Help Purina Dog Chow Train Service Dogs For Vets

Americans love their furry friends. 70% of U.S. households — 90.5 million homes — own a pet, according to the 2021-2022 APPA National Pet Owners Survey. 73% of those pet owners — 69 million homes — have dogs, and Nestlé Purina needs their help. 

As a proud supporter of the military since its founding almost 100 years ago, Purina Dog Chow is committed to helping the nearly 3.5 million military veterans who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). While service dogs have been shown to reduce the severity of PTSD symptoms and suicidal behaviors, only one in 100 of those in need who seek a service dog receive one each year. Dog Chow is on a mission to help through their Service Dog Salute campaign, which highlights the life-changing benefits that service dogs provide to veterans experiencing PTSD.

This year marks $1 million in donations from Dog Chow to service dog organizations since the start of the Service Dog Salute program in 2018. These donations help support the care and training of more service dogs for veterans with PTSD. PTSD service dogs are not the same as emotional support, therapy, or companion dogs. Like service dogs for the blind, deaf, and physically disabled, PTSD service dogs for veterans must be specifically trained to help their handler perform tasks they cannot otherwise perform on their own.

The Dog Chow Visible Impact Award

As part of this year’s Service Dog Salute program, Dog Chow has launched its first-ever Visible Impact Award in partnership with the Association of Service Dog Providers for Military Veterans. The award celebrates the remarkable impact PTSD service dogs have on veterans’ daily lives and recognizes these outstanding service dogs and the organizations that trained them.

The Dog Chow Visible Impact Award complements ongoing research that shows most veterans with trained service dogs show lower symptoms of PTSD, reduced depression and increased social participation compared to those who utilize more traditional clinical care for PTSD alone.

How Retailers & Shoppers Can Help

Starting September 1, 2022, dog lovers can join in selecting the first-ever Dog Chow Visible Impact Award winner by voting on the selected finalists at DogChow.com/service. For every vote, Dog Chow will donate $5 to the Association of Service Dog Providers for Military Veterans (up to $75,000 total) to help train more PTSD service dogs at no cost to veterans. Additionally, the winning dog’s veteran will receive a $10,000 cash prize and $25,000 for the organization that trained the service dog. Retailers can share the information on their social media pages to encourage shoppers to vote.

Dog Chow and Purina associates are working to bring more awareness and support to veteran service dogs. Soon, retailers will see the mission highlighted on every bag of Dog Chow that arrives in retail stores. Retailers can make an impact by carrying special Service Dog Salute in-store signage designed to drive attention and awareness for the program. Contact a Purina sales rep to learn more.