Thursday, October 22, 2020

Iconic Southern California Pet Food Company Revitalized with New Owners

 

Iconic Southern California Pet Food Company Revitalized with New Owners

 

 

The new Breeder’s Choice Pet Foods ownership group is led by pet food pioneer Joey Herrick and includes Los Angeles Dodgers Legend Orel Hershiser, Hall of Fame Broadcaster Jaime Jarrin, and his son Jorge Jarrin.

 


Irwindale, California-
Breeder’s Choice Pet Foods, a manufacturer of specialty super-premium dry dog and cat foods, announced today it has been purchased by 30-year pet food veteran Joey Herrick and is becoming an independent business once again.  

 

The new Breeder’s Choice Pet Foods, LLC is a privately held ownership group of Southern California businesspeople led by Joey Herrick and Rick Rockhill, former executive at Natural Balance and Petco. The group also includes Los Angeles Dodger legends Orel Hershiser, Hall of Fame Broadcaster Jaime Jarrin, his son Jorge Jarrin, Frank Koch, former executive with Nature’s Recipe and Natural Balance, as well as Rick Taylor former Breeder’s Choice President and son of the original owner.

 

Breeder’s Choice Pet Foods has produced super-premium dog and cat foods for 73 years at the same location in Irwindale, California. Breeder’s Choice produces AvoDerm® and Pinnacle® pet food brands which are exported globally. In addition to its own brands, Breeder’s Choice is a leading custom manufacturer with extensive export capabilities to produce super premium brands and retailers’ private label brands.

 

Joey Herrick co-founded Natural Balance Pet Foods in 1989 and grew it into a highly respected pet food brand. He also founded The Lucy Pet Foundation, a 501 © (3) charity and then Lucy Pet Products, a premium pet food company dedicated to improving the health of animals. 

 

“Our formula for success is simple, never compromise on quality or ingredients, and always do what is right for the health of animals.” Herrick said. “It starts with good people committed to quality, which is why Clint Hammond the Director of Plant Operations for the past 9 years, along with the production team remains in place at Breeder’s Choice” Herrick added.

 

About Breeder’s Choice Pet Foods

In 1947, Harold Taylor started Breeder’s Choice Pet Food company with a simple goal: the uncompromising pursuit of the healthiest nourishment for the pets we love. That commitment endures today in the high-quality formulas we make in our state-of-the-art facility in California. We provide our customers with flexible manufacturing, superior natural ingredients like fresh meat purees, and a range of packaging options. www.breederschoice.com

Thursday, October 1, 2020

What's the best dog food?

 

Over the years I've shared countless articles, blog posts and podcasts about pet food and caring for pets. When I look back on the past twenty-five years in the pet industry I am humbled by how much I have learned from so many people, professional organizations, conferences and companies, with whom I've had the honor to be associated. I've never been shy about sharing and disclosing my professional affiliations, in part as full disclosure and also to lend some credibility to my point of view and knowledge.  

I am a partner at Lucy Pet Foods, and have an active role in many functions including our nutrition team. I'm one of those folks whose views are rooted in science and fact. I do not tend to follow fads and trends in nutrition. The internet is full of so-called "experts" who mislead people with all kinds of nonsensical ideas about what is right or best for dog and cat food. This post isn't intended to be the complete story on nutrition, but I will say that fads like "high protein", "raw food" , "fresh, gently cooked" diets are misleading to say the least. Domesticated dogs are not wolves, they do not hunt for their meals, they live relatively sedentary lifestyles and eat multiple times a day. High protein is not only not necessary but science has shown it can lead to cancer in the colon. Raw Diets are dangerous and prone to all kinds of nasty bugs. And don't be fooled by those so-called fresh, gently cooked pet foods. They are mostly water, and are not truly balanced. They show you things like fresh vegetables, fresh meats, etc, which are very high moisture, and not the nutrients your dog truly needs. Kibble truly is the very best form of food to feed your dog. Of course there are many ranges in quality kibble. It can be difficult to figure out what brands of kibble are the best. Like many things, you do get what you pay for, and generally I advise people to buy the best you can afford.  

So how do you decide what brand of dog food to choose? Well, it can be overwhelming but do your research. Take the time to read what brands say on their websites. What do they emphasize? Is ti marketing hype, or is it science and fact based? Is the brand transparent with its research, quality and brand experience? Do the people who own and run the company have solid experience in pet food, or are they newbies who raised a lot of investment money and jumped in to the industry to make a quick buck? Experience matters. Integrity matters. Transparency matters. Can you call the owner and talk to the nutritionist? Admittedly I am partial because I am a partner at Lucy Pet Foods, but I also have been in the pet food industry for long enough to know fact from hype. I have seen the tricks that so many pet food companies use to mislead consumers. I'm a purist, and I believe that pet parents deserve to know the facts. I'd be happy to answer any questions you have any time, so feel free to leave a comment or contact me directly.

I am a huge believer in the role our digestive tract (or the Gut) has in total health. In fact there is compelling science that proves conclusively that good gut health can strengthen the immune system, help fight disease, provide more energy, improve mood, and help with a healthy skin and coat. Lucy Pet Foods are built on that science, using a very unique fiber blend, along with quality proteins, fats, carbohydrates and vegetables to deliver superior nutrition to your dog or cat.  So yes I am partial to Lucy Pet Foods, but it is because I have worked with some of the nation's leading nutritionists and industry experts on ingredients to build a pet food that delivers results. Don't just take my word for it, check out our website and read about our Formulas for Life dog and cat foods.

I've been feeding my standard poodles Lucy Pet Duck, Pumpkin & Quinoa dog food for five years and they have really thrived on it. This year we just launched our new Kettle Creations Dog and Cat Stews. These are a really nice stew form, with extra gravy so they are perfect to use as a topper with kibble, or you can feed as a meal. They are made with real salmon, chicken or duck, and not some fake formed mystery meat-like stuff. All our ingredients are real! I should know because I have spent so much time at the plant and was personally involved in their development and production. I hope you check us out sometime and try our foods, you can find our products with free shipping from our own website. We are also available from Chewy and Amazon.

Thanks for reading,

-Rick

P.S.- Funny enough, when I first posted this article, someone sent me a message asking about the two bowls in the photo above. They are Fiesta brand pet food bowls. Fiestaware is one of the most collected and popular brands of dinnerware. Lucy Pet Products website started carrying the Fiestaware dog food bowls and cat food bowls. I was surprised how many people really liked the Fiesta pet food bowls, and that's why we started selling them on our website. Made in USA, chip resistant, and very durable, dishwasher and microwave safe., Fiesta is the brand of bowls I bought for my own dogs...and that was long before Lucy Pet started selling Fiesta. (So that means I actually paid full price!).