People will do anything for their dogs. But what happens when they cook for them can be absolutely hysterical, according to the new book Canine Kitchen Capers: A Humorous Look At Preparing Food for Dogs (& Spouses). Written by Judy Morgan, a holistic veterinarian who has long championed making homemade dog food, and her husband Hue Grant, a foodie and architect who co-parents nine rescued spaniels with her, the book is full of stories of cooking misadventures, vegetarians willing to cook meat only for their dogs and the occasional starving husband who can’t stop himself from secretly scarfing the dog’s homemade stew.

Morgan says the stories in the book—such as the woman who spent three days canning food for her dog, forgetting her kids and feeding her husband cold cereal–were submitted by readers of her prior book, What’s For Dinner Dexter? Cooking for Your Dog Using Chinese Medicine Theory. Each story is accompanied by a recipe for dog food and a complementary recipe for humans. So Butternut Squash Banana Treats for Dogs is followed by Maple Bacon Pecan Butternut Squash for Humans.

Despite the book’s lighthearted premise Morgan is perfectly serious about encouraging even people who cannot boil water to make their own dog food. However comical their first attempts may be, Morgan says making dog food at home is a great way to be sure that a pet is not eating food waste products, disabled, dead, decayed and diseased meat, sugars, dyes, carcinogenic preservatives and inedible fillers—all things that can be found in processed dog foods.

About the authors

Judy Morgan, DVM, is a nationally renowned author, speaker and holistic veterinarian certified in acupuncture, food therapy, and chiropractic care for dogs, cats and horses. She operates two veterinary practices in New Jersey and has been a guest on more than 50 radio and television programs. In addition, she has written more than 100 published articles on holistic veterinary medicine and pet care. Hue Grant is a self-ordained chef who loves spending time in the kitchen whipping up new concoctions for pets and their humans. They are the coauthors of Canine Kitchen Capers (4 Paws Press), which reached No. 1 on Amazon in the Pet Food & Nutrition and Small Animal Veterinary categories.

The 2018/2019 Pet Care Innovation Prize finalists are:

• Shameless Pets | Chicago, IL | Founders: James Bello and Alex Waite | shamelesspets.com Shameless Pets uses upcycling to turn ingredients that may have otherwise been lost or wasted into premium pet treats that support your pet’s health. Each ingredient is carefully selected to produce unique flavors, provide the utmost nutrition, and support sustainable practices.
• Bond Pets | Boulder, CO | Founders: Rich Kelleman and Pernilla Audibert | bondpets.comBond Pets is working with cellular agriculture technologies to reinvent pet nutrition, making nutritionally-superior dog and cat foods sourced from real animal protein – without harming any animals in the process.
• Basepaws | Los Angeles, CA | Founder: Anna Skaya | basepaws.com Basepaws is a pet genetics company out of Los Angeles, CA that has developed the first consumer genetics test for cats, which includes detailed information about breed, traits, health, and genetic markers for potential hereditary disease, and will use the rich data in areas of pet nutrition.
• GuardianVets | Chicago, IL | Founder: John Dillon | guardianvets.comGuardianVets is a B2B telehealth service and platform that allows veterinary hospitals to offer 24/7 continuous client care. Since starting in 2017, GuardianVets has expanded to over 32 states in 81 cities and serves over 600,000 pet owners through its network of veterinary hospitals. GuardianVets is the exclusive triage provider for the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) and a Chicago Innovation Award Winner.
• PlayDate | New York, NY | Founders: Anthony Chien and Kevin Li | playdate.aiPlayDate’s remote-controlled smart ball has a camera inside it so you can chase your dog or cat around even when you’re not at home.

“This year’s class of Pet Care Innovation Prize finalists is a testament to how broad the pet care industry is and how much potential is out there to positively impact not only the lives of pets and pet owners but the planet,” said Blair Morgan, Co-Lead of Purina’s 9 Square Ventures Division and Vice President of Innovation at Purina. “We look forward to opening Purina’s doors to these entrepreneurs and sharing our resources and expertise with them as they work to take their businesses to the next level in the industry that we lead and love.”

The Pet Care Innovation Prize is a collaborative effort of Purina’s 9 Square Ventures division with investing leaders Active Capital to support and connect with early stage pet care startups that are currently in market with an innovative business addressing pet and pet owner needs in the areas of pet health and wellness, services, technology, nutrition and emerging innovations.  The five finalists each receive $10,000 in cash from Purina with no strings attached. This week, they also are participating in a pet care business accelerator boot camp in Purina’s hometown of St. Louis where they will meet with industry experts both at and outside of Purina.

The annual Pet Care Innovation Prize experience concludes for this year’s finalists in March 2019, when they will receive transportation, accommodations, and a booth presence at Global Pet Expo, the world’s largest pet care industry trade show. There, they will get the chance to present their businesses to an audience of industry influencers, and a grand prize winner will be chosen on-site to receive up to an additional $10,000 in cash and an opportunity to partner with Purina on a project.

For more information, visit www.petcareinnovationprize.com.

According to the Pathogend website, Pathogend uses a hospital grade, EPA approved, Hydrogen Peroxide Solution germ spray to kill viruses, bacteria, fungi and surface hold. It is dispersed through a fogging machine which ensures that the vapor kills germs on the surface and air, leaving a clean room behind.

The process effectively kills  99.9999% of viruses, bacteria, parasites and fungi, while leaving no residue and is completely non toxic to animals following the treatment.

For kennels and canine areas, standard indoor disinfection is performed through the fogging method, but outdoor disinfection is available as well.

For more information, visit Pathogend: Ending The Path to Infection.

- Energy foam footbed that cushions and comforts

- Energy foam that rivals top of the line running shoes

- Zonal tongue and Achilles padding for ready to wear comfort

- Flexibility

This could be the perfect addition to any dog show exhibitor’s shoe collection. Check it out here.

Traditional above-ground fences cost thousands of dollars and may not be an option for people living in rental properties. The PetSafe Free to Roam Wireless Fence provides a convenient solution for a fraction of the cost of traditional fencing.

The PetSafe Free to Roam Wireless Fence covers a circular area of up to half an acre or 180 feet in diameter. The boundaries can be adjusted from 5-90 feet in all directions of the indoor transmitter. Since the system is completely wireless, there are no unsightly cables to bury – simply plug the transmitter into a standard outlet.

“Our new Free to Roam Wireless Fence system is made with pets and owners in mind,” said Marcus Wolf, category manager for PetSafe Containment and Avoidance products. “A wireless fence gives pet parents peace of mind to let their dogs safely enjoy their yard. It makes it easy and fun for pets and their parents to enjoy fresh air and exercise.”

Designed for pets five pounds or larger, the PetSafe Free to Roam Wireless Fence uses a waterproof receiver collar with five adjustable levels of correction, as well as a tone-only mode for training. When the pet approaches the fence’s boundaries, he’ll hear a warning tone and if he continues, he’ll receive a safe – but surprising – static correction from the collar. Additional collars are also available for multiple pet homes.

The PetSafe Free to Roam Wireless Fence is also a great solution for families who like to travel with their pets. The portable unit can be used anywhere a standard outlet is available, such as RVs, cabins or vacation homes.

The PetSafe Free to Roam Wireless Fence comes with easy installation and training instructions and is available for purchase on PetSafe.net.

Proper Toppers are an incredibly versatile product that can be used as a ready-to-eat nutritional boost to conventional pet food, served as a complete and balanced meal or used as a tempting treat. Proper Toppers contain absolutely no ingredients from China and are 100 percent human grade – made from sustainably raised meat (free range chicken or cage free turkey), blueberries, pumpkin, apples and chard (plus vitamins and minerals).

More than 64 percent of dog owners surveyed by The Honest Kitchen mix extra food ingredients into their dog’s kibble as a way to add variety, taste and nourishment into the diet. The Honest Kitchen created Proper Toppers to fit this growing trend for meal enhancements and consumer desire to customize their pets’ meals.

“We believe pets should be given the same quality nutrition as humans, and we frequently incorporate human food trends into our innovation pipeline,” said The Honest Kitchen’s Founder and CEO Lucy Postins. “Just as superfoods and clean foods with few ingredients have become wildly popular among humans, they’re also incredibly beneficial for dogs. Proper Toppers pack these nutrients into a flavorful food with limited ingredients and a texture that dogs love, and owners will appreciate how simple the product is to integrate into their dogs’ diets.”

Like The Honest Kitchen’s classic diets, Proper Toppers are gently dehydrated to remove only the moisture and to retain the majority of natural nutrients found in fresh, whole foods. The process protects the natural pigments (phytonutrients) in the ingredients, keeping the food vibrant, colorful, and much healthier than processed pet foods. Proper Toppers are offered at a price point that’s more affordable than freeze dried alternatives and sold especially well when merchandised directly alongside other freeze dried and air-dried items.

About The Honest Kitchen
The Honest Kitchen produces a line of all-natural 100% Human Grade dehydrated whole foods for dogs and cats, which are made with love in a human food facility (not in a pet food plant) for the highest possible quality standards. Dehydration is a gentle technique that removes only the moisture and retains most natural nutrients found in raw, whole foods. The private, family-owned company was founded by Lucy & Charlie Postins in 2002, and is based in San Diego, CA. The company employs forty-five people, thirty-one dogs and six cats. The Honest Kitchen’s products are developed with uncompromising attention to detail by a company of pet lovers with a passion for food. For more information, please visit www.thehonestkitchen.com.

“We’re excited to be working with Amazon to offer this simple and convenient option to our consumers, especially on the one-year anniversary of the Dash Button program,” said Kristen Aldenderfer, Beyond brand manager. “Beyond stands apart from other natural pet products in the expertise and care that goes into each product, and we’re thrilled to be able to offer pet parents a simple and effortless way to order high-quality, natural pet food.”

Amazon Dash Button is a programmable Wi-Fi connected device that syncs to users’ Amazon app. Through the app, users can program their Amazon Dash Buttons to reorder their pet’s favorite Beyond items by simply pressing the button. The Amazon Dash Button for Beyond is available starting today on Amazon.com for Amazon Prime members.

Owners of the Amazon Dash Button for Beyond will be able to order a variety of Beyond products, including wet and dry food for dogs and cats, as well as dog snacks and purées. Beyond® Purées products were recognized as the 2016 Product of the Year in the Pet Food category, an award celebrating innovation and consumer confidence determined from a survey of 40,000 people by TNS.

For more information about Beyond, visit beyondpetfood.com or follow us on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter.