Nestlé Purina and Partners Pilot a New Approach to Dog Obesity
Posted by Marketing & PR on 27 Feb 2025
This is the first in a three-part blog series following the journey of a project helping to tackle dog obesity in a new way. In this opening blog, we share how Perfect Circle collaborated with Nestlé Purina and the University of Sheffield to develop the dog obesity health pack that gives dog owners a set of tools to help keep their pets healthier.
Obesity in dogs is one of the biggest challenges facing pets and their owners today. Almost half of dogs in the UK are thought to be overweight or obese, a figure that’s both worrying and avoidable. Carrying excess weight puts dogs at risk of arthritis, diabetes and a shorter life.
For many owners, the challenge isn’t a lack of love, but rather how best to manage daily routines around feeding, exercise and treats. The reality is that most owners want the very best for their animals, but often lack the right information or support to make informed day-to-day decisions.
This is where a groundbreaking collaboration was formed. The University of Sheffield, Nestlé Purina and Perfect Circle have come together to design a practical solution that helps owners make healthier choices for their pets.
At the heart of the project is a health pack for dogs developed through a collaboration between Purina, Perfect Circle and the University of Sheffield. Purina’s ambition was to reduce obesity in dogs by creating a resource kit for owners that’s grounded in rigorous behavioural science rather than something that could be dismissed as a sales or marketing tool.
To achieve this, Purina selected Professor Thomas Webb for his expertise in behavioural science and his experience working with dog food brands. He and his team applied a scientific social marketing process that ensured the owner’s pack was designed with the necessary rigour to deliver real behavioural change. The process was tested with vets and owners, peer-reviewable, and built to provide measurable outcomes.
Importantly, the final packs were distributed to owners via vets, whose professional authority added weight and credibility, making it more likely that owners would use them.
This approach marks a first in its field, applying behavioural science to a health innovation for pets in a way that could offer genuine benefits for dog health and wellbeing.
By combining academic insight, industry support and creative design, the pilot brings together three perspectives with one clear goal: healthier, happier dogs.
Why Perfect Circle was chosen
Nestlé Purina wanted this project to be peer-reviewed and scientific to deliver a proven process for better health outcomes, and it was the first of its kind in this field. To achieve that, they needed expertise in social marketing — an approach that uses evidence-based techniques to change behaviour for the better.
Perfect Circle was selected on the strength of our specialist expertise in social marketing and behavioural change, underpinned by a proven record of designing and delivering campaigns that effect meaningful and lasting shifts in behaviour.
Our work demonstrates not only an ability to influence behavioural outcomes in a positive way, but also to do so with the creativity and credibility required to inspire genuine change.
Co-creation at the core
The project was never about producing resources as a marketing gimmick. Working in partnership, the University of Sheffield and Perfect Circle ideated, designed and developed a suite of potential tools for a dog owner’s obesity pack. Each concept was built around the COM-B model of behaviour change, which highlights capability, opportunity and motivation as the critical factors that drive behavioural outcomes.
These initial ideas were then tested through co-creation workshops with both dog owners and vets. Their feedback was used to evaluate usability and likely effectiveness, helping to refine and strengthen the concepts to ensure the final materials would be both practical and genuinely capable of driving positive behaviour change.
What’s inside the dog obesity pack
The pack was developed with input from vets and tested with dog owners to ensure it was useful, not overwhelming. Owners are often bombarded with advice that feels abstract or impractical, so the focus was on creating tools that were accessible and encouraging.
The pack includes:
- Guidance on how to measure and maintain a healthy weight using Body Condition Score
- A journal for tracking weekly progress
- An infographic that shows the calorie content of common dog treats
- Cards with tips for handling tricky situations, such as begging at the table or family members slipping extra snacks
- A collar tag as a gentle reminder every time the lead goes on
Each tool was shaped through feedback from vets and owners, ensuring that what was delivered would actually be used in real households and in typical day-to-day situations dog owners encounter.
Results from the first trial
A pilot study tested the pack with 78 dog owners. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive. Owners found the tools easy to use and many reported changes in how they fed, exercised and interacted with their dogs.
Some dogs showed early improvements in weight and Body Condition Score. For many, it was the first time they had a simple way to monitor progress and see results in a structured way.
Small changes add up. For some dog owners, that meant cutting down on treats, for others it meant adding an extra walk into their routines. The health pack helped people make changes that felt achievable rather than overwhelming.
Looking ahead
With Purina producing the first batch of health packs for distribution through vet practices, the reach is set to grow. That means more dog owners will get access to the tools and support they need to keep their pets healthier for longer.
For veterinary professionals, it offers a ready-made resource to help support weight conversations with owners.
This collaboration is proof of what can happen when partners combine science with creativity and care. At Perfect Circle, we’re proud to play our part in this important project, and we look forward to seeing its impact as it reaches more households across the UK.
This project marks an exciting first step in tackling dog obesity through collaboration, evidence and creativity. Together with Nestlé Purina and the University of Sheffield, we’re helping owners make simple, lasting changes that will keep dogs healthier and happier for years to come.
This is just the beginning of the story. In our next blog in the series, we’ll look at how behavioural science shaped the dog obesity health pack and why this approach is so powerful in helping dog owners make lasting changes.
You can read the full paper here
If you’d like to discuss your next social marketing campaign, get in touch.
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