The number of dogs living in shelters is steadily growing. Sadly, many shelters have gotten to the point of overcrowding and have to turn dogs away because they cannot afford to house and feed them. One dog food company is trying to change that one bag of dog treats at a time. DOG for DOG has made it their mission to feed as many shelter dogs as possible.
The company was founded in 2011 by Rocky Kanaka after the entrepreneur became frustrated that he was not able to do enough for dogs in need. His goal was to start a company with a buy-one give-one model, so he could help as many rescue dogs as possible in whatever way he could. Knowing that he wanted to build his business around dog treats, he set out to create a healthy, all-natural recipe that dogs would love.
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Kanaka was already the owner of a successful business, The Dog Bakery, so he got to work with his Head Dog Pastry Chef and General Manager, Kelly Hannaford, to create the first DOGSBAR. At the same time he was also working on creating the first batch of DOGSBUTTER. The spread was actually inspired by Fresh Made Peanut Butter at the Los Angeles Farmers Market.
The first products sold out quickly. Kanaka soon found that consumers were not only looking for a healthy alternative to commercial dog food and treats, but they too wanted to help dogs in need. DOG for DOG was born, and began to grow quickly. The business soon had to move to a mini-warehouse in Santa Monica, California and began hiring more employees.
In September of the following year, DOG for DOG won the “Best New Product” award at the very first tradeshow they ever went to. In 2013 the demand for their products was so high that they had to begin using a third party logistic center to manage and ship their products.
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They also introduced a new bag of treats to their product line that year called DOGSTREATS, and they expanded their line of DOSBUTTER to include many new flavors. This was also the year that they decided to incorporate dog food into their lineup and the company worked with top nutritionists to develop a premium dog food.
Their DOGSFOOD was released in late 2013 and it was then that they partnered with Ryan Kavanaugh, who helped spread the word about the company to his celebrity friends including Snoop Dog, Chelsea Handler, and Michael Buble who all became partners in the company.
DOG for DOG feels passionate about their goal and they’ve realized that other dog lovers do too. They are planning to grow and expand greatly in the near future.
