The leading international certification organization, Humane Farm Animal Care (HFAC), announced this week that the first Certified Humane Raised and Handled dry dog food is coming to the United States. The company manufacturing the dog food is called Open Farm, and they are excited to be introducing the first food of this kind to the U.S. market.
Open Farm is based in Canada and the pet food company launched Certified Humane dog food in that country last year. Now, the first ethically sourced dog food, or pet food of any kind, to receive the label of Certified Humane will be making its debut in the U.S.
The HFAC offers a free app for Smartphone users that shows the closest location where Open Farm and other Certified Humane foods are available for purchase. Since the organization launched back in 2003, they have had many inquiries from pet owners for foods that contained chicken and other meat that has been Certified Humane, and now they can finally provide it.
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The company was ecstatic to launch their first pet food company, and they are excited for consumers in the United States to be able to purchase pet food that aligns with their humane values. Open Farm is only able to use meat and chicken from Certified Humane ranches and farms in the making of their pet food.
This label guarantees consumers that the animals are raised at facilities where they are able to express their natural behaviors. For example, the chickens on these farms have plenty of room to move about and flap their wings as opposed to being raised in tiny cages like they are on some meat farms.
All the animals on Certified Humane farms must also be raised without the use of growth hormones or antibiotics, and they cannot be fed byproducts from other animals. The Certified Humane Raised and Handled program is endorsed by over 65 organizations and is nationally recognized as the highest standard for certifying animal welfare from birth to slaughter.
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The standards used by the organization were developed by leading farm animal welfare experts and animal scientists from around the world. Annual on-site visits from third-party inspectors ensure that the standards are met and maintained.
For the first time in the United States dog owners will be able to purchase dog food that they know meets these high humane standards. They will have the satisfaction of knowing exactly where their dog food is coming from and what is in it.
