Dedicated to Diane and Fatima, her Pekingese.
We had a lovely customer named Diane ask what would seem to be a simple question - she adores her dog and wants only the very best - so what are our pet food products made of? Grass Fed, Grain Fed or Organic ingredients?
Here is how I answered her question, and I hope this sparks some conversations about what is the difference between Grass Fed (Pasture raised) or Grain Fed Livestock.
This question also raises another question about Organic Ingredients and in turn what Organic actually means. Why are so many companies claiming to be Organic but are actually using the turn as a Marketing spin to make more money? Organic is a term thrown around a lot to make you, the consumer buy more believing you are getting better quality. Unfortunately it is very easy to say you only use Organic, but there are very few ways to be able to confirm this is true.
I know you are interested because you adore your dogs as much as Diane and I do! So, what are our pet food products made of?
So what do we use?
Where ever possible we use 100% Spray Free (and many are Certified Organic) Vegetables direct from a couple of local growers, thus supporting our farmers and thus Reducing our Paw Print!
All our Coconut Flour and Oil is Certified Organic.
Our Pepita Seeds, Turmeric, Hemp Seeds are all Certified Organic.
Our gorgeous Shampoo and Conditioner also are made right here in Australia using Certified Organic Ingredients.
All our Chicken and Turkey is 100% Free Range (again direct from a local producer and 100% Cage Free). It is Human Grade NOT Pet Grade. It is NOT Certified Organic.
Our Pork is sourced from a Grower in South Australia and are 100% Sow Stall Free and able to roam. It is Human Grade NOT Pet Grade. It is NOT Certified Organic.
We use ONLY Human Grade Kangaroo (we DO NOT condone the horrific unregulated Pet Grade Roo ‘Industry’ the animals are killed in paddocks, often still alive but wounded but butchered on the spot often in the back of a Ute - hideous!)
So, we try to create the best quality foods from animals that are treated with respect. Unfortunately the cost of Organic Grass Fed Meats (Pasture raised) are much, much higher than those that are fed on Grains or a mixture of Pasture and Grain Fed (Australia’s climate means for droughts and floods so it’s almost impossible to raise stock without a combination of both).
1. Organic Products are more than Double the price of non Organic Certified Products.
2. CERTIFIED ORGANIC means EVERYTHING that goes into the making of it MUST have its own Certification (from the fertiliser that goes into the pastures to grow the grass the animals eat to the pesticides, parasite dips etc etc). To Own and maintain full Certification costs around $10,000 per product to get, then around $3000 per year per product to maintain. There is a treat company that actually has the registered business name using the term Organic... Nothing they sell is Certified, (proven) and people get confused by this for obvious reasons.
We are Honest, Open and Ethical.
In ALL cases we screen our raw product suppliers to ensure that the animals quality of life and wellbeing from conception to slaughter is as kind as possible and cruelty free. It is much more expensive, and much harder than simply buying the much cheaper imported meats that are PET GRADE from unknown sources! But we love ALL animals and we believe it shines through in our Quality and in our choices!
