Grammy-Nominated Country Duo, Thompson Square, Teams Up With Purina® Dog Chow® Brand Dog Food To Celebrate Dog Family Moments

ST. LOUIS, June 20, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Purina® Dog Chow® Brand Dog Food believes dogs make a deep, lasting impact on their families, in a number of unique ways. According to a national survey* commissioned by Purina® Dog Chow® Brand Dog Food, dogs teach their owners responsibility, are regarded as good listeners, and provide unconditional love. The survey revealed that people have many positive perceptions about our canine companions, and that they affect families in many ways, specifically:

• More than 8 out of 10 people surveyed agree that dogs provide unconditional love and accept you for who you are.
• Eighty-five percent of dog families surveyed agree that their dog is a life force for a family.
• Nearly 90 percent of dog owners surveyed agree that their dog teaches their children to be more responsible.

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Dogs bring exceptional moments in life, and those moments leave a lasting impression. To help bring together a nation of families who cherish their dog's impact, Purina® Dog Chow® Brand Dog Food has partnered with husband-and-wife country music duo, Thompson Square, who experience their special dog moments on the road, touring the country with their puppy, Etta.

"We partnered with Purina® Dog Chow® because we are a proud dog family," said Shawna Thompson, of Thompson Square. "We couldn't think of a better way to join the community of dog owners, knowing how much a dog would bring to our lives in every situation, from being on a cross-country music tour, to simply spending time at home with family."

Through a new tab created on the Purina® Dog Chow® brand's Facebook page, dog lovers can now visit Dog Families Know, a new community within a community, and share their own unique family moments about their dog's impact on their family – via stories, photos and videos – and be inspired by other dog families just like theirs.

From now until July 31, a new topic will be proposed each week that dog families can relate to, and for every unique story, photo or video tacked onto the virtual community board – via Twitter, YouTube, Instagram and Facebook, Purina® Dog Chow® Brand Dog Food will donate $1, up to $25,000, to Patriot Rovers, Inc., helping support its mission to "Save Dogs, Help Soldiers and Honor Heroes." Additionally, one photo will be selected each week as the Purina Dog Chow Facebook cover photo. 

"We know that dogs enrich the lives of families, and based on the feedback we've been receiving on our Facebook page, we know our fans believe this, too. Because of that reason, we wanted to create this online community to give families the opportunity to capture and share these special, impactful moments, which our survey showed is a common bond between dog families everywhere," said Karen Ganschaw, senior brand manager, Purina® Dog Chow® Brand Dog Food. "Furthermore, we are so excited to team up with Thompson Square for this campaign. Their loving relationship as a dog family makes them a perfect fit to represent our brand and the Dog Families Know program."

Thompson Square (Keifer and Shawna Thompson) burst onto the country music scene with the release of their Grammy-nominated, #1 Platinum radio hit, "Are You Gonna Kiss Me or Not." It was named iTunes' "Country Song of the Year" in 2011, and grew meteorically to become the "Most Played Song" (Mediabase) at Country Radio in 2011, as well as reach the top of the Billboard Heat Seekers Chart. The duo was nominated for 14 industry awards in 2011, and in 2012 won the Academy of Country Music's "Vocal Duo of the Year," as well as CMT's "Duo Video of the Year." Thompson Square is also nominated for a 2012 Teen Choice Award, for Choice Country Group. They are currently touring around the country, with Etta, through October.

To learn more about Purina® Dog Chow® Brand Dog Food, or to share your dog family story on Dog Families Know and help support Patriot Rovers, Inc., or to review the Dog Families Know terms and conditions, visit facebook.com/dogchow. For more information on Thompson Square, visit ThompsonSquare.com.

About Nestle Purina PetCare
Nestle Purina PetCare promotes responsible pet care, humane education, community involvement and the positive bond between people and their pets. The North American headquarters for Nestle Purina PetCare is located at Checkerboard Square in St. Louis, Missouri. Nestle Purina PetCare is part of Swiss-based Nestle S.A. -- the world's largest food company. For more, visit www.purina.com.

*About the Purina® Dog Chow® Brand Dog Food Family Impact Study:
These are some of the findings of a proprietary study conducted April 5, 2012 – April 12, 2012 by Market Probe International on behalf of the Purina® Dog Chow® brand. Sampling was among a general US population of 1,501 adults online, aged 25-45 years old, who have 2+ people in the household, and consider themselves a family. Quotas were put in place to ensure analyzable base sizes of key target groups (dog owners and non-owners). Sample weighting was employed to ensure that the sample's composition reflects that of the actual U.S. adult population based on the observed incidence in field.

SOURCE Nestle Purina PetCare