Maria R. C. de Godoy

Title

Assistant professor

Company

University of Illinois-Champaign

Presentation Description:

Choosing dog food: survey results of dog owners’ purchasing decisions – Maria R. C. de Godoy, Ph.D., assistant professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, shares results from an online survey that aimed to understand the beliefs and knowledge that pet owners have in terms of their lifestyle and nutrition, and how those translate into the nutritional needs and daily care of their pets. This questionnaire was available in English, French, Portuguese and Spanish, and results from over 4,100 owners reflected countries that have been important players in the pet food market. Overall, the survey’s findings depicted similarities and unique attributes of pet parents and their relationship with their dogs that may assist pet food companies in creating tailored solutions to address pet parents’ diverse beliefs, demands and expectations for their pets’ nutritional needs and lifestyle.

Experience:

R. C. de Godoy is an assistant professor in the Department of Animal Sciences at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. Godoy’s research focuses on companion animal and comparative nutrition, with special emphasis on the use of nutraceutical ingredients to improve health and wellness and to manage clinical conditions of pet animals, ingredient evaluation and pet food technology. Godoy earned her master’s degree in companion animal nutrition at the University of Illinois, then joined the University of Kentucky as a research coordinator for the companion animal nutrition program. She earned her doctorate and obtained a certification in college teaching and learning from the University of Kentucky.