Nestlé Purina and Kroger Award More Than $150,000 to Animal Welfare Organizations in the "Tales for the Pet Lover's Heart" Campaign Animals Benefit Club of Arizona receives top donation of $55,883;
Campaign Celebrates the Unique Bond between People and Their Pets

ST. LOUIS, Mo. December 8, 2011 – Nestlé Purina PetCare Company and Cincinnati-based The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR) awarded $155,894 to 17 animal welfare organizations across the country in the fourth annual “Tales for the Pet Lover’s Heart” campaign. The campaign, which celebrates the unique bond between people and their pets, invited pet lovers to share their favorite pet tales online and participate in a sweepstakes for the chance to win a year’s worth of groceries from their local Kroger store, a year’s supply of Purina pet food and to have a $50,000 donation made in their honor to a participating animal welfare organization.

Nestlé Purina and Fry’s Food Stores, a division of The Kroger Co., presented a donation check today in the amount of $55,883 to the Animals Benefit Club of Arizona, an organization located near the hometown of the Grand Prize sweepstakes winner.

“Nestlé Purina and Kroger are proud to celebrate the Animals Benefit Club of Arizona and all of the participating animal welfare organizations across the country for their ongoing efforts to make a difference in the lives of homeless pets, while celebrating the joy that pets bring to our lives,” said Brendan McKelvey, shopper marketing manager, Nestlé Purina PetCare.

Each animal welfare organization will receive a $5,883 donation - $5,000 for participating in the “Tales for the Pet Lover’s Heart” campaign and an additional $1 donation for every pet tale shared online at www.TalesForThePetLoversHeart.com, which was divided equally among the 17 organizations.

“It’s an honor to recognize the great work that the Animals Benefit Club of Arizona performs to help homeless pets in our community,” said JoEllen Lynn, Public Affairs Director, Fry’s Stores. “We’re delighted to partner with Purina to celebrate the dedication of all of the 17 animal welfare organizations around the country.”

Experience Pet Tales of Joy
Joyful pet tales come to life on the “Tales for the Pet Lover’s Heart” website. The site served as a destination for pet lovers to celebrate their animal friends by submitting stories, photos and videos. The site also includes tips for helping homeless pets find their forever home, special promotions and family-fun activities for caring and communicating with your four-legged friend.

For more information on the “Tales for the Pet Lover’s Heart” program, visit www.TalesForThePetLoversHeart.com and the program Facebook page. To find a Kroger store near you, visit www.Kroger.com.

Participating Animal Welfare Organizations:
A list of participating animal welfare organizations includes:

• Animals Benefit Club of Arizona (Phoenix, Ariz.)
• Atlanta Humane Society (Atlanta, Ga.)
• Companion Pet Rescue and Transport (Jackson, Tenn.)
• Circle of Love Animal Rescue (Huber Heights, Ohio)
• Home Fur-Ever (Detroit, Mich.)
• Humane Society of Delaware County (Delaware, Ohio)
• Humane Society of Indianapolis (Indianapolis, Ind.)
• Humane Society of Jackson County (Seymour, Ind.)
• Humane Society of North Texas (Fort Worth, Texas)
• Las Vegas Valley Humane Society (Las Vegas, Nev.)
• Oak Ridge Animal Shelter (Oak Ridge, Tenn.)
• Recycled Doggies/Cincinnati Pet Food Pantry (Cincinnati, Ohio)
• San Diego Humane Society and SPCA (San Diego, Calif.)
• Seattle Humane Society (Bellevue, Wash.)
• SPCA Los Angeles (Los Angeles, Calif.)
• SPCA of Wake County (Raleigh, N.C.)
• T. Russell Reitz Animal Shelter (Manhattan, Kan.)

About Nestlé Purina PetCare
The North American headquarters for Nestlé Purina PetCare is located at Checkerboard Square in St. Louis, Missouri, where it was founded as Ralston Purina Company more than a century ago. Nestlé Purina PetCare promotes responsible pet care, humane education, community involvement and the positive bond between people and their pets. One of the leading global players in the pet food industry, Nestlé Purina PetCare is part of the Swiss-based Nestle S.A., the world's largest food company.

About Kroger
Kroger, the nation's largest traditional grocery retailer, employs more than 338,000 associates who serve customers in 2,449 supermarkets and multi-department stores in 31 states under two dozen local banner names including Kroger, City Market, Dillons, Jay C, Food 4 Less, Fred Meyer, Fry's, King Soopers, QFC, Ralphs and Smith's. The company also operates 785 convenience stores, 359 fine jewelry stores, 1,035 supermarket fuel centers and 40 food processing plants in the U.S. Kroger, headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, focuses its charitable efforts on supporting hunger relief, health and wellness initiatives, and local organizations in the communities it serves. For more information about Kroger, please visit www.kroger.com .