Our History

Dr. Mark Morris, Jr.

Dr. Mark Morris Jr.

Dr. Mark Morris Jr., son of Hill's Pet Nutrition founder Dr. Mark Morris, continued the legacy his father began in pet nutrition.

Growing up in a house where his mother was cooking his father's Prescription Diet® pet foods, Mark Morris Jr., decided to continue his father's lifelong work in pet nutrition. The younger Dr. Morris noticed a demand for consistent, high-quality pet food for use in research. At the time, pet food was not carefully regulated, so research scientists had difficulties maintaining the integrity of their work.

Science Diet Cans

As a result, Dr. Morris, developed a food formula for healthy pets. In 1968, the food line was made available through veterinarians and pet professionals as Hill's® Science Diet®. The line has continued to expand, and today includes more than 50 Science Diet brand pet foods and more than 60 Prescription Diet® brand pet foods formulated for many life stages and special needs in healthy pets.

Small Animal Clinical Nutrition books

Dr. Morris Jr., is widely considered the father of small animal wellness nutrition, and he also worked to establish standards for feeding prepared foods to zoo animals. He was a founding member of the American College of Veterinary Nutrition (ACVN) and authored numerous publications on nutritional management of disease, lecturing around the world to practicing veterinarians, veterinary students and companion animal owners. Dr. Morris Jr. co-authored "Small Animal Clinical Nutrition," the definitive textbook for companion animal nutrition and the most widely used source on the subject around the world.

Dr. Morris Jr., died on Jan. 14, 2007, at the age of 72.