Living Bigger Lives With Pets + The Purina Better With Pets Summit

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #BetterWithPets #LetsLiveBig #CollectiveBias

Momma Told Me: We may make their world's bigger, but they make our lives grander.

If you've been wondering where we've been, well, the answer's all over, really. Most recently we drove 14 hours up the Pacific Coast, and 14 hours back down, just to hop on a plane to New York after a quick visit with Momma. I say 'we' because Nora travels well- Truffles the Tuxie, not so much. In fact, travel is always less stressful WITH my pets than without. I'm the sort of pet parent who has to Face Time with her pets when she's apart for more than 12 hours. But travel's not the only thing made better with pets...

Recently Nestlé Purina invited Nora The Morkie and I to Brooklyn, NY for their annual Better With Pets Summit. To be entirely honest, they invited Truffles, too, but I didn't think she was quite ready for the glitz and glam of a big city experience. I mean, just look at that view from our room at The William Vale- breathtaking, right? For those who have never been to urban New York, it's a different pace of life with buildings that disappear into the clouds and a constant ambient outside atmosphere that literally buzzes with it's own life. There are million dollar waterfront views, a feast of architecture and art (physical and performing), and nearly any type of food you could possibly want for delivery 24/7. It's the perfect example of 'living big.'

Our stay wasn't intended to be long- just a taste of New York living before we really got down to business. After riding 7 hours in a carrier under an airplane seat Nora was happy to soak up the afternoon sun on the down comforter as I pondered what to wear to the evening welcome reception. As cool, calm, and collected as I come off online you may recall I have a bit of intense anxiety in public social situations. Having Nora by my side truly helped me relax and feel like myself during the entire trip.

Of course, being a little nervous didn't sway me from my classic loud and unique style- I'd picked up a 'hidden paw prints' Carly 3 months back just for this event and I daresay I was the loudest person in attendance at the welcome reception that night. A good pet parent can't forget about all of her fur-kids, so, of course, I finished the look with an ode to Truffles- hand painted tuxedo cat flats!

I wish I could say someone appreciated my 'fashion' but it's hard to be even a moment of focus when you're rubbing shoulders with some of the most inspiring innovators in pet-human relations and welfare. And did I mention that Nora got to share sidewalk with Pet-Celebs like Turbo Roo and Winnie the Therapy Dog? Of course I'd be lying if I said we didn't get our fair share of attention- having this maltese-yorkie cutie on your arm all night is the perfect ice breaker!

Speaking of the comfort pets bring in stressful times- One of the very first people I bumped into was a volunteer from a local URI NYC project. URI, the Urban Resource Institute, provides a  comprehensive shelter and care program for families displaced by domestic violence. Can you imagine having to leave your memories and home behind simply in search of a safe place to lay your head at night? Now imagine having to leave your pet behind because the only safe place you have to go doesn't allow pets.

URI NYC, in partnership with Purina, has actually helped create one of a kind urban facilities that are not only pet friendly (fur, paws, or scales) but pet safe for victims of domestic violence. And safe doesn't just mean for the pet, but private, clean, maintained, sheltered areas in the middle of a sprawling urban city, where pets can be walked and recreate without fear of compromising the owner's location or identity. Because pets are part of the family, and a family should never have to be broken up as a compromise for safety.

The evening's reception left Nora and I with a lot of food for thought. I could hardly sleep that night in anticipation of the following day's events. So I rose before the sun to pack up and head over to the Brooklyn Convention Center- while Nora imagined she was a Celebri-dog and slept in.

The day's events opened with a breakfast reception, though Nora and I found ourselves too fascinated by the interactive screen exhibits and fellow attendees to actually sit down and eat. And let's talk about those attendees really quick- we were rubbing elbows with everyone from Purina executives and Insta-famous pet parents to philanthropic innovators and quite literally the father of modern veterinary medicine. It could have been quite intimidating, but in truth it really only served to amplify the day's message of how we live bigger alongside our pets.

What does that mean, exactly? It's much larger than the simple concept that having a pet makes life more awesome- true as it might be, this year's summit hoped to inspire a diverse community of animal lovers to truly challenge what it means to Live Big with pets.

As the second panel of the day, How A Passion For Pets Builds A Better World illuminated- we, as a society benefit from the human-pet bond in immeasurable ways we don't always detect until that connection is removed or forbidden. In a heartwarming presentation we took a sneak peek inside the St. Louis Children's Hospital where an innovative pet-to-pateint program has been unveiled. This one of a kind program goes beyond the typical 'animal patient therapy' to actually unite patients with their own beloved pets, in a safe, regulated environment for the day. This was followed by insight from Brent Bauer, Research Director of Integrative Medicine and Health Programs (Mayo Clinic), who shared a vision where someday '15 minutes with a cat might actually be a written prescription."

There's no doubt Purina is doing big things to support the people-pet bond nationwide- but their passion stems from much more than philanthropy- as Allentown Purina Factory Manager Jason Christofersen shared, "Pets are more than animals, they're family," alongside photos of his own family, which includes a senior Labrador.

And 'living big' correlates directly with the day's final panel, The Science of Innovative Nutrition For Pets, which introduced a new term to me, therapeutic nutrition. The concept elaborated that what one feeds their pets can directly impact the pet's current physical and mental capacity beyond basic energy and weight. Did you know that their are prescription based Purina formulations designed to treat conditions such as Type 2 Diabetes in cats? In fact, that particular formulation has had success in curing Type 2 Feline Diabetes! Even more exciting, the brand's Pro Plan Bright Mind dog food formulation to help enhance the lifestyle of Senior dogs, has inspired a soon to be released feline formulation for cats 7+ that has, in studies, extended the life expectancy of cats by up to a year!

Yes, there certainly was a lot of amazing innovation to inspire bigger lives with pets, but some of the furrier attendees needed to stretch their paws- Just outside the convention center there was a socializing spot where Nora was happy to make some new friends and lap up the afternoon sun on the unusually hot New York Fall afternoon.

Of course we've talked a bit about some of the canine celebrities, but not every pet present was famous, or a dog. Many of the feline attendees hung out on loungers, and in carriers, as their owners soaked up all the inspiration and knowledge of the day's event. A few very special feline attendees offered their services to frazzled humans, in the exclusive Puppy and Kitten Therapy Booth.

That's right, this event had it's own puppy and kitten hangout- a clear cube where attendees could recharge fora  few minutes while bonding with energetic, heartwarming, puppies and kittens. It would be hard to argue that this wasn't the highlight of the event- I wish I could say all the amazing vendors, sponsors, and speakers, stole the show- but this booth was a constant attraction. Just look at that face as an influencer holds a kitten while learning all about the emotional health benefits of animal-humna therapy!

As the day progressed more and more of the attendees mingled- people from every walks of life, with a passion for every breed and animal. Winnie The Therapy Dog was caught snoozing as the third panel wrapped- or maybe she was just inspiring us all to 'chill.' I, personally, took some of the down time as an opportunity to talk with some oft he attending professionals about pet behavior research and nutrition.

The Purina Better With Pets Summit wrapped with a chance to give back as the entire summit gathered to prepare welcome care packages for URI residents with pets. One-by-one boxes were filled with bowls, collars, blankets and food to help an uprooted family acclimate to their new home. A finishing touch? A hand-written note of well wishes from us, the Better With Pets attendees, signed with love. It was a truly moving experience to be a part of and really summed up the day's theme of "Lets live big."

While I think the day was more about pampering and networking for Nora, I walked away thinking about how I could help inspire my own networks to live bigger with pets. Nora's much too hyper to be a hospital therapy dog- but we do have a local women's shelter I've volunteered at in the past. I'm definitely going to meet with the director and see if we can brainstorm a foster program for pets of women and families in transitional housing. I really felt Purina's work with URI is going to make a huge impact on both the lives of pets and owners going through some really hard times.

Are you inspired too? Share, on social media, how your pet inspires you to live big with the hashtag #LetsliveBig and follow the brand on Twitter and Instagram @Purina!

What Daughter Says: Living big is easy with pets beside us!