Buddies builds strong bones and strong bonds

The recent pet food scare left millions of animal owners crying foul and fearing for pet safety. Locally, many didn’t have to endure those fears, since they’re loyal customers of Buddies Natural Pet Food Ltd.

For three years Mindy MacAulay and Debbie Wood have filled the need for fresh, unprocessed raw pet food alternatives. Their extensive menu includes more than 90 meal deals.

“We were both out of work and we decided to provide the service of raw diet for dogs,” MacAulay said. Both came from a food background and started the self-teaching process, picking up information from veterinarians and customers already embarked on the raw diet process through home feeding.

What they found out was “dogs do not do well on some kibble,” Wood said. So their goal became to provide a natural foods made from human-grade products.

A diet of 80 per cent meaty bones with a balance of fish, eggs, fruit and veggies alongside a few supplements will keep a dog slim, shiny and smelling great inside and out, Wood says. She ought to know since she’s the “head chef” at Buddies.

Some clientele have come from the home-feeding category. Where a pet owner used to have to chop, dice and serve each day, now he or she can pull the pre-made meal (which often looks like a lump of meat loaf) from the freezer and be ready to feed Fido. It didn’t take long to grow customer support, which multiplied when the pet food scare occurred.

“We were in a perfect place when the recall happened,” Wood said. Earlier this year Menu Foods of Canada initiated a recall that wound up pulling nearly 100 brands of wet canned and pouched cat, dog and ferret food. The food was linked to pets dying from kidney failure. Nearly 20 other companies added to the pet food product recall.

Now, Tuesday through Thursday loyal customers fill orders at the Keating X Road store.

Buddies owners believe that choosing natural food is a healthy lifestyle choice and a safe one. Buddies food blends fresh poultry, beef, fruit and vegetables. The philosophy is to maintain the natural integrity of the product by not over-processing in order to preserve nutrients and vitamins for a healthy body. People want to know what is in the food, so Buddies promises zero additives or “undetermined” ingredients. The final product can be fresh or frozen, ground or whole. They can go through 2,000 to 3,000 pounds of meat a week.

“And that’s just the stuff we have to process,” MacAuley said. They do bring in brand-name dry food and bones that cater to the same philosophy.

The “Buddies Blend” is cooked and vacuum-packed for easy handling. They package for individual needs for small breeds, larger dogs or big families.

They also prepare the food in a safe way. While there aren’t any current regulations for the kind of work they do, each staff member is updated in FoodSafe.

“There aren’t (regulations) but there will be eventually and we might as well be ready for it,” Wood said.

source: www.peninsulanewsreview.com