Raw Dog Food
From appearances alone, you can hardly blame some humans for looking longingly at the frozen
raw Mountain Dog Food concoctions presented for their animals. Once thawed, Dean and Tracey Ricards product
resembles steak tartare, something that Dean says would probably make a good, if bone-crunchy meat loaf.
Since its early success on the canine side of the street, Mountain Dog has moved to caring
for feline clientele with the Mountain Cat line, in chicken and turkey varieties.
Business since the companys inception in 2000 has been strong enough that the couple has
outgrown its Tofield home lodgings and opened up plants in Edmonton and Port Coquitlam, B.C. Much of the success
has been through word of mouthboth human and canineas the couple does the rounds of the dog show circuit
touting the benefits of the diet.
"We dont have a huge advertising budget to attract the customer base that has developed,"
says Dean who has seen sales grow 20 percent per month."
Ultimately, of course, Dean is certain this business will satisfy more than what is now a
niche trade.
"Its already happened," he says. "We have more and more breeders of dogs, who are tired
of being blamed for poor breeding decisions that are actually diet related. Theyve seen the change in the diet
correcting many problems and have been starting the puppies on a raw diet at the weaning stage. They are then
insisting that their customers feed only a raw diet from puppy-hood on."
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