It's Time to Let Dogs be Dogs Again!

ST. LOUIS, May 20 /PRNewswire/ -- Want to discover the best places to bury a bone?  What about tips for rolling in mud or where to hide when someone wants to put a sweater on you?  Real dogs need look no further than the ALPO® "Real Dogs Eat Meat" Handbook that is now available for free browsing or download at www.ALPORealDogs.com.  This common sense guide to help dogs be dogs again takes readers into the hearts, minds and mud-covered "soles" of 20 real dog "paw-thors" who share their infinite wisdom about life's greatest pleasures. Forget about doggie spas and designer clothes -- real dogs prefer drooling for dinner, scratching wherever it itches and afternoon naps.

To view the multimedia assets associated with this release, please click: http://multivu.prnewswire.com/mnr/alpo/43524/

(Photo:  http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20100520/MM04220 )

To celebrate the release of the ALPO "Real Dogs Eat Meat" Handbook, actor, TV star and real dog owner Taye Diggs hosted a first-of-its-kind virtual book reading event for dogs at The Chelsea Market in the Meatpacking District of Manhattan.  Real dogs from all walks of life gathered 'round Diggs to hear him read excerpts from the handbook, which offers a good dose of canine common sense in chapters titled: Leaving My Mark, Birthday Suits and Miss Manners. In addition to the live event, real dogs and their owners across America participated virtually via live streaming video on www.ALPORealDogs.com, where an archive of the video is now available.

"I've performed in front of all kinds of audiences throughout my career but this experience was definitely a first," said Diggs, actor, dog owner and host of the ALPO® "Real Dogs Eat Meat" Handbook virtual book reading event.  "As a dog lover, it was fun to be part of such an original event."

The ALPO "Real Dogs Eat Meat" Handbook features fun, entertaining stories (ghost written by the "paw-thors'" owners) about what it means to be a real dog.  The "paw-thors," including Hank, Bear, Thor and 17 other candid canines, won a national photo/essay contest that searched for real dogs as part of an ALPO movement to celebrate a more common sense approach to pooch pampering.  

To browse the ALPO "Real Dogs Eat Meat" Handbook or download it for free, or to watch the book reading launch event hosted by Taye Diggs, visit www.ALPORealDogs.com.

About Nestle Purina PetCare Company

ALPO is manufactured by Nestle Purina PetCare Company, one of the leading global players in the pet care industry.  Nestle Purina 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, where Ralston Purina was founded more than a century ago. The company is part of the Swiss-based Nestle S.A. – the world's largest food company.

SOURCE ALPO