fbpx

Bringing Out the Awesome

Pet Age Staff//October 3, 2013//

Bringing Out the Awesome

Pet Age Staff //October 3, 2013//

Listen to this article

We recently sat down with Brad Armistead, vice president of marketing and innovation at DOGSWELL, to talk about the company, their commitment to pets and local rescues.

Q: Tell us about Dogswell.
Armistead: Founded in 2004, DOGSWELL is a Los Angeles-based premium pet food and treats company built on the belief that better nutrition leads to longer, healthier and happier lives for pets. DOGSWELL offers four lines of food with functional benefits: HAPPY HIPS, VITALITY, NUTRISCA, and LiveFree. DOGSWELL also offers a wide variety of treats including Jerky, Jerky Bars, Jerky Strips, Raw Freeze Dried Bites and Raw Freeze Dried Solos.

Q: You recently introduced a new line of holistic food exclusive to independent pet retailers, called, LiveFree. What makes it different?
Armistead: LiveFree is a super premium, high protein, holistic line of food for dogs. Packed with fresh protein in every bite, LiveFree aligns properly with a dog’s natural diet featuring ultra low-glycemic recipes free of grains and potatoes that prevent spikes in blood sugar levels, support slower digestion and sustain energy.
We’ve put the glycemic index rating on every bag and can in order to be more transparent with our consumers. LiveFree also contains added nutrition for holistic health including vitamins and chelated minerals for better nutrient absorption, antioxidants to support immunity and natural DigestiBits.
These DigestiBits consist of natural ingredients such as pumpkin, eggs, prebiotics, probiotics, and 11 fruits and vegetables for digestive fiber. Since all dogs deserve to “Live Free,” the line is formulated for different life stages including puppy, adult and senior.  LiveFree is available in both dry and canned food. The dry food flavors include chicken, lamb, salmon and turkey, while the canned food recipes consist of chicken, lamb and salmon.

Q: What is the idea behind Dogswell’s new motto, “Bring out the awesome in your dog?”
Armistead:  The way we see it, dogs were born awesome. They can hear better than us, smell better than us, and they don’t just put up with us, they love us.
We think that the best way to keep them happy and healthy is to give them food and treats that they were meant to eat, that they love to eat, and that was designed just for them. That’s the thinking that goes into every package of Dogswell, premium ingredients with added good stuff that delivers functional benefits so dogs can be holistically healthy and complete, from tail to paw.
Dogs are awesome, and we are here to make sure they stay that way.

Q: Your offices are dog friendly. Why is that important to the company and what type of environment does it create?
Armistead: Not only does allowing dogs in the office boost the moral and lower stress levels but it is also great motivation for us. We strive to create products that help dogs live long and happy lives and having dogs in the office around is a constant reminder of why were are here and what we are working towards.
It also increases the bond between employees and establishes a feeling of unity, when we watch all of our dogs play together and see what a close-knit pack they’ve become, it makes us feel more connected as well.

Q: Dogswell has big commitment to local rescues. Tell us about that.
Armistead: We donate to several local rescues in Los Angeles, but there’s one in particular, the Friends of Animals Foundation, that we have been working with for almost 4 years now.  We are their sole food provider, delivering shipments to them every month. We also give them puppy packs so that each time that a dog finds its forever home, they get off to a great start with healthy food and treats.
The great thing about these puppy packs is that the dog can continue to eat the same premium Dogswell diet they enjoyed while at the Friends of Animals Foundation since changing foods abruptly can disrupt a dog’s digestive system.  In addition to food donations, we have partnered with this foundation many times over the years at various events to help them raise money and increase adoptions.