Purina Hosts First-Ever Better With Pets Summit to Showcase Positive Relationships Between People and Pets

Purina hosted the first-ever Better With Pets Summit on Nov. 19, bringing together remarkable thinkers from a wide spectrum of culture to help broaden and advance the way relationships between pets and people are viewed. The daylong event held in New York City featured 16 speakers, including academics, pet behavior experts, performance artists and scientists.

"Purina is dedicated to celebrating the many benefits of pet ownership, for both people and for pets, and sharing our belief that pets and people are better together," said Steve Crimmins, chief marketing officer, Nestle Purina PetCare Company. "As a leader in the pet care industry, we are honored to bring together these remarkable individuals to share their unique expertise and experiences with pets."

Speakers and presenters included Beth Stern, an animal welfare advocate and author; Dr. Marty Becker, also known as "America's Veterinarian"; Simon Tofield, cartoonist and author of "Simon's Cat"; Alexis Ohanian, co-founder of Reddit; and several Purina scientists and researchers.

Speaker topics included the healing power of pets, the exploding popularity of pets online, an understanding of pet pain management, and food trends for people and pets. Presentations included a live dance ensemble of the co-evolution of people and pets, a look at how human food can inspire the creation of pet food, and a view of the world from a dog's perspective.

"As an advocate for service dog accessibility, I know first-hand how pets help people, and people help pets -both emotionally and physically," said John Hockenberry, host of public radio's "The Takeaway" and master of ceremonies of the Better With Pets Summit. "The Better With Pets Summit is a great way for pet people of all backgrounds to advance conversations around people and pets."

For more information about the inaugural Better With Pets Summit, and to view and share presentations and performances from the event, visit www.BetterwithPets.com.

Test and expand your Broadway knowledge with our new game - The Broadway Match-Up! How well do you know your Broadway casting trivia?	Play the Daily Game, explore current shows, and delve into past decades like the 2000s, 80s, and the Golden Age. Challenge your friends and see where you rank!
How well do you know your Tony Awards history? Take our never-ending quiz of nominations and winner history and challenge your friends.	Can you beat your friends? Play today’s daily Broadway word game, featuring a new theatrically inspired word or phrase every day!