Purina(R) ONE(R) is Looking for Heroes in the Lives of Pets. There are Many Ways You Can Be One.

ST. LOUIS, Feb. 3 /PRNewswire/ -- Imagine waking up every morning wondering if you'll someday be able to find a home to call your own or how you'll find your next meal. For so many pets, not having enough food in their bellies or a safe home are harsh realities. Fortunately, there are simple ways pet lovers can be heroes in the lives of pets. To help in this important effort, Purina® ONE® has teamed up with Martha Stewart for social network fundraising and the Purina® ONE® Tour For Heroes, a mobile tour visiting animal shelters coast to coast throughout the month of February, providing pet food, supporting pet adoption and helping pets in need.

"My pets are important members of my family and I am deeply committed to helping homeless animals," said Martha Stewart, founder, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia. "I'm pleased to be working with Purina® ONE® to support pets in need because I believe this is a worthy cause that can help so many animals across the country."

Food for Fluffy and Fido

From February 3-26, the Purina® ONE® Tour For Heroes will travel from San Francisco to New York and stop at local animal shelters in 11 cities along the way to set up temporary food banks and hold adoption events. More than 63,000 pounds of dog and cat food – equaling 11,000 bags of food – will be given out to help pets in need.  Every pet owner who visits an event and is in need of food will receive one 8-lb. bag of Purina® ONE® brand dog food or one 3.5-lb. bag of Purina® ONE® brand cat food while supplies last.

Whether you've lost your job, have large veterinary or medical bills or are struggling to pay your mortgage, no one will be turned away at any of the Tour For Heroes events.

"In tough times, a source of constant companionship can often be your dog or cat," said Mark Stoddard, brand director for Purina® ONE®. "We want to lend a hand to pets in need, and by assisting their owners who may need a little extra help these days, we help their pets, too."

Purina® ONE® is also supporting adoption events at each of the Tour For Heroes stops to save pets and find them forever homes. Each stop will feature adoptable dogs and cats from the tour stop shelters, and every pet lover who adopts a pet will receive a coupon for free Purina® ONE® brand dog or cat food.  

For more information about the Purina® ONE® Tour For Heroes and to find a tour stop near you, visit http://tourforheroes.marthastewart.com. And to learn more, tune in to The Martha Stewart Show (check local listings) on Friday, Feb. 5 when Tony La Russa, co-founder of the Animal Rescue Foundation in Walnut Creek, Calif., and manager of the St. Louis Cardinals, joins Martha via satellite to discuss the Purina® ONE® Tour For Heroes.  

All Pet Lovers Can Be Heroes

While not every pet lover is able to adopt an animal, people can still help pets in their own community and across the country through online social networks. Purina® ONE® and Martha Stewart are helping pet lovers make a difference and raise funds for shelters by simply sharing photos of adoptable pets on Facebook.

Sharing is easy! Start by searching for an adoptable pet anywhere in the United States by visiting http://tourforheroes.marthastewart.com. Choose a pet to help and click to share his or her profile with friends on your Facebook page. Every time a photo is shared, Purina® ONE® will donate $1 – up to $50,000 – worth of food to feed pets in need in local communities. Pet lovers can share photos until March 31, 2010.

About Nestle Purina PetCare Company

Nestle Purina PetCare Company promotes responsible pet care, community involvement and the positive bond between people and their pets. A premiere global manufacturer of pet products, Nestle Purina PetCare is part of Swiss-based Nestle S.A., the world's largest food company.

The Purina® ONE® Tour For Heroes will be making the following stops across the country:

• Wednesday, Feb. 3 – San Francisco SPCA in San Francisco
• Thursday, Feb. 4 – Tony La Russa's Animal Rescue Foundation (ARF) in Walnut Creek, Calif.
• Saturday, Feb. 6 – BARK Avenue Foundation in Los Angeles
• Sunday, Feb. 7 – North County Humane Society/SPCA in San Diego
• Tuesday, Feb. 9 – HALO Animal Rescue in Phoenix
• Friday, Feb. 12 – Houston Humane Society in Houston
• Tuesday, Feb. 16 – Broward County Humane Society in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
• Thursday, Feb. 18 – Jacksonville Humane Society in Jacksonville, Fla.
• Saturday, Feb. 20 – Atlanta Humane Society in Atlanta
• Monday, Feb. 22 – Southern Animal Foundation in New Orleans
• Friday, Feb. 26 – North Shore Animal League in Port Washington, N.Y.

SOURCE Purina ONE