Purina ONE® Partners With Andy Cohen to Support Shelter Dogs and Students

Brand empowers dog owners to trigger donation to non-profit with its 28 Day Challenge

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Jul 26, 2016, 08:00 ET

NEW YORK, July 26, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Purina ONE^® announced today partnerships with television personality and talk show host Andy Cohen and non-profit organization North Shore Animal League America (NSALA) for the Mutt-i-grees® Program. The partnerships come as part of the brand's ONE Difference initiative, which celebrates the difference shelter-led educational programs can make in the lives of both students and shelter dogs. The Mutt-i-grees Program is an academic curriculum that allows students (K-12) to actively engage with shelter dogs while learning emotional competence, keys to academic achievement and social awareness skills.

Television host Andy Cohen feeds his rescue dog Wacha Purina ONE dog food as part of Purina ONE's 28 Day Challenge. Andy is teaming up with Purina ONE to support the ONE Difference initiative which celebrates the difference shelter-led educational programs can make in the lives of both students and shelter dogs.

Television host Andy Cohen and his rescue dog Wacha are teaming up with Purina ONE to promote the ONE Difference initiative supporting Mutt-i-grees, an academic curriculum that allows students to actively engage with shelter dogs while learning emotional competence, keys to academic achievement and social awareness skills.

Television host Andy Cohen and his rescue dog Wacha are teaming up with Purina ONE to support smart nutrition and shelter-led education programs that nourish the lives of students and shelter dogs across the country.

"Andy's passion for animal welfare and the wonderful work accomplished by the Mutt-i-grees Program make them ideal partners for the ONE Difference initiative," said Tracey Johnson, Purina ONE senior brand manager. "We encourage dog owners to sign up for the Purina ONE 28 Day Challenge. By doing so, dog owners are empowered to feed smart nutrition while also supporting shelter-led educational programs that nourish the lives of both students and shelter dogs across the country."

The crux of Purina ONE's partnership with Mutt-i-grees is a minimum donation of $15,000, which will provide tools and resources needed to help the non-profit organization further expand its reach for the Mutt-i-grees Program across the country. Additionally, Purina ONE is giving dog owners from coast-to-coast an opportunity to increase that donation up to a maximum total donation of $30,000, by registering to take the Purina ONE 28 Day Challenge between July 25 and September 9. For his part, Cohen has already taken the challenge by switching his dog, Wacha, to Purina ONE SMARTBLEND Healthy Weight Formula ® and has noticed marked improvements such as healthy energy, bright eyes and a shiny coat.

"I've always been a dog lover and rescue advocate, in fact, my dog Wacha is a rescue, so I felt like it was important to team up with Purina ONE for its ONE Difference campaign, which celebrates the positive impact the brand is making on shelter dogs and communities through its support for education," said Cohen. "I encourage dog owners to take the 28 Day Challenge not only because it worked for Wacha, but also because for every new sign-up, Purina ONE will donate $10 to the Mutt-i-grees program," (up to a maximum donation of $30,000).

"Purina ONE's involvement and generosity will provide us with the resources needed to extend the reach of the Mutt-i-grees curriculum and nourish the lives of both students and shelter dogs across the country," said Joanne Yohannan, senior vice president of operations at NSALA.

The Mutt-i-grees Program was developed by The Pet Savers Foundation, an affiliate of NSALA and Yale University School of the 21^st Century. NSALA has disseminated the Mutt-i-grees Program across the country.

For more information, visit http://www.purinaone.com/ONEdifference where dog owners can take the 28 Day Challenge, view testimonial videos, and use tools to find out which Purina ONE SMARTBLEND dry dog food formula is right for their dog.

About Purina ONE and Nestlé Purina PetCare
Purina ONE helps support your dog's whole body health every day and throughout his lifetime, with formulas that address his changing needs at each life stage. Purina ONE nutrition is veterinarian recommended and proudly crafted at Purina-owned U.S. facilities.

Nestlé Purina PetCare promotes responsible pet care, community involvement and the positive bond between people and their pets. A premiere global manufacturer of pet products, Nestlé Purina PetCare is part of Swiss-based Nestlé S.A., a global leader in nutrition, health and wellness.

About North Shore Animal League America / Mutt-i-grees
North Shore Animal League America - Home of the Mutt-i-gree® - headquartered in Port Washington, NY, is the largest no-kill animal rescue and adoption organization in the world. The Animal League reaches across the country to rescue, nurture and adopt 20,000 pets into happy and loving homes each year. Over the past decade, the Animal League saved over 200,000 lives and has saved 1,000,000 animals since its inception. "Like" us at www.Facebook.com/TheAnimalLeague, follow us at www.Twitter.com/AnimalLeague. To learn more about animal rescue and welfare, visit www.AnimalLeague.org.

Mutt-i-grees Curriculum Program Terms:
Beginning at 12:00 a.m. ET on July 25, 2016 and ending at 11:59 p.m. ET on September 9, 2016, for each new consumer who registers for the Purina ONE 28 Day Challenge, Nestlé Purina PetCare Company will donate $10 to Mutt-i-grees subject to a minimum donation of $15,000 and a maximum donation of $30,000. For more information regarding Mutt-i-grees, visit http://education.muttigrees.org/.

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SOURCE Purina ONE