A: The Purina #DogThanking social media campaign is a national effort to raise funds to support Tony La Russa’s Animal Rescue Foundation (ARF) and their service dog program. The program was announced in concert with celebrating the Purina National Dog Show.
Pet owners are encouraged to share a personal message about why they are thankful for their pet on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter with the hashtag #DogThanking and tagging @Purina. For every unique post submitted between November 9-25 that includes @Purina and #DogThanking, Purina will donate $1 (up to $25,000) to Tony La Russa’s ARF. ARF is a non-profit organization founded by Major League Baseball Hall of Fame manager, four-time World Series champion and philanthropist, Tony La Russa.
Tony La Russa’s ARF will utilize the funds raised from the #DogThanking campaign to support its programs, including Pets and Vets, which matches veterans with emotional support animals – transforming rescue dogs into skilled service animals for veterans with PTSD, traumatic brain injuries, anxiety, severe depression and more. ARF has placed more than 600 animals with military families, including 45 potential service dogs in the past year, at no expense to the veteran.
Prior to this year’s #DogThanking initiative, Purina Dog Chow also launched a 2018 campaign to benefit the ARF. The Purina Dog Chow Service Dog Salute paid tribute to our armed forces and the loyal dogs that serve them through a four-month-long campaign that highlighted their stories and concluded with a donation of over $250,000 to ARF.
An annual holiday tradition, the 17th annual National Dog Show Presented by Purina will premiere on Thanksgiving Day on NBC at noon in all time zones. The show will crown one of America’s great dogs as its 2018 champion, bringing canine competition and entertainment to more than 20 million viewers. More than 2,000 dogs representing more than 190 breeds will vie for Best in Show honors.
For more information about this year’s #DogThanking initiative, check out Purina on Facebook (www.facebook.com/Purina), Twitter (www.twitter.com/Purina) or Instagram (www.instagram.com/purina).
