Ahead of the start of the 2022-23 NHL regular season, the St. Louis Blues Hockey Club has unveiled the Purina Doghouse, a new moniker for the away team’s penalty box at Enterprise Center in downtown St. Louis.
Visits to the Purina Doghouse will trigger a $100 donation each time a player visits the away team penalty box from Purina, up to $15,000 to local service and support dog training organizations.
The donated funds will allow local organizations like Duo Dogs, a St. Louis-based nonprofit organization that trains and connects facility and assistance dogs with individuals and communities, to enhance its training services and help more dogs prepare to make a difference.
“During the course of a hockey game, there will be moments when the players get too excited, or play too aggressively, and need to take a break. At Purina, two cornerstones of positive reinforcement training are to redirect inappropriate behavior and end on a positive note,” said Christina Lawrence, VP of brand marketing at Purina.
“The Purina Doghouse represents a unique opportunity to help engage fans with tips to help their pets at home. We’re working to make the positive power of pets even more accessible to those in our community who need it most.”
Barclay, the Blues official Duo Dogs Ambassador, will play a key role in the Purina Doghouse educational elements provided by experts throughout the course of the season. Barclay is the first dog to join a professional sports team full-time.
“In a traditional sense, time spent in the ‘doghouse’ is a bad thing, but for Blues fans, a trip to the Purina Doghouse provides an advantage on the ice, and now generates a positive for pets in our community,” said Randy Girsch, VP of community development and event management with the St. Louis Blues.
“We’re excited to add this new dimension to the gameday experience for fans and applaud Purina for finding another unique and exciting way to bring pets and people together.”
Also new this year, Purina and the Blues will launch the Blue Note Pets Club, a new membership opportunity for Blues supporters and their four-legged fans to get exclusive access to pet experts, members-only meet ups, pet gifts and other surprises.
For training and obedience tips from Purina experts, visit Purina.com/Expertise.
