ST. LOUIS (April 30, 2015) – Nestlé Purina PetCare Company is teaming up with celebrity power couple and pet lovers, pro football wide receiver, Eric Decker, and his wife country music star, Jessie James Decker, to kick off the Paw It Forward movement tomorrow in honor of National Pet Month.
The Paw It Forward movement is designed to encourage pet owners to spend more quality time with their pets throughout the month of May, as well as take action to help pets in need. Purina will celebrate pets on www.PureLoveForPets.com in the following ways:
- The company will donate $1 to the Petfinder Foundation for every valid pet photo and video uploaded to www.PureLoveForPets.com between April 22 and June 1, 2015 with a maximum donation of $30,000.
- Consumers can play an online sweepstakes for a chance to win great prizes, including Purina coupons and pet prizes.
- Pet owners can find daily tips for celebrating National Pet Month with their own four legged friends on www.PureLoveForPets.com.
"We created the Paw It Forward movement to support National Pet Month and inspire pet owners to appreciate all the things our pets do for us throughout the year, as well as promote giving back to all pets,” said Amy Kirkou, Retail and Shopper Marketing Manager for Nestlé Purina. “The Deckers personify what this movement is all about – they not only cherish their own pets, but believe in giving back to pets through an initiative within the Eric and Jessie Decker Foundation called Deckers Dogs.”
Friday, May 1, at New York City’s Flatiron Pedestrian Plaza (23rd St./5th Ave.) between 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM EST*, pet owners and their canine and feline companions can join Purina and the Deckers at an interactive pop-up pet park. Attendees can bring their pets to pose for photos with the Deckers or experience several fun activities, including a dog agility course. Additionally, on-site animal adoption will be available through Purina’s longstanding partner North Shore Animal League America, a national pet adoption organization whose mission is to rescue, nurture and adopt.
“National Pet Month is all about showing appreciation for your pets, as well as helping pets in shelters find their forever homes,” said Eric and Jessie James Decker. “We couldn’t imagine our life without our two wonderful dogs at home, which is why we are excited to be a part of this project. We also look forward to raising awareness for Deckers Dogs, an initiative within our foundation, which helps to provide needed service dogs to returning military personnel and veterans with a service-connected disability.”
Consumers can join the Paw It Forward movement by sharing the hashtag #PawItForward on social media. For each person who either attends the kickoff event or shares their pet photo using #PawItForward on May 1, Purina will donate an additional $1, with a maximum donation of $5,000, to Deckers Dogs, an initiative of the Eric and Jessie Decker Foundation, which helps fund the rescue, care and training of service dogs for our military veterans returning home with disabilities.
Additionally, the Deckers will host a Twitter chat on Thursday, May 7 at 4:00 PM ET to share more about the Paw It Forward campaign. Users can participate in the conversation and learn more details on how to get involved by following #PawItForward.
