Purina PetCare Inducts Two Pets into the Purina Animal Hall of Fame

 55th Annual Purina Animal Hall of Fame honours two exceptional dogs

MISSISSAUGA, ON July 20, 2023 – Dogs are more than just pets; they are part of the family in every way. Purina PetCare is honouring two remarkable canines for their life-saving acts protecting the ones they love.

 The Purina Animal Hall of Fame is the longest-running Canadian pet recognition program in history, celebrating outstanding acts of animal heroism since 1968. To date, including this year's newest inductees, 191 animals (163 dogs, 27 cats and one horse) have been inducted into the program. The two dogs joining the Animal Hall of Fame in 2023 are selected due to their incredible intuition and dedication to their humans.

2023 Purina Animal Hall of Fame Inductees:

Coda: A shelter dog who saved his new Mom

Coda was adopted from the Hamilton, Ontario, SPCA at six months old. A golden-coloured Border Collie mix, Chuck and Heather Sweet loved his smart and loyal personality. A perfect addition to the family, Coda quickly bonded with Heather and was always by her side.

After a lengthy hospital stay, Heather was home and staying on the main floor of their three-story house to recover. Coda slept next to Heather all night, never leaving the side of his favourite person. Chuck was upstairs fast asleep when at 5:30 am, Coda jumped on Chuck in bed and would not settle down, as he usually does. Coda was so insistent and agitated that Chuck decided to get up and check on Heather. As a Ski Patroller and Summer Park Patroller, Chuck has emergency first aid training, and he immediately saw that Heather was in great distress and non-responsive. Chuck called 911, and Heather was rushed to the hospital.

While at the hospital, Heather's Doctor noted that had she not been brought to the emergency department when she was, there was a very good chance she would not have recovered from the medical episode. Coda knew something wasn't right with Heather and woke Chuck up to help. Coda is truly a hero!

Billee: A four-legged alarm bell

 Jim and Marlene Reimer live in a beautiful heritage home in Steinbach, Manitoba, with their four-year-old Sheltie named Billee.  One fateful night changed all their lives forever.

 Last year, in the middle of the night, Marlene woke to Billee barking madly, so she decided to look outside. She saw Jim's truck, right next to their house, on fire.  Marlene screamed to her husband that their truck was on fire. Jim woke up and realized what was happening - the huge flames overtook their truck, van and now their garage; he raced downstairs to call 911.

Jim and Marlene quickly got dressed, grabbed Billee and left the house. By the time the fire trucks arrived, the house had also caught fire. It took about an hour to put the fire out, but the damage was done. The hardest hit was the bedroom, where minutes earlier, Jim and Marlene slept. They lost their home, but thanks to Billee had what was most important, each other.

For more information or to submit a pet for consideration to the Purina Animal Hall of Fame visit purinahalloffame.ca.

About Nestlé Purina Petcare Canada

Nestlé Purina PetCare Canada creates richer lives for pets and the people who love them. Founded in 1894, Purina has helped dogs and cats live longer, healthier lives by offering scientifically based nutritional innovations. Purina manufactures some of the world’s most trusted and popular pet care products, including Purina ONE, Pro Plan, Fancy Feast and Tidy Cats.

Purina promotes responsible pet care through our scientific research, our products and our support for pet-related organizations across Canada.

Purina is part of Nestlé, a global leader in Nutrition, Health and Wellness. For more information, visit purina.ca.

Contact:

Rachel Douglas

Senior Manager, Corporate Communications & Public Relations

Nestlé Purina PetCare

905-287-3623

Rachel.douglas@purina.nestle.com