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Visionaries and pet enthusiasts gathered at Purina’s Better With Pets Summit in New York City on October 14 to showcase how technology and innovation is creating a brighter future for people and pets. -
Rocket scientist, Mark Deadrick, created the famous prosthetic for TurboRoo, a two-legged Chihuahua, using 3D printing that could transform the way we treat disabled pets. -
Purina’s Better With Pets Summit featured 15 dynamic speakers and live demonstrations, ranging from pet behaviorists and scientists to entertainers and veterinarians. -
Veterinary gastroenterologist and nutritionist, Stan Marks, tells the story of how one dog, Bean, has helped push veterinarian and human science forward in extraordinary ways.
Purina’s Better With Pets Summit Brings Leading Scientists and Pet Experts Together to Showcase How Innovations are Enhancing Relationships Between People and Pets
Daylong Summit highlights advances that demonstrate how pets and people are better together
“As a leader in the pet-care industry, we believe it’s very important to bring together these remarkable speakers to share their knowledge of how pets deeply impact our own behaviors,” said Steve Crimmins, Chief Marketing Officer for Nestlé Purina PetCare Company. “From a rocket scientist to a 14-year old inventor, we’ve brought together some of the most amazing thinkers and storytellers from across cultures to showcase the many ways pets and people are better together — both today and tomorrow.”
The 15 speakers and presenters included Dr. Edward Creagan, a Mayo Clinic oncologist, who discussed the healing power of pets and the positive impact they have on our general well-being; Dr. Stan Marks, a veterinary gastroenterologist and nutritionist, who has focused his research on how pet science helps develop medical treatments for humans; Brooke Martin, the 14-year-old inventor of iCPooch, a recently launched product geared to easing a dog’s separation anxiety though remote communication; and Dan Smith, the vice president of Research and Development for Nestlé Purina, who spoke about nutritional innovations Purina has made through the years and the future of pet care.
Through research, technology and art, the Better With Pets Summit provided a unique platform that brought the conversations about pets and the future to life. One conversation, led by Purina nutritional research scientist Dr. Janet Jackson, included Purina’s research to help support cognitive function in aging pets through nutritional enhancements and is one of many examples of Purina’s dedication to creating a better and brighter future for pet owners and their pets.
“Last year we didn’t know what we had and it was really exciting to see how much hunger there was for this kind of event. This year we know the bar is high. The Better With Pets Summit comes with expectations and that’s what we had to aim for with the speakers and topics this year,” said John Hockenberry, host of public radio’s “The Takeaway” and master of ceremonies of the Better With Pets Summit. “We are continually amazed at how rich an experience this is. When you bring people from diverse backgrounds to talk about all the ways innovations can enhance the relationship and well-being of pets and people, and it turns out that all of these smart creative people have pets in common, what you get onstage is simply magic!”
Other presentations at the Better With Pets Summit included a live beatboxing track created in real-time by a local non-profit organization, a psychoacoustic engineer and concert pianist who have collaborated to create music clinically proven to relax dogs’ nervous systems, and a look at the evolution of pet training from celebrity pet behaviorist Victoria Stilwell of Animal Planet’s It’s Me or the Dog.
For more information about the Better With Pets Summit and to view and share presentations and performances from the daylong event, visit BetterWithPets.com.
About Nestlé Purina PetCare
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.
Media Contacts
Bill Etling
Nestlé Purina
314.982.4825
[email protected]
Allison Cory
Burson-Marsteller
312.593.6378
[email protected]
