Purina and St. Louis Blues Unveil 'Purina Doghouse' Penalty Box For 2022-2023 Season

Rebranded penalty box will be temporary home of penalized opponents, with each away team penalty triggering donation to facilitate training for support dogs across St. Louis

ST. LOUIS, Oct. 13, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Ahead of the start of the 2022-2023 NHL regular season, the St. Louis Blues Hockey Club today unveiled the Purina Doghouse, a new moniker for the away team's penalty box at Enterprise Center in downtown St. Louis. Visits to the Purina Doghouse, which signifies Blues opponents taking a penalty, will trigger a $100 donation each time a player visits the away team penalty box from Purina, up to $15,000 to local service and support dog training organizations.

The donated funds from Purina will allow local organizations like Duo Dogs, a St. Louis-based nonprofit organization that trains and connects facility and assistance dogs with individuals and communities, to enhance its training services and help more dogs prepare to make a positive different for those in need.

"During the course of a hockey game, there will be moments when the players get too excited, or play too aggressively, and need to take a break. At Purina, two cornerstones of positive reinforcement training are to redirect inappropriate behavior and end on a positive note," said Christina Lawrence, Vice President of Brand Marketing at Purina. "The Purina Doghouse represents a unique opportunity to help engage fans with tips to help their pets at home. We're working to make the positive power of pets even more accessible to those in our community who need it most."

Barclay, the Blues official Duo Dogs Ambassador, who is fueled by Purina Pro Plan, will play a key role in the Purina Doghouse educational elements provided by Purina experts throughout the course of the season. Barclay is the first dog to join a professional sports team full-time and is actively delivering positive impacts across the St. Louis community.

"In a traditional sense, time spent in the 'doghouse' is a bad thing, but for Blues fans, a trip to the Purina Doghouse provides an advantage on the ice, and now generates a positive for pets in our community," said Randy Girsch, Vice President of Community Development and Event Management with the St. Louis Blues. "We're excited to add this new dimension to the gameday experience for fans and applaud Purina for finding another unique and exciting way to bring pets and people together."

Introducing the new Purina Doghouse comes at a time where mental health awareness is on the rise and demand is increasing for animal assisted therapy. This program is the latest step Purina is taking to help unleash the power of pets to those in need. The company recently announced its first ever employee-led Touch Therapy dog program in partnership with local nonprofit Duo Dogs, which trains and certifies new Duo Touch Therapy teams to volunteer their efforts in Duo facility partner sites across the greater St. Louis metropolitan area.

Purina also supports St. Louis Children's Hospital and helped create the Purina Family Pet Center, a facility that allows family pets to visit pediatric patients inside the hospital, in addition to partnering for the Purina Paws for Hope program, which provides St. Louis Children's Hospital patients access to volunteer pet therapy teams.

Also new this year, Purina and the Blues will launch the Blue Note Pets Club, a new membership opportunity for Blues supporters and their four-legged fans to get exclusive access to Purina pet experts, members-only meet ups, unique pet gifts and other surprises. More details will be available soon. Sign up for updates on the Purina Blue Note Pets Club by visiting the Blue Note Pets Club Interest Form.

Nestlé Purina PetCare Company was founded in St. Louis in 1894 and employs more than 2,000 associates at its downtown St. Louis headquarters. Purina has had a long-standing partnership with the St. Louis Blues.

For training and obedience tips from Purina experts, visit Purina.com/Expertise.

Nestlé Purina PetCare creates richer lives for pets and the people who love them. Founded in 1894, Purina has helped dogs and cats live longer, healthier lives by offering scientifically based nutritional innovations.

Purina manufactures some of the world's most trusted and popular pet care products, including Purina Cat Chow, Purina ONE, Pro Plan, Fancy Feast and Tidy Cats. Our more than 8,700 U.S. associates take pride in our trusted pet food, treat and litter brands that feed 51 million dogs and 65 million cats every year. More than 500 Purina scientists, veterinarians, and pet care experts ensure our commitment to unsurpassed quality and nutrition. Purina promotes responsible pet care through our scientific research, our products and our support for pet-related organizations.

Over the past five years, Purina has contributed more than $150 million towards organizations that bring, and keep, people and pets together, as well as those that help our communities and environment thrive. Purina is part of Nestlé, a global leader in Nutrition, Health and Wellness. For more information, visit purina.com or subscribe here to get the latest Purina news.

SOURCE Purina