The beginning of Hill's Pet Food Company

The Company inspired by a guide dog

In 1943, his ideas were visionary in veterinary medicine. Dr. Mark L. Morris, Sr., a veterinary surgeon, believed certain diseases in pets could be managed through carefully formulated nutrition.

The chance to prove his theory came when a young blind man named Morris Frank asked Dr. Morris if anything could be done to save his guide dog, Buddy, who was suffering from kidney failure. Dr. Morris, decided to put the dog on a special diet. Because his kidneys were failing, he carefully reduced the levels of protein and minerals he believed were associated with Buddy's problems. The improvement was dramatic.

The result of Dr. Morris' efforts was the nutritional formulation that would become the first Hill's Prescription Diet product, and the world's first pet food designed to help dogs with kidney disease.

Soon after, Hill's Pet Nutrition was founded and the field of clinical nutrition was a brand new industry.

Dr. Morris' commitment to Morris and Buddy became the inspiration for our company mission:

Today, each person who works for or with Hill's carries on the tradition of caring that began more than 50years ago with one remarkable veterinarian. We understand we aren't just making the highest quality pet nutrition available, we're making a difference for people and their pets.

Hill's understand the relationship between people and their pets
At Hill's, we don't just view ourselves as people who make the most nutritionally advanced pet foods in the world. We think of ourselves as pet lovers, too. Most of us have cats and dogs whom we care about, fuss over and spoil shamelessly. We want them to live long and healthy lives, so we can love them even more.		That's why we have such a genuine dedication to our work. Because every day, we're a part of creating pet foods that actually help pets live long, healthy lives, and keep the special bond with their owners vital and strong. We see living proof of our efforts each night when we go home to our own Samson, Starr, Felix, Legg, Chester and Princess.