Walmart Launches First Ultra Premium Dog Food Brand, Pure Balance

BENTONVILLE, Ark., Aug. 14, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Dog owners now have another way to save money at Walmart, so their companions can live better. Available exclusively in more than 2,900 Walmart stores, Pure Balance is the retailer's first ultra premium dry dog food which includes no soy, wheat or corn additives, no artificial colors, no preservatives and no chicken by-products.

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Pure Balance's first and primary ingredient is either real lamb meat or poultry, and contains a blend of omega 6 and 3 fatty acids good for a healthy coat and skin. Additionally, the product supports vision health, as well as heart health and immunity.

"Walmart customers, including me, consider our dogs family members so when it comes to their food we want the very best for them," said Jody Pinson, vice president of pets at Walmart. "Our customers told us they wanted to be able to feed their dogs a dry food made with pure ingredients without having to make a special trip to the pet store. We listened and are excited to offer Pure Balance, an ultra premium dog food, at a price our customers can afford."

Walmart's new Pure Balance brand dog food offers key benefits found in top pet specialty brands, and is already gaining notice from veterinarians who understand the benefits of a high-quality dry food.

"As a veterinarian, I am repeatedly asked to recommend diets for peoples' pets, and I see a lot of benefits in switching to Pure Balance," said Dr. Chip Lang, a veterinarian at the Cochranton Veterinary Hospital in Pennsylvania. "Pure Balance is formulated to contain a simple and well-balanced base of quality nutrients, while avoiding unnecessary additives. The combination of these benefits means that the diet could be recommended for healthy animals and pets with skin, intestinal or other allergies."

Pure Balance rounds out Walmart's broad assortment of pet food available at everyday low prices. For more information on Pure Balance please visit: http://www.walmartstores.com/pressroom/news/10984.aspx

About Walmart

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT) serves customers and members more than 200 million times per week at more than 10,300 retail units under 69 different banners in 27 countries. With fiscal year 2012 sales of approximately $444 billion, Walmart employs more than 2 million associates worldwide. Walmart continues to be a leader in sustainability, corporate philanthropy and employment opportunity. Additional information about Walmart can be found by visiting http://walmartstores.com, and on Facebook at http://facebook.com/walmart and on Twitter at http://twitter.com/walmart. Online merchandise sales are available at http://www.walmart.com and http://www.samsclub.com.

SOURCE Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.