Kibbles 'n Bits Brushing Bites(TM) Dog Food ''Unleashes'' America's Most Smoochable Pooch

Dog lovers across the nation have voted, and after an eight month nation-wide search, Kibbles ‘n Bits Brushing Bites™ dog food is thrilled to unleash the winner of its search for America’s Most Smoochable Pooch. More than 4.9 million votes were tallied and America has elected a Pug named Annabelle as "America’s Most Smoochable Pooch.” Annabelle and proud-pooch parent Anika of Richmond, VA, beat out a total of 4,563 entries of pout-pursing pups and their owners nationwide for this top honor. The public’s involvement and enthusiasm for the national search is a testament to the growing movement of pet parents showering their furry, four-legged family members with pooch smooches and cuddles. "The Kibbles ‘n Bits brand is passionate about offering great-tasting food with complete nutrition, while fostering an emotional connection between dogs and their pet parents. Our search to find America’s Most Smoochable Pooch was launched to celebrate the loving bond shared between pet parent and their four-legged family members,” said Joe Tuza, Vice President, Del Monte Pet Products. "We are passionate about building an emotional connection between pet parent and pooch and Kibbles ‘n Bits Brushing Bites brand delivers on that commitment, enabling cleaner teeth and fresher breath that ultimately encourages more smoochable moments between pet and parent.” Pucker Up America….Annabelle Reigns as America’s Most Smoochable Pooch "We are thrilled that Annabelle is named America’s Most Smoochable Pooch – what a wonderful honor for our adorable Pug. We want to thank dog lovers across the country for voting for Annabelle,” said Anika, proud pet parent to Annabelle, America’s Most Smoochable Pooch. "Annabelle is certainly the pride of our family and we’re excited that she’s the poster pup for this wonderful title. You can be sure that we’ll be dishing out even more kisses now that America and Brushing Bites has named her the nation’s Most Smoochable Pooch.” Recognized as the "Most Smoochable” across America, Annabelle’s smoochable mug will be featured on Kibbles ‘n Bits Brushing Bites packaging. Both Anika and Annabelle will also receive star treatment with a trip to Los Angeles for pampering at a dog-friendly hotel, transportation in a dog-friendly limo, $1,000 in prize money and a lifetime supply of Kibbles ‘n Bits Brushing Bites dog food. Annabelle and her devoted pet parent were chosen from among fifty state winners, who will each receive one year’s supply of product. Celebrity Pet Activist’s Tip on Pooch Smooch Bonding: Just Say No to Hounditosis! Kibbles ‘n Bits Brushing Bites spokesperson Wendy Diamond full-heartedly supports the bonding that the brand promotes and she is able to share smooches with her lovable, sweet-smelling pooch Lucky thanks to Kibbles ‘n Bits. An expert on man’s best friend, Diamond serves the pet community as a supporter, fundraiser, television host and author. She is also the founder of Animal Fair, the first animal lifestyle magazine and website dedicated to highlighting non–profit animal organizations and involvement on an individual level. "I adore Kibbles ’n Bits Brushing Bites search for America’s Most Smoochable Pooch contest because it celebrates and encourages one of my favorite pastimes – bonding with four-legged best friends. Congratulations to Annabelle and all of the adorable dogs that participated in the search,” said Wendy Diamond. "Dogs like Annabelle and Lucky live for human affection and their need for emotional bonding is as critical to their happiness as their need for food and shelter. But when a pooch is plagued with that stale, foul smelling doggy breath – a condition I like to call Hounditosis – all bets are off for moments of emotional connection. It’s the only obstacle that lies between us and exchanging those treasured smooches.” With 75 percent of pet parents saying that their dog’s health is as important as their own, owners need to be aware of potential repercussions if doggy requests for affection are snubbed because of bad breath. According to Diamond, following are some of her tried-and-true tips for pet parents that helped groom Lucky into a pucker-up puppy, and can help turn your loyal, four-legged friend into a smoochable pooch. Take a Bite Out of Bad Breath: Hounditosis can mean fewer pooch smooches, threatening the happiness of your dog and putting his health at risk. Products like Kibbles n’ Bits Brushing Bites dog food offer a nutritious and great tasting solution that helps dogs get over the "stigma” of bad breath by delivering cleaner teeth and fresher breath, ultimately encouraging more smoochable moments. Consider The Dog’s View: A dog who has been banished to the outdoors has been deprived of the opportunity to form this important emotional bond with his parent and can lead to health problems such as depression, weight loss or even violence. Don’t put a pooch in the "doghouse” for bad breath, help pooches freshen up. Periodic Dental Check-ups: Good dental hygiene is as important to man’s best friend as it is to man. If Hounditosis continues to persist, see your veterinarian to have him rule out any potentially serious conditions. For additional information about new Kibbles ‘N Bits Brushing Bites dog food, visit www.kibblesnbits.com. And to learn more about America’s Most Smoochable Pooch contest, visit www.smoochablepooch.com. About Kibbles ‘n Bits For 25 years, Kibbles ‘n Bits, and the brand’s wide variety of pet food, has combined the savory flavors of chicken and beef for a crunchy, chewy taste that makes meal time joy time for dogs of every size and breed. Kibbles ‘n Bits products have 100% complete and balanced nutrition. It's a meal you'll love to feed — and your dog will love to eat. Visit the brand online at www.kibblesnbits.com. About Del Monte Pet Products At Del Monte, our pet products nourish and enrich the lives of pets and pet parents by providing great-tasting, high-quality and innovative products for dogs and cats and by encouraging them to enjoy an active lifestyle together. With trusted brands including Meow Mix®, Kibbles ‘n Bits®, 9Lives®, Snausages®, Pup-Peroni®, Milk-Bone®, Meaty Bone® and Pounce®, our products enrich the connection between people and the pets they love. As a premier provider of taste-oriented pet food and pet snacks, our products play a key role in the lives of millions of pet families everyday. About Del Monte Foods Del Monte Foods is one of the country's largest and most well known producers, distributors and marketers of premium quality, branded food and pet products for the U.S. retail market, generating approximately $3 billion in net sales in fiscal 2006. With a powerful portfolio of brands including Del Monte®, StarKist®, S&W®, Contadina®, College Inn®, Meow Mix®, Kibbles ‘n Bits®, 9Lives®, Milk-Bone®, Pup-Peroni®, Meaty Bone®, Snausages® and Pounce®, Del Monte products are found in nine out of ten American households. The Company also produces, distributes and markets private label food and pet products. For more information on Del Monte Foods Company (NYSE:DLM), visit the Company's website at www.delmonte.com. Del Monte. Nourishing Families. Enriching Lives. Every Day.