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WEST VIRGINIA PET FOOD PRODUCERS OFFER ALTERNATIVE TO MASS-PRODUCED BRANDS
Charleston, W.Va. –Problems with additives from China have left many pet owners wondering if there are any safe, local pet food options available. In fact, there are at least two West Virginia companies that produce pet snacks from domestic, human-grade ingredients.
Jenny Dinsmore, owner of “Poochie’s Choice” in Morgantown said her products are all made from human-grade products.
“I buy from human-grade suppliers. They bring me the same flour in 50-pound bags that you or the baker would buy,” she said. She noted that her raw materials all come from domestic suppliers and that they contain no gluten or other fillers.
She is working with a veterinary nutritionist on a pet cookbook and more nutrition products. One product in development will contain glucosamine to help with joint pain in older animals. “People are now realizing they don’t have to buy commercial foods,” Dinsmore said. “They can buy locally or cook for their pets.”
Although they are safe and wholesome, Dinsmore noted that she produces “treats,” not pet food. Like human treats, her pet treats do not constitute a healthy, well-balanced diet.
With products like cheddar cheese whole wheat pretzels – and coatings such as peanut butter, butterscotch and carob – Poochie’s Choice products could easily be mistaken for human food – except for their doggie-bone shapes, of course.
Paw Prints Doggie Café owner Pam White has actually given each of her recipes a “taste test.”
“I have tasted every recipe I make. There is nothing in them that you would not eat yourself,” she said with a chuckle. On a more serious note, she said she has always been concerned about not just the products used as ingredients, but how they’ve been manufactured and what their overall quality is. She said pet owners should shop for pet food the same way they should shop for their own food.
“The key thing is to look at the ingredient list – check for whole grains and whole proteins, not filler and byproducts. Read your first five ingredients. If it’s something you wouldn’t want to eat yourself why would you want to feed it to your pets,” White said.
She makes six basic flavors and Paw Prints’ specialty is the Biggie Boy Buffalo Bone, made with hormone-free, grass-fed American Bison meat. Paw Prints, which has a kiosk at the Town Center Mall in Charleston, also sells high-nutrition pet foods, none of which have been affected by recent recalls, she said. For more information, visit www.doggiecafe.com, e-mail pwhite@doggiecafe.com, or phone 304-344-4470.
For more information about Poochie’s Choice, visit www.poochieschoice.us, e-mail ruslync@aol.com, or phone 304-292-4101.
Both companies’ products are available at Tamarack, Capitol Market and other West Virginia specialty shops.
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The West Virginia Department of Agriculture protects plant, animal and human health through a variety of scientific, regulatory and consumer protection programs, as mandated by state law. The Commissioner of Agriculture is one of six statewide elected officials in West Virginia. Currently, Commissioner Gus R. Douglass is the longest-serving agriculture commissioner in the nation. For more information, visit www.wvagriculture.org.
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