Five Questions: Johnni Rogers, CEO of Wet Noses Dog Treat Company

Listen to this article

Pet Age recently spoke with Johnni Rodgers, CEO of Wet Noses Dog Treat Company, to learn more about the brand and its mission.

What makes Wet Noses stand out from its competition?

Wet Noses Natural Dog Treat Company was founded on the premise: If you wouldn’t eat something, don’t feed it to your dog. What does that mean? We’re 100 percent human grade all of the time, no exceptions. While some of our competitors tout “made with human-grade ingredients,” our “100 percent human grade” claim requires a much higher level of scrutiny. In addition, we operate out of our own SQF III facility and, manufacture predominantly organic and non-GMO products, are proud to source 100 percent of our ingredients within the U.S.

What can we expect from Wet Noses when it comes to innovations?

As a company, innovation is in our DNA. Our founder started this company in her own kitchen, solving her own unmet need for human grade pet food and treats for her dogs. My full intention is to carry that innovative spirit forward, ultimately building our pipeline to a point that makes Wet Noses synonymous with innovation. In the years to come, you’ll see us start to close the gap between human food and pet food. We’re already there from a quality perspective (100 percent human grade), but our innovation will take it a step further bringing human food forms and flavors into the mix.

Why is Wet Noses so committed to being a “human grade” manufacturer?

Our mission as a company is to feed the best possible food to as many dogs as possible. In my opinion, that’s not something we can achieve without a firm 100 percent human grade stance. Feed grade products (the alternative to human grade) are not legally suitable for humans and allow for by-products, chemicals, fillers and parts from “4D” meats (animals that are dying, diseased, disabled or deceased). Enough said.

How does Wet Noses balance the growth of its co-manufacturing in parallel with its branded business?

Wet Noses Natural Dog Treat Company is proud to have two growing owned brands (the Wet Noses flagship brand and Doggy Delirious), as well as a long-standing co-manufacturing business. To simultaneously drive the growth of both, we’ve separated them into two distinct company divisions. Our co-manufacturing division, Woof & Wilder, is proud to service customers nationwide and our high level of service can be attributed to its dedicated focus.

After a career in the human food sector, what drew you to Wet Noses?

Coming from the human side of CPG and being very well-versed in human food macro-trends, the opportunity for growth at Wet Noses was crystal clear to me. As humanization proliferates, the pet food and treat space is mirroring the human food space more and more. The level of quality, recipes and top-tier claims humans are seeking for themselves are the same as what they are [and will be] looking at for their pets.

Frankly, there’s no better time to be at a 100 percent human-grade, predominantly organic and non-GMO pet food company. We’re already achieving the level of quality that pet parents will demand and require from pet food and treat manufacturers in the coming years. I couldn’t turn down the opportunity to accelerate this dynamic, leveraging our top-tier quality to deliver a pipeline of human-inspired innovation to the category.