Open Farm, a Canadian-based pet food company, Open Farm is launching the first ethically-sourced dry cat food in the U.S. and Canada with the Certified Humane Raised and Handled label. This is following the launch of their Certified Humane dog food products, which hit stores across Canada and the U.S. in late 2014 and early 2015.
“Since then, cat owners have been begging for a Certified Humane cat food option,” says Adele Douglass, Executive Director for HFAC. “Pet owners want to know their pet’s food is ethically-sourced. We’re thrilled Open Farm is bringing this product to market. Now pet parents have Certified Humane choices for both dog and cat foods.”
Why humane? Isaac Langleben, Co-founder of Open Farm explained their mission to iHeartCats:
“We produce grain-free dog and cat food recipes focused on a limited set of premium proteins, and fruits and veggies that are raised naturally, responsibly and humanely. We started Open Farm because we wanted to create a pet food that animal lovers could feel great about, both because it is made with quality, nutritious ingredients that promote the health of their pets, but also because it is produced in a way that respects farm animal welfare while also having a positive impact on the environment. We put great care and effort into sourcing only the highest quality ingredients from suppliers we know and trust. Our goal is to drive positive change in the pet industry with respect to farm animal welfare and sustainability, while creating much cleaner and higher quality food for dogs and cats.”
Humane Farm Animal Care (HFAC), the international non-profit certification organization improving the lives of millions of farm animals raised for food, certified the Open Farm foods using their strict guidelines.
Under the Certified Humane label, Open Farm will use only meat and poultry products in their pet foods that come from Certified Humane farms and ranches. The label assures consumers that farm animals are raised on farms where they can express their natural behaviors, such as flapping wings and moving around freely in their environments, and where they can live free of cages and gestation crates. The farm animals also must also be raised without antibiotics or growth hormones and must not be fed any animal by-products.
“Cats are obligate carnivores and require meat to survive, so giving pet parents a humane option allows them to be assured that their cat’s food is coming from a good place,” says Jacqueline Prehogan, President of Open Farm. “With the launch of our cat food, pet owners can finally provide their cats with premium nutrition while taking comfort in knowing that our entire farm-to-bowl supply chain is audited and certified by Certified Humane.”
Langleben also told us they are working on “a number of interesting new products, in a variety of formats.” The best way to keep up-to-date he says is to follow them on Facebook.
Open Farm dog and cat foods are currently available in more than 1,000 pet stores across the U.S. and Canada. To find a store near you that sells Certified Humane products, visit Certified Humane’s Where to Shop page or download Certified Humane’s free mobile App for iPhone and Android.