Shama, our marketing consultant, founder of After The Launch, and my very kind boss just adopted an 8 week old maltipoo. I was over at her house the other day, helping her train him, and he is adorable. Somewhere between a marshmallow, a cotton ball, and a blue eyed snow flake, he is a bundle of curiosity and affection. Just wish the cat of the house felt the same way….
Anyways, she’s been having a really hard time naming him so K9 Cuisine is helping by offering a 100 dollar gift certificate to anyone who can submit the perfect name for him. His original name was Bubba, but he isn’t very attached to it and it doesn’t really do him justice.
The deadline is Friday, so get your ideas in soon! You can submit more than one name, as well. Just go to the link below or leave your ideas as comments on my blog and I will pass them on.
Health care is expensive, whether you’re two legged or four, furry or skinny, fat or funny. Health insurance is a necessary expense, one difficult to afford for yourself, much less your dog. An unexpected emergency can launch anyone into deep deep debt.
This knowledge is why I was so glad to run into an organization online today that specifically fund raises to help care for the pets of low income families. It is called the RIVMA Animal Companion Foundation and was established in 2004 by the Rhode Island Veterinary Medical Association. The organization holds golf tournaments and sets up donation boxes in many vet offices. It is still in its beginning phases, but the idea is so exciting! Pet owners who may qualify for the foundation’s funds just apply for a grant at their local vet.
Enjoy music? Well, the studies aren’t conclusive but there is a cd out there that claims to know exactly what kind. “Songs That Make Dogs Happy” is full of catchy tunes. It was created in collaboration with an animal communicator and several dog focus groups. It turns out that dogs aren’t fond of over zealous drum sounds or the word “no” in songs. Songs on the cd include “Squeaky Deakey”, “I’m your doggie”, and “Scratch My Back”. Reviews say the song praising the squeak toy is hysterically effective.
This is one man’s earnest experiment. I listened to it with Stranger, and he did pay attention. But, I wouldn’t say he enjoyed it. He seemed a combination of offended and curious.
Reporter Denise Cravens of the Paris Beacon-News interviewed us recently and profiled our premium dog food business. She noted that we are off to a good start—thanks to our customers across the country!
She also noted the variety of our natural dog food offerings—and our free shipping on orders of more than $50, a feature that sets us apart from the competition.
Here’s her story (no direct link available):
K9 Cuisine opens doors in Paris
By DENISE CRAVENS
Beacon-News Staff Writer
When Anthony Holloway and his family got their dog Daisy, they had to drive all the way to Champaign for her food because the specific brand was not readily available.
This led Holloway to check out pet food online, but the cost of shipping was outrageous.
“I’ve been in business for 18 years. I know that it didn’t cost that much to ship,” said Holloway.
Holloway began his own e-commerce business, K9 Cuisine.
K9 cuisine is all high-end dog food.
“Premium” is a marketing term, explained Holloway, and when consumers buy a “premium name brand” products at the grocery store they are not always getting what they bargained for.
Holloway finds real “premium” dog foods for his customers. He researches to find the best food with strict criteria.
The Whole Dog Journal and dogfoodanalysis.com are two of his sources.
The food must not contain any grain products, because a dog’s digestive system is not designed to handle grain.
It must have a named protein source such as chicken or turkey as opposed to just saying poultry or meat.
“That’s a great indicator of the quality of the food,” said Holloway.
No additives or preservatives or other products that could harm a dog are added to any products sold by K9 Cuisine.
He tries to find gluten-free food, but that is not an absolute criteria.
What started out as a side business has become a full-time job for Holloway.
He currently serves 2,200 customers online and his business is growing at the rate of 50 percent a month.
What’s different about his company is K9 Cuisine does not charge shipping.
“The number one reason people don’t buy online is the cost,” said Holloway.
There is a purchase minimum for the shipping. Paris customers usually get their food same-day delivery, hand delivered by a K9 Cuisine employee. Customers in Paris are also exempt from the purchase minimum.
Most of the customers are not local, however, and they receive their food in 2 to 3 days.
“We have a great deal with U.P.S.,” said Holloway.
Brands sold by the company include Burns Health, Orijen, Timberwolf Organics and other brands not found in the average grocery store.
Along with dog food, the web-based company also offers treats, supplements, grooming and bath, toys and chews for dogs as well as some cat food.
For more information, or to place an order, go to www.K9cuisine.com.
J.J., a stray, unhealthy Husky roaming the streets of a small town in east-central Illinois, has come back to life due to donated premium dog food. The story below is courtesy of the Aug. 23 edition of the Paris Beacon-News.
Human Association receives food donation
By DENISE CRAVENS
Beacon-News Staff Writer
K9 Cuisine, a new online dog food company out of Paris, recently donated approximately $1,000 worth of dog food to the Edgar County Humane Association.
J.J., a rescued husky, was saved by being fed a regiment of Burns Health Brown Rice and Chicken sold by the company.
K9 Cuisine, which began four months ago, only sells high end dog food that does not contain any grain products, which dogs are not designed to digest.
When Hellie Smith found J.J. roaming the streets of Paris, he only weighed about 30 pounds.
His hair was patchy and rough and there was no hair on his belly at all.
His teeth were in horrible condition and he had very little energy.
Chris Clawson took the pup in as a foster dog in June.
At first J.J. had problems keeping any food down and was having trouble gaining weight.
Clawson tried everything to help him out. She fed him a mixture of ground turkey and rice and slowly added dog food. Nothing was working.
Smith, who already gives K9 Cuisine products to her own dogs, suggested switching dog foods to a K9 Cuisine brand.
Like magic, J.J. began his full recovery.
“The transformation is unbelievable,” said Smith.
Today, the 1 1/2 to 2-year-old dog is happy, healthy and full of energy.
His coat is thick and shiny with very little shedding. He now weighs over 65 pounds, all muscle.
Now that he has recovered, J.J. is ready to find his permanent, loving home.
Anyone interested in adopting the husky should contact Clawson at clawsonkc@verizon.net.
Several other dogs like J.J. will receive food thanks to the donation by K9 Cuisine.
K9 Cuisine owner Anthony Holloway said bags sometimes tear during handling and instead of throwing away the food, it was better to donate to an organization that would be able to use the food to save dogs.
K9 Cuisine products can be ordered on-line and shipping is always free. Customers in Paris will have their food hand delivered by a K9 Cuisine employee at no cost.
For more information on K9 Cuisine, check out their website at K9cuisine.com.
