The Problem

It’s no secret that many pet owners treat their animals like members of their family. Yet unknowingly, many dog owners are feeding their pets food that is essentially killing them. 40% of dogs are obese. 46% of dogs die of cancer. Heart, kidney and liver disease has become an epidemic among canines. Like people, dogs are what they eat. “Don’t give your dog people-food! That’s so bad for them!” Most pet owners have heard this from a friend, family member or even veterinarian. But the truth is - it’s false. People-food is only bad for dog food makers. That is, natural whole food ingredient people-food. Many pet owners who are aware of these issues opt to home-cook for their pets and often spend a fortune in doing so along with forfeiting hours of free time in preparation and cook time. Some people even unknowingly serve their dog people-food that animals likely shouldn’t be eating. We look to fundamentally solve all of these issues. 

The Solution

Altai Foods, Inc. strives to provide pet owners with human-grade all natural dog food that is both affordable and delicious. We make home-made recipes with fresh ingredients, herbs, and supplements to support heart, liver, kidney, eye, joint, and skin health – all vet approved. The dog food industry is on par with what the US human food market looked like in the 1990’s-2000’s – a whole lot of fast-food garbage. Together, we will break the mold of an industry that hurts dogs more than helps them and work towards a world where we don’t only love our animals like they’re part of the family, but feed them like they are as well.

The Market

As of 2017, 60.2 million American families own 89.7 million dogs. Rising “pet anthropomorphism” has led pet parents to treat pets as member of their families with 89% of American pet parents considering their dogs to be part of their family. In 2014, natural pet food sales were $4.9 billion and by 2017, this figure increased to $5.6 billion of the total $15 billion in total pet food sales. This figure is expected to rise to $10 billion by 2021 with more pet owners learning about the dangers of standard, commercial pet food and with millennials dominating the workforce. Why are millennials so important? A 2017 study revealed that millennials are most interested in fresh and healthy foods. The most nutrition-conscious generation in history has also claimed another characteristic: according to the New York Times, “young Americans are less likely to be homeowners, car owners or parents than their predecessors, but they do lead the category of pet ownership.” It’s no wonder why, with the Great Recession fresh in their minds since a young age, most millennials are passing on the $14,000 average annual expense on having a child. Instead, they are opting for the $3,500 average annual expense of dog ownership along with the added freedom.

Within the past few years, a couple of companies have entered the fray of all natural dog food with “The Farmers Dog” and “My Ollie” dominating most of the market share. However, these companies are still in “start-up” phases themselves and have their own troubles in terms of product cost, manufacturing, marketing, and customer experience. The 200% expected increase in all natural dog food sales over the next 3 years is completely up for grabs… Will you help us take it?

Statistical Data Provided By: Euromonitor International 2016, 2017 , Mintel, Statista , Petfoodindustry.com, The New York Times.