extension of our family. For us Purina is a brand we trust for our little furry family members.

  22. Wow, I am impressed at the events for everything that is out there. This is adorable, and bringing along your pets is just awesome. Looks like great information you got there too.

  23. I love that Purina is focused on good quality of food for pets. These are great things to learn about their company. Thanks for sharing this!

  24. Liz Mays says:

    As a brand, they continue to innovate. I’m really glad to hear they do this summit.

  25. I would love to go to the Purina Better With Pets Summit. Sounds like you’ve learned a lot. Thank you for sharing it!

  26. Kathy says:

    That sounds like a fun event. I love pets! I have 2 cats of my own..technically 3 now cuz we found a stray and have been letting her stay in the house with us. I love the Purina brand too. We use it for our cats food.

  27. Amy D says:

    I’m glad to read all the good things Purina is doing for pets. It’s also great to know that 99% of their food sold in the US is made in the US.

  28. I have never heard of a pet summit before. I should not be surprised though because good pet owners treat their pets like family members and want the best for them.

  29. Purina is the only brand of food I feed my pets. I would love to go to a Purina Better With Pets Summit

  30. Lisa Bristol says:

    This is great info about pets. I have always thought it would be so fun to have a therapy dog to take to the hospital to help people.

    • Jenn says:

      I’d love to have a therapy dog too. My sister-in-law has one. I should see if she can come to the event next year.

  31. Ann Bacciaglia says:

    I would love to go to the Purina Better With Pets Summit. Sounds like you learned a ton. Thanks for the great info.

  32. Lisa Favre says:

    This is such a sweet post! I think I’m just being a big fluff ball because my best friends just adopted a kitty and she is the sweetest thing ever. I should show my friend this post as an additional resource.

  33. Kori says:

    My cat’s favorite brand of dry food is Purina. She has a few favorites for canned food. I would love to attend an event like this some day.

  34. Jeanette says:

    We just got a dog again and have been really researching what to feed her. I have always used Purina in the past so we might do that again!

  35. This is great information. It’s amazing what you can learn when you already think you know what it means to take care of your pet. Love it.

  36. Tara says:

    It’s great that Purina is helping with these great causes and that they value what goes into their pet food. I didn’t know you can customize your pet food. I will be checking this out.

    • Jenn says:

      I thought this was such a cool option as well. Since our dog has so many sensitivities, it will be a great option for us to try

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