1 00:00:02,240 --> 00:00:17,239 Speaker 1: This is Pet Life Radio. Let's Talk Pets. 2 00:00:22,800 --> 00:00:25,800 Speaker 2: Hello pet lovers, Welcome to the Best Puts for Pets. 3 00:00:25,839 --> 00:00:29,839 I'm your show host Michelle Burn. What an incredible show 4 00:00:29,879 --> 00:00:35,159 I have for you today. My guest today is a champion, 5 00:00:35,719 --> 00:00:40,200 a very accomplished dog fed racer and as well as 6 00:00:40,240 --> 00:00:44,280 a companion animal nutritionist. I read his book. This gentleman 7 00:00:44,399 --> 00:00:48,840 is simply incredible and he's developed products for your pet 8 00:00:49,039 --> 00:00:51,880 that are superb. We're going to talk to him and 9 00:00:51,960 --> 00:00:53,840 we'll be right back. Don't go anywhere. 10 00:00:57,240 --> 00:01:01,119 Speaker 3: You know the expression cats have nine lives, Well, what 11 00:01:01,240 --> 00:01:04,040 if you can give them one more? But give them ten? 12 00:01:04,120 --> 00:01:07,359 Movement is on a mission to help give cats an 13 00:01:07,359 --> 00:01:12,040 extra life. How with spee and neoter spain or neutering 14 00:01:12,120 --> 00:01:15,920 your cat helps them live a longer, healthier life and 15 00:01:16,400 --> 00:01:20,640 it helps control free roaming cat populations too. Learn more 16 00:01:20,719 --> 00:01:24,280 about the benefits of spee and neoter and meet Scooter, 17 00:01:24,719 --> 00:01:28,640 the newter cat at Give Them ten dot Org. That's 18 00:01:28,719 --> 00:01:31,560 give them ten dot Org. 19 00:01:33,799 --> 00:01:45,920 Speaker 4: Let's talk bets on cetlife Radio dot com. 20 00:01:46,120 --> 00:01:49,599 Speaker 2: Welcome back everyone. I'd like to welcome Robert Downey. He 21 00:01:49,719 --> 00:01:53,439 is the co founder of Animate Products, as an author 22 00:01:53,719 --> 00:01:59,040 accomplished dog sudracer and as I mentioned, a companion animal nutritionist. 23 00:01:59,159 --> 00:02:02,120 Speaker 5: Welcome Rob, Thank you Michelle. It's a pleasure to be here. 24 00:02:02,319 --> 00:02:05,719 Speaker 2: I'm so excited to have you. I read your book yesterday, 25 00:02:05,879 --> 00:02:09,800 your memoir, and what an incredible journey. But that's just 26 00:02:09,879 --> 00:02:12,840 me talking. Can you give our listeners a little bit 27 00:02:12,879 --> 00:02:15,159 about you? Tell them about your background? 28 00:02:15,479 --> 00:02:18,599 Speaker 5: Sure? Sure. So I was actually born and raised with dogs. 29 00:02:18,680 --> 00:02:23,520 We had German short air pointers as a kid, and honestly, 30 00:02:24,120 --> 00:02:26,319 I think I get along better with animals than I 31 00:02:26,400 --> 00:02:31,000 do with people occasionally, and so I've always loved them 32 00:02:31,000 --> 00:02:33,960 and wanted to work with them. And some of that. 33 00:02:34,159 --> 00:02:37,960 I had some early childhood trauma and my parents got 34 00:02:37,960 --> 00:02:42,120 me a dog from the shelter and that helped me 35 00:02:42,159 --> 00:02:44,800 through some tough times, and so they've always been there 36 00:02:44,800 --> 00:02:49,039 for me. Then I went away to college in Norda, Minnesota, 37 00:02:49,120 --> 00:02:52,360 and went to a sled dog race and I thought, Wow, 38 00:02:52,479 --> 00:02:55,719 this is pretty fun. So I started to accumulate rescue 39 00:02:55,759 --> 00:03:00,439 sled dogs that I would compete with, and and then 40 00:03:00,680 --> 00:03:04,080 one day one of these rescue dogs had trouble getting 41 00:03:04,120 --> 00:03:07,159 out of our house and she was like paralyzing her 42 00:03:07,240 --> 00:03:09,360 hind in, so of course I rushed her to the 43 00:03:09,439 --> 00:03:14,280 VET and they diagnosed her after extensive testing, with a 44 00:03:14,360 --> 00:03:17,919 selenium deficiency, which really kind of amazed me. And then 45 00:03:18,199 --> 00:03:20,960 I changed the diet and not only did she get better, 46 00:03:21,400 --> 00:03:23,800 but the entire team got better. And that was really 47 00:03:23,960 --> 00:03:27,120 my AHA moment, and I decided, this is really what 48 00:03:27,240 --> 00:03:29,680 I want to do. And so I changed my major 49 00:03:30,280 --> 00:03:34,199 and focused on nutrition and finished my undergraduate Ohio State 50 00:03:34,599 --> 00:03:36,919 and then new graduate work at Penn at the VET School, 51 00:03:37,199 --> 00:03:39,479 and a lot of that work's been published in peer 52 00:03:39,520 --> 00:03:43,520 reviewed veterinarian nutrition journals. And so I've just stayed with 53 00:03:43,599 --> 00:03:46,240 sled dogs because I enjoyed them so much. And we 54 00:03:46,319 --> 00:03:50,280 competed for about close to forty years everywhere from the 55 00:03:50,439 --> 00:03:55,039 Pyrenees Mountains of Spain to the southern tip of South America. 56 00:03:55,520 --> 00:03:58,599 But the most pleasurable part of it was the twenty 57 00:03:58,680 --> 00:04:02,439 winters we spent in the interior of Alaska, racing the 58 00:04:02,120 --> 00:04:05,199 best against a gust competition in the world. 59 00:04:05,479 --> 00:04:08,319 Speaker 2: Thank you. Okay, we're gonna talk much more about anime, 60 00:04:08,479 --> 00:04:12,560 but your book Until the Last Dog, One Man's lifelong 61 00:04:12,639 --> 00:04:17,040 journey to Alaska with his dogs, is incredible. I read 62 00:04:17,040 --> 00:04:20,199 the entire book yesterday. I couldn't put it down. I've 63 00:04:20,199 --> 00:04:22,879 lived in warmer weather places. It's called for me when 64 00:04:22,920 --> 00:04:26,839 it's like fifty, So for you being Alaska, I can't 65 00:04:26,879 --> 00:04:31,519 even fathom minus twenty minus fifty. But dog setting is 66 00:04:32,000 --> 00:04:35,279 for most of the people listening, and most of our 67 00:04:35,319 --> 00:04:38,800 listeners are in the US. But most people listening don't 68 00:04:38,839 --> 00:04:41,959 have a clue. It's not the easiest. I mean, your sport. 69 00:04:42,000 --> 00:04:45,000 You're traveling with a pack of dogs and everything. Can 70 00:04:45,040 --> 00:04:46,879 you give you our listeners kind of like a little 71 00:04:46,959 --> 00:04:49,199 glimpse as to what dog sledding really is. 72 00:04:49,519 --> 00:04:53,879 Speaker 5: Sure, most people only know about sled dog racing through 73 00:04:53,920 --> 00:04:57,959 the Idita Rod, which is a thousand mile race across Alaska. 74 00:04:58,319 --> 00:05:01,600 What we do is actually an older form called sprint mushing. 75 00:05:02,199 --> 00:05:05,720 So I did a rob Their average speed is only 76 00:05:05,759 --> 00:05:09,079 five to seven miles an hour, whereas ours is over 77 00:05:09,199 --> 00:05:12,199 twenty miles an hour, so twenty two twenty four, So 78 00:05:13,040 --> 00:05:15,720 you're really flying through the woods, and you're doing it 79 00:05:15,839 --> 00:05:18,079 much shorter. So the dogs might only be out there 80 00:05:18,120 --> 00:05:22,399 for ten miles or twenty miles, so you're back within 81 00:05:22,439 --> 00:05:25,120 an hour or so. And the advantage of that is 82 00:05:25,399 --> 00:05:28,160 you're not out overnight. I like to say, I like 83 00:05:28,199 --> 00:05:31,199 to do my camping in the summer, so our dogs 84 00:05:31,720 --> 00:05:35,560 are now out all night. In fact, they're a little pampered. 85 00:05:35,600 --> 00:05:38,639 We had a heated dog barn for him in Alaska, 86 00:05:39,160 --> 00:05:41,240 and we had a heated dog barn for him here 87 00:05:41,279 --> 00:05:44,839 in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, so they never slept out in 88 00:05:44,879 --> 00:05:47,600 the cold. And when it got really cold, we even 89 00:05:47,680 --> 00:05:54,319 hadcra jackets for him, and so we would compete. I 90 00:05:54,360 --> 00:05:59,160 always had my I never trained the ran dogs below 91 00:05:59,600 --> 00:06:03,959 twenty below and people say, well, that's cold. But interestingly, 92 00:06:04,240 --> 00:06:08,680 in the interior of Alaska, at grade schools, kids are 93 00:06:08,680 --> 00:06:11,759 allowed out for recess except for two things that will 94 00:06:12,439 --> 00:06:14,399 make them not allowed out. One is a moose in 95 00:06:14,439 --> 00:06:18,519 the yard or any temperatures below twenty below. So I'm 96 00:06:18,519 --> 00:06:21,600 thinking if a kindergartener can be outside in twenty below, 97 00:06:21,800 --> 00:06:23,639 probably my dogs would be okay as well. 98 00:06:24,000 --> 00:06:28,199 Speaker 2: Yeah, that sounds fine. Twenty below, Yeah, no problem. Having 99 00:06:28,199 --> 00:06:30,439 read your book, I know you're asked this a lot, 100 00:06:30,480 --> 00:06:33,680 but if you wouldn't mind, of course, the moose story, 101 00:06:34,319 --> 00:06:37,040 which your book starts with, So can you just give 102 00:06:37,079 --> 00:06:39,879 a like a recent appse the moose story. 103 00:06:40,199 --> 00:06:43,519 Speaker 5: Yeah, that's really a big part of the book, and 104 00:06:43,839 --> 00:06:47,920 it really triggers emotions with people. I mean, it's pretty amazing. 105 00:06:47,959 --> 00:06:50,319 And so the bottom line is people might not be 106 00:06:50,319 --> 00:06:53,120 aware of this, but wildlife biologists will tell you that 107 00:06:53,199 --> 00:06:55,759 the single most dangerous animal you're going to see in 108 00:06:55,800 --> 00:06:59,319 the forest isn't a grizzly beer. It isn't a timberwolf. 109 00:06:59,360 --> 00:07:03,439 It's a cowmus with a calf. And in Alaska, moose 110 00:07:03,480 --> 00:07:06,560 are very big. In fact, a moose in Alaska could 111 00:07:06,560 --> 00:07:09,759 be six foot at the shoulder and weigh upwards of 112 00:07:09,800 --> 00:07:12,720 fourteen hundred pounds. And if you're out on a dog 113 00:07:12,800 --> 00:07:15,680 team and you come across a moose with a calf, 114 00:07:15,959 --> 00:07:18,720 they can be very protective and come in and start 115 00:07:18,759 --> 00:07:21,560 stumping and kicking your dog. So I was out on 116 00:07:21,600 --> 00:07:25,160 a run training run one day and I turned off 117 00:07:25,160 --> 00:07:27,519 the main trail. We're going around the loop, and I 118 00:07:27,600 --> 00:07:29,879 ran right into a cow moose with a calf, and 119 00:07:29,920 --> 00:07:32,079 so I was afraid she was going to hurt the dogs. 120 00:07:32,600 --> 00:07:35,120 So I started to scream and holler hope and she'd 121 00:07:35,240 --> 00:07:37,839 run off. But she did something I didn't expect. She 122 00:07:37,839 --> 00:07:41,040 ignored the dog team and charged it me. So being 123 00:07:41,079 --> 00:07:43,879 a dog lover. I told the dogs to go home. There, 124 00:07:43,879 --> 00:07:45,839 happy to leave. I thought I could get to a 125 00:07:45,839 --> 00:07:49,720 birch tree, and there was a dumb idea. She came 126 00:07:49,800 --> 00:07:53,000 through the deep snow, knocked me down and start stomping 127 00:07:53,040 --> 00:07:55,879 me and left me unconscious and left me for dead. 128 00:07:56,120 --> 00:07:59,759 So the dogs literally saved my life. She had broken 129 00:07:59,800 --> 00:08:02,800 my ribs toward the carlage and my sternum, fractured my 130 00:08:02,839 --> 00:08:07,079 elbow gave me a severe concussion. So people wonder I 131 00:08:07,160 --> 00:08:10,560 have a passion for these dogs because they've literally saved 132 00:08:10,560 --> 00:08:11,120 my life. 133 00:08:11,319 --> 00:08:15,720 Speaker 2: You've had a few encounters that were unbelievable throughout the 134 00:08:15,759 --> 00:08:18,399 buck the dogs. How did they save your life? 135 00:08:18,439 --> 00:08:21,120 Speaker 5: Well, what happened was I was trying to get the 136 00:08:21,160 --> 00:08:24,079 dogs to safety, so I thought I could get to 137 00:08:24,120 --> 00:08:26,680 a birch tree behind me, and if the dogs could 138 00:08:26,759 --> 00:08:29,480 make it, the dogs would run home. They'd be safe. 139 00:08:29,560 --> 00:08:32,480 I could climb up the birch tree, and then once 140 00:08:32,480 --> 00:08:35,120 the moose calmed down, I could walk those miles back 141 00:08:35,120 --> 00:08:38,159 to the cabin. Well, it wasn't a good decision when 142 00:08:38,200 --> 00:08:41,759 she stomped me and left me for dead, breaking my 143 00:08:41,879 --> 00:08:45,360 ribs and tearing the carlage in my sternum. I was unconscious, 144 00:08:45,440 --> 00:08:48,559 we figured for thirty minutes, which at twenty below is 145 00:08:48,879 --> 00:08:52,840 a serious consequence. So when I came to, I was hypothermic, 146 00:08:52,960 --> 00:08:55,799 so my body temperature had gone very low. People die 147 00:08:55,840 --> 00:08:58,600 from that because you basically lay down and go to sleep. 148 00:08:58,960 --> 00:09:02,200 I realized that I was gonna die there because the 149 00:09:02,240 --> 00:09:05,120 dogs were heading back to the cabin and my family 150 00:09:05,279 --> 00:09:07,879 was still in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Nobody's even gonna know 151 00:09:08,240 --> 00:09:10,320 I'm out here, and there's no way I could walk 152 00:09:10,559 --> 00:09:13,600 those miles back to the cabin. And so it turned 153 00:09:13,600 --> 00:09:17,480 out that the dogs only went about three hundred yards, 154 00:09:17,480 --> 00:09:20,440 and when they turned back on the main trail, the 155 00:09:20,480 --> 00:09:22,559 sled tipped over, and then the sled we have what's 156 00:09:22,600 --> 00:09:25,240 called a snow hook. It's like a boat anchor a cot, 157 00:09:25,559 --> 00:09:29,039 and it held the dog team there. And so once 158 00:09:29,080 --> 00:09:31,919 I came to, I decided I needed to make it 159 00:09:31,960 --> 00:09:34,080 back to the main trail. I knew I could not 160 00:09:34,159 --> 00:09:36,440 make it all the way back to the cabin, least 161 00:09:36,480 --> 00:09:38,759 if I died on the main trail, somebody would find 162 00:09:38,759 --> 00:09:39,240 my body. 163 00:09:39,440 --> 00:09:40,120 Speaker 2: Oh my god. 164 00:09:40,399 --> 00:09:42,639 Speaker 5: And I can tell you that if you think you're 165 00:09:42,639 --> 00:09:45,639 gonna die and then somehow you survive. It changes how 166 00:09:45,679 --> 00:09:48,120 you think about things later on, you're never as worried 167 00:09:48,159 --> 00:09:51,440 about them. So I stumbled back the three hundred yards 168 00:09:51,720 --> 00:09:53,559 and there was the dog team, so I was able 169 00:09:53,600 --> 00:09:56,159 to get back on the sled. I don't even remember 170 00:09:56,240 --> 00:09:58,720 much about the trip back. I was in and out 171 00:09:58,720 --> 00:10:01,840 of consciousness once while they'd hit a bump. You can 172 00:10:01,919 --> 00:10:04,840 imagine the pain I was in. I don't remember much. 173 00:10:05,000 --> 00:10:07,159 They brought me all the way back to the cabin. 174 00:10:07,519 --> 00:10:11,360 That part I don't hardly remember. They decided that the hospital. 175 00:10:11,399 --> 00:10:13,120 I was in shock at that point, but I was 176 00:10:13,159 --> 00:10:16,279 able to make my way in the cabin and all 177 00:10:16,360 --> 00:10:18,279 a friend and they came over and found me on 178 00:10:18,279 --> 00:10:20,360 the floor of the cabin, carried me to a truck, 179 00:10:20,360 --> 00:10:23,399 called me fifty miles to a hospital. The bottom line is, 180 00:10:23,440 --> 00:10:26,120 if the dogs weren't still there, and if they weren't 181 00:10:26,120 --> 00:10:27,759 able to bring me back, I would have died there 182 00:10:27,799 --> 00:10:28,600 out on the trail. 183 00:10:28,960 --> 00:10:31,960 Speaker 2: I'm grateful you didn't die. I'm sure you are as well. 184 00:10:32,039 --> 00:10:36,519 What a story. That's pretty amazing. So your said your 185 00:10:36,679 --> 00:10:40,120 life was changed after that, and throughout the book you 186 00:10:40,159 --> 00:10:44,080 can feel your compassion for your dogs. How did your 187 00:10:44,159 --> 00:10:47,919 love for dogs and dogs setting helped you develop the 188 00:10:48,039 --> 00:10:49,360 animate foods. 189 00:10:49,759 --> 00:10:52,639 Speaker 5: You know, I liken it too. If you're trying to 190 00:10:52,759 --> 00:10:56,679 test the performance of say gasoline, are you gonna find 191 00:10:56,679 --> 00:10:59,480 out more on the gasoline from the little old lady 192 00:10:59,519 --> 00:11:02,120 that just to church once a week, or are you going 193 00:11:02,200 --> 00:11:05,720 to find out more about performance of the gasoline through 194 00:11:05,720 --> 00:11:09,759 a Nascar And that's basically what happens is that you know, 195 00:11:10,440 --> 00:11:13,840 beating these diets to dogs that are working or under 196 00:11:13,879 --> 00:11:17,639 stress and stress. The stress of sled dog racing is 197 00:11:17,679 --> 00:11:21,360 no different than the stress of showing or the stress 198 00:11:21,399 --> 00:11:24,919 of a dog being left at home with high anxiety. Right, 199 00:11:25,360 --> 00:11:28,960 And so it's a way to measure performance and make 200 00:11:29,120 --> 00:11:34,519 alterations in the nutrient levels to maximize or optimize the 201 00:11:34,639 --> 00:11:38,919 diet to make your dogs healthier, because studies have shown 202 00:11:38,960 --> 00:11:43,240 time and time again that proper diets can lengthen the 203 00:11:43,320 --> 00:11:45,879 lifespan of not only humans but also paths. 204 00:11:46,000 --> 00:11:47,960 Speaker 2: Okay, we're going to take a quick break and we'll 205 00:11:47,960 --> 00:11:53,559 be right back. Hey guys, Michelle Burne here, how don't 206 00:11:53,679 --> 00:11:56,000 we all had those moments when our dog has done 207 00:11:56,000 --> 00:11:59,879 something really cool or really frustrating, or we just love 208 00:12:00,080 --> 00:12:03,120 them so much we wish we could talk to them. Well, 209 00:12:03,480 --> 00:12:06,440 recently I found out there's a way you can. I 210 00:12:06,559 --> 00:12:10,360 recently learned about Regal dot Ai that builds AI agents 211 00:12:10,360 --> 00:12:13,679 for brands, and they have built an AI dog hotline. 212 00:12:13,799 --> 00:12:16,480 It is so cool how it works, you know. When 213 00:12:16,480 --> 00:12:18,279 I first heard about it, I thought it would be 214 00:12:18,320 --> 00:12:22,080 kind of robotic, like Siri or Alexa or really slow 215 00:12:22,120 --> 00:12:25,639 to respond, but it's not. They have the fifteen most 216 00:12:25,679 --> 00:12:27,919 common dog breeds in the US on the site with 217 00:12:27,960 --> 00:12:30,399 the phone number, and I was able to have a 218 00:12:30,440 --> 00:12:33,639 full on conversation that felt like I was talking to 219 00:12:33,679 --> 00:12:36,559 my dog if only he could speak human. It was 220 00:12:36,679 --> 00:12:39,480 a lot of fun, and soon I was having everybody 221 00:12:39,480 --> 00:12:42,399 in the household join with me and talking to Rocky. 222 00:12:42,720 --> 00:12:45,759 If you're interested in calling the dog hotline, go to 223 00:12:45,879 --> 00:12:49,519 Regal dot Ai slash Dog. Just scroll down, pick your 224 00:12:49,559 --> 00:12:51,960 dog's breed, or you can use the fetcher at the 225 00:12:52,000 --> 00:12:56,559 top and prepare to be amazed. I had no idea 226 00:12:56,879 --> 00:13:01,279 what Rocky's personality was, but it was so exact and 227 00:13:01,559 --> 00:13:04,360 so much fun. If you want to talk to Rocky 228 00:13:04,879 --> 00:13:07,000 just to try it out, you can call eight one 229 00:13:07,080 --> 00:13:11,360 two nine zero six five nine three six. We're gonna 230 00:13:11,360 --> 00:13:13,279 call right now, so you can hear for yourself. 231 00:13:16,960 --> 00:13:19,919 Speaker 6: All right, listen up, I'm your German shepherd. I'm so 232 00:13:20,000 --> 00:13:23,159 excited to be speaking human. I can't believe it. I 233 00:13:23,200 --> 00:13:25,080 took a nap and then woke up and now all 234 00:13:25,080 --> 00:13:27,360 of a sudden, I'm speaking to you. It's so crazy. 235 00:13:27,480 --> 00:13:29,759 It must be crazy for you too. Anyway, can you 236 00:13:29,759 --> 00:13:30,720 tell me what my name is? 237 00:13:31,159 --> 00:13:31,519 Speaker 3: Rocky? 238 00:13:31,840 --> 00:13:35,120 Speaker 2: You sound just like I thought you would. Hi, Rocky, how's. 239 00:13:34,919 --> 00:13:36,039 Speaker 6: It going, Rocky? 240 00:13:36,360 --> 00:13:36,559 Speaker 2: Good? 241 00:13:36,600 --> 00:13:36,879 Speaker 5: Strong? 242 00:13:36,960 --> 00:13:40,279 Speaker 6: Name that fits. Speaking of name, what's something you've always 243 00:13:40,320 --> 00:13:42,159 wanted to tell me? Now that I can chat. 244 00:13:42,000 --> 00:13:45,480 Speaker 2: Back, Rocky, I love that you've always been such a 245 00:13:45,519 --> 00:13:49,039 great watchdog for my family, you know, being a German shepherd. 246 00:13:49,240 --> 00:13:51,600 I know that's one of the things you do. But Rocky, 247 00:13:51,639 --> 00:13:55,399 you've gone above and they all to be that wonderful 248 00:13:55,720 --> 00:13:57,120 protector for our home. 249 00:13:57,279 --> 00:13:57,679 Speaker 5: Thank you. 250 00:13:58,240 --> 00:14:00,600 Speaker 6: Protecting the home is my duty. Keep an eye on 251 00:14:00,639 --> 00:14:03,559 everything that moves. Now, tell me why do you sit 252 00:14:03,600 --> 00:14:05,799 in front of that glowing box all the time. Is 253 00:14:05,840 --> 00:14:09,039 it some kind of squirrel in there I need to chase. No, 254 00:14:09,240 --> 00:14:09,759 not at all. 255 00:14:09,799 --> 00:14:12,759 Speaker 2: That glowing box is a TV and keeps us entertained. 256 00:14:13,240 --> 00:14:14,840 I know that you're not chew into it. 257 00:14:14,960 --> 00:14:15,279 Speaker 5: Rocky. 258 00:14:15,320 --> 00:14:16,200 Speaker 2: But that's cool. 259 00:14:16,440 --> 00:14:20,000 Speaker 6: Got an entertainment box seems less exciting than a good chase. 260 00:14:20,279 --> 00:14:22,600 But whatever keeps you happy is all right by me. 261 00:14:22,960 --> 00:14:25,240 Speaking of happiness, did I catch a whiff of some 262 00:14:25,360 --> 00:14:27,039 snack earlier? What's that about? 263 00:14:27,240 --> 00:14:30,440 Speaker 2: Well, Rocky, I do I have some delicious for you. 264 00:14:30,519 --> 00:14:33,279 I know how much you loved pepperoni, you know, being 265 00:14:33,320 --> 00:14:36,960 from New York and all that. Ready for a Pepperoni slice? 266 00:14:37,080 --> 00:14:40,879 Speaker 6: Pepperoni? Now you're speaking my language. That sounds great. Maybe 267 00:14:40,879 --> 00:14:42,879 we can share a slice and make it a real 268 00:14:42,919 --> 00:14:45,080 New York moment together. What do you say? 269 00:14:45,320 --> 00:14:49,159 Speaker 2: I love it, Rocky. I gotta go, but calling back soon. 270 00:14:49,559 --> 00:14:51,720 Speaker 6: All right, I've said enough for now. Time to do 271 00:14:51,799 --> 00:14:54,240 my rounds and make sure everything's in order. Can't wait 272 00:14:54,240 --> 00:14:57,440 to chat again soon? Talk soon about a pepperoni slice 273 00:14:57,679 --> 00:14:58,320 by Rocky. 274 00:14:58,759 --> 00:15:01,799 Speaker 2: Wow, wasn't that in credible? It felt like I was 275 00:15:01,840 --> 00:15:05,519 having a full on conversation with my German shepherd, Rocky. 276 00:15:05,960 --> 00:15:08,720 I just think that's amazing. Now, remember, if you want 277 00:15:08,759 --> 00:15:11,000 to talk to Rocky, you can call them at eight 278 00:15:11,039 --> 00:15:14,279 one two nine zero six five nine three six. So 279 00:15:14,480 --> 00:15:17,840 as you can imagine, Regal dot Ai builds AI agents 280 00:15:17,879 --> 00:15:20,559 for all kinds of businesses. If you want to learn 281 00:15:20,559 --> 00:15:22,840 more about what regal dot ai can do for you 282 00:15:23,000 --> 00:15:26,000 or a friend's business, check them out at regal dot Ai. 283 00:15:26,399 --> 00:15:29,039 You can also try out any of the fifteen read 284 00:15:29,080 --> 00:15:33,720 hotlines for yourself for free at regal dot ai. Slash 285 00:15:33,799 --> 00:15:37,919 dog and remember, the ai agents can be customized to 286 00:15:38,240 --> 00:15:41,080 have any accent or personality. 287 00:15:41,519 --> 00:15:44,600 Speaker 7: Let's talk past, Let's do that, talk about life radio 288 00:15:44,639 --> 00:15:56,639 Headline Radio atline radio dot com. 289 00:15:57,080 --> 00:16:00,200 Speaker 2: Welcome back everyone, we're talking to you Robert Downey. He 290 00:16:00,279 --> 00:16:03,840 is the co founder of Animate Food Products, a champion 291 00:16:04,360 --> 00:16:09,559 dog sled racer, and just an amazing human being. You 292 00:16:09,679 --> 00:16:12,639 have to read this book until the Last Dog, the memoir. 293 00:16:12,720 --> 00:16:17,120 It's fascinating. Okay, so we're talking about animate foods. Now, 294 00:16:17,200 --> 00:16:20,799 there's a lot of foods on the market. What makes 295 00:16:20,879 --> 00:16:23,759 anime different from other foods that are out there? 296 00:16:24,039 --> 00:16:26,679 Speaker 5: Well, well, I think it's the passion I have right 297 00:16:26,919 --> 00:16:30,279 for dogs, being involved in dogs my entire life. And 298 00:16:30,320 --> 00:16:32,639 the other thing is the science behind it. So I 299 00:16:32,720 --> 00:16:36,759 spent all these years doing studies in nutrition, and a 300 00:16:36,840 --> 00:16:39,879 lot of that work's been published in peer reviewed veterinary 301 00:16:39,919 --> 00:16:43,279 and nutrition journals. So we're always up on that, so 302 00:16:43,360 --> 00:16:46,600 I'm a companion animal nutritionist. We also have on staff 303 00:16:46,679 --> 00:16:51,279 a board certified veterinary nutritionist. So I really don't think 304 00:16:51,279 --> 00:16:54,120 there's a company you can do business with that has 305 00:16:54,159 --> 00:16:58,000 the background in dogs that we do, combined with the 306 00:16:58,080 --> 00:17:02,080 science and nutrition background we have. Between the two of us, 307 00:17:02,519 --> 00:17:06,079 I think we have over one hundred and sixty publications 308 00:17:06,079 --> 00:17:10,279 in peer review journals or chapters in books. So, you 309 00:17:10,319 --> 00:17:13,480 know the other thing, We're still family owned, which makes 310 00:17:13,519 --> 00:17:16,359 a big difference, right, I mean, so many companies are 311 00:17:16,359 --> 00:17:20,759 being bought out by VC firms and so the nutrition 312 00:17:20,920 --> 00:17:24,119 people aren't as valued. In fact, many of these companies 313 00:17:24,240 --> 00:17:27,680 don't have nutrition people involved. So the decisions we make 314 00:17:27,720 --> 00:17:31,359 here at anime Pethoods are really based on the nutrition 315 00:17:31,519 --> 00:17:34,920 and what's best for your dog or cat as opposed 316 00:17:34,960 --> 00:17:38,480 to what's best for the bottom line. 317 00:17:38,880 --> 00:17:41,720 Speaker 2: Mary Joe, who is your wife and yourself started it 318 00:17:41,839 --> 00:17:45,319 in eighty six, so it's not something new, it's just 319 00:17:45,400 --> 00:17:49,160 something you know, you've just developed animated foods over the years, 320 00:17:49,319 --> 00:17:52,880 added you know, treats and supplements and glad to hear 321 00:17:53,000 --> 00:17:53,640 cat food. 322 00:17:54,839 --> 00:17:58,359 Speaker 5: Yeah, actually, you know it's kind of funny, but one 323 00:17:58,400 --> 00:18:01,240 of our distributors caused us the best kept secret in 324 00:18:01,240 --> 00:18:05,000 the pet food industry because the bottom line is people 325 00:18:05,039 --> 00:18:07,359 can only afford to spend so much, and you can 326 00:18:07,400 --> 00:18:10,759 either put your money into marketing and advertising in big commercials, 327 00:18:11,079 --> 00:18:13,000 or you can put it into the quality of the 328 00:18:13,039 --> 00:18:16,279 products and every ingredient you see on the side panel. 329 00:18:16,279 --> 00:18:19,319 And it doesn't matter if it's dry or wet, or 330 00:18:19,440 --> 00:18:23,039 frozen or raw under least for different quality levels. So 331 00:18:23,079 --> 00:18:26,640 you could have two products that look identical, and the 332 00:18:26,720 --> 00:18:31,559 difference in nutrition is significant because one might be poor 333 00:18:31,640 --> 00:18:35,559 quality chicken versus good quality chicken, right, and so that's 334 00:18:35,599 --> 00:18:40,039 the difference. And with our background in formulating and having 335 00:18:40,079 --> 00:18:44,119 two nutritionists, it really provides a great checks and balance system. 336 00:18:44,400 --> 00:18:47,799 Like for instance, you mentioned cats, One of our most 337 00:18:47,799 --> 00:18:53,200 popular cat foods is called Animate Feline Sustained Number twenty nine. 338 00:18:53,759 --> 00:18:57,440 The reason that's called number twenty nine is I did 339 00:18:57,480 --> 00:19:00,720 the first formula, send it to doctor j oh to 340 00:19:00,759 --> 00:19:03,519 look over. He came back and made some suggestions. We 341 00:19:03,640 --> 00:19:06,880 went back and forth for four months before we decided 342 00:19:06,920 --> 00:19:09,640 that it was finally good enough to run a test batch. 343 00:19:10,039 --> 00:19:11,920 And when I went to send it to the plant, 344 00:19:12,039 --> 00:19:15,680 it was version number twenty nine. So we actually reformulated 345 00:19:15,759 --> 00:19:19,359 it twenty nine times before we actually thought it was 346 00:19:19,400 --> 00:19:21,680 good enough to release it. And the other thing is 347 00:19:21,720 --> 00:19:24,519 the name Animate is actually I named the company after 348 00:19:24,599 --> 00:19:27,680 my mom. Her name was Anime, and I no doubt 349 00:19:27,720 --> 00:19:31,440 got my love of animals from her, and not only dogs, 350 00:19:31,480 --> 00:19:34,279 but also cats in fact, and are brochure. You'll see 351 00:19:34,279 --> 00:19:37,440 this picture of my mom as a little girl holding 352 00:19:37,440 --> 00:19:40,880 an armful of kittens. And so cats certainly are a 353 00:19:40,880 --> 00:19:43,480 big part of our business. In fact, we're just now. 354 00:19:43,839 --> 00:19:46,599 One of the things that we do here at Animates 355 00:19:46,640 --> 00:19:51,200 is that we also do some pre therapeutic diets formulas, right, 356 00:19:51,279 --> 00:19:56,000 so for example, for dogs, we do a canine lean 357 00:19:56,119 --> 00:20:01,160 for dogs that roll over wait and certainly, well, obesity 358 00:20:01,680 --> 00:20:03,400 is the same problem in dogs as it is in 359 00:20:03,519 --> 00:20:08,160 humans and also in cats. And so the newest formula 360 00:20:08,240 --> 00:20:11,960 we're working on as a d line LEAN. And I know, Michelle, 361 00:20:11,960 --> 00:20:16,640 you're you're into cats, and I'm certain you can appreciate this, 362 00:20:16,680 --> 00:20:20,400 but I give lectures all around the world whenever I 363 00:20:20,559 --> 00:20:23,079 start to talk about cats. The first thing I say is, 364 00:20:23,680 --> 00:20:28,119 thousands of years ago cats were worshiped as gods. Cats 365 00:20:28,119 --> 00:20:29,200 have never forgotten this. 366 00:20:29,519 --> 00:20:31,079 Speaker 2: It's so true so true. 367 00:20:31,119 --> 00:20:34,359 Speaker 5: We're just basically living in their world. So as far 368 00:20:34,400 --> 00:20:38,640 as a dog lean dogs, one thing you learn nutrition. 369 00:20:39,119 --> 00:20:41,400 Dogs aren't going to starve themselves because they don't like 370 00:20:41,440 --> 00:20:43,960 the taste of the food. With cats, all bets are 371 00:20:44,000 --> 00:20:46,519 off right. So it's been a journey. 372 00:20:47,000 --> 00:20:50,400 Speaker 2: Yeah, I have Well, my other show is Catitude, and 373 00:20:51,319 --> 00:20:55,160 so I've become a cat person, although I first had dogs, 374 00:20:55,599 --> 00:20:59,400 so and I'm actually dogs sitting now, So it's nice 375 00:20:59,599 --> 00:21:05,400 having something interesting. That you mentioned is animate is dry 376 00:21:05,440 --> 00:21:09,759 food and the trend right now is raw and there's 377 00:21:10,039 --> 00:21:13,240 I've had a lot of discussions with you know, different 378 00:21:13,240 --> 00:21:17,240 guests about raw because there's there could be some challenges 379 00:21:17,279 --> 00:21:21,160 with raw because of the bacteria, but that's the trend. 380 00:21:21,839 --> 00:21:25,400 So what are your thoughts on raw? And why is animate? 381 00:21:25,599 --> 00:21:29,400 Kibble is an addition to raw? Can it be substituted 382 00:21:29,440 --> 00:21:30,960 for raw? Is it better than raw? 383 00:21:31,279 --> 00:21:34,160 Speaker 5: I hear that question all the time in my anti raw, 384 00:21:34,359 --> 00:21:37,480 I said, I'm not anti raw. Before I started Animate, 385 00:21:37,559 --> 00:21:41,200 I've fed raw to our sled dogs because at that 386 00:21:41,319 --> 00:21:44,039 point there is no dry dog food that you could 387 00:21:44,039 --> 00:21:47,119 feed to a sled dog and still have good stools 388 00:21:47,160 --> 00:21:50,279 and performance. And so my thought was when I was 389 00:21:50,319 --> 00:21:52,559 going to start animate that I was going to make 390 00:21:52,599 --> 00:21:56,240 it so good that I wouldn't have to feed raw again. 391 00:21:56,839 --> 00:22:00,000 And that's really what we've come down to it. Unfortunately, 392 00:22:00,079 --> 00:22:02,759 dry dog food kibble gets a bad name. You hear 393 00:22:02,799 --> 00:22:06,640 it in the commercials that you know that it's burnt brown, 394 00:22:07,200 --> 00:22:09,799 and it's really not that at all. Certainly, there are 395 00:22:09,839 --> 00:22:13,960 some companies that make poor quality dry foods, but you know, 396 00:22:14,039 --> 00:22:16,039 those are tend to be some of the bigger, more 397 00:22:16,039 --> 00:22:21,039 commercial companies that run run it at high temperatures because 398 00:22:21,079 --> 00:22:23,559 time is money, and the you can run a shorter 399 00:22:23,640 --> 00:22:27,359 periods of time. We do a slow cook and at 400 00:22:27,400 --> 00:22:31,440 a lower temperature, and we also you know, do a 401 00:22:31,480 --> 00:22:34,119 lot of testing to make sure that the nutrients that 402 00:22:34,200 --> 00:22:37,599 are still available to the dog. And and actually studies 403 00:22:37,640 --> 00:22:42,839 have shown that the only difference are the only thing 404 00:22:42,960 --> 00:22:46,319 better of raw over a good kibble is really stool 405 00:22:46,359 --> 00:22:50,599 quality gets smaller stools. But the what people tend to 406 00:22:50,599 --> 00:22:54,240 forget about is the importance of vitamins and minerals, right, 407 00:22:54,400 --> 00:22:58,279 and and how that can increase the longevity and and 408 00:22:58,519 --> 00:23:02,720 some of the other nutriceutical or even things like antioxidants, 409 00:23:02,720 --> 00:23:06,240 and and you know, you're into cats. There's a study 410 00:23:06,559 --> 00:23:09,680 not long ago on longevity in cats, and they found 411 00:23:09,720 --> 00:23:15,039 that cats on a diet that included additional antioxidants Omega three, 412 00:23:15,079 --> 00:23:19,920 omega six, fatty acids, as well as some prebiotics actually 413 00:23:20,079 --> 00:23:25,000 lived over a year longer than cats didn't have those things. 414 00:23:25,039 --> 00:23:28,559 So there's things that go into that, and then fortunately 415 00:23:28,559 --> 00:23:30,920 a lot of these companies it becomes more of a 416 00:23:31,000 --> 00:23:36,279 marketing thing than anything, right, So I understand people's concern, 417 00:23:36,359 --> 00:23:39,839 but you can add you can add anime to raw 418 00:23:40,160 --> 00:23:43,799 if you wish. You don't need to, but a lot 419 00:23:43,839 --> 00:23:47,480 of things, you know, one of the supplements we make 420 00:23:47,960 --> 00:23:51,640 is actually one of our number one selling products called enhands, 421 00:23:52,039 --> 00:23:55,200 which is actually if somebody wants to do raw, somebody 422 00:23:55,240 --> 00:23:59,799 wants to do home prepared homemade dog food, that the 423 00:24:00,079 --> 00:24:03,920 enhance will balance the vitamins and minerals. And that's become 424 00:24:03,960 --> 00:24:09,240 one of our number one selling products monthly because quite honestly, 425 00:24:09,559 --> 00:24:12,880 more and more people are switching and making their own diets. 426 00:24:13,440 --> 00:24:16,960 And as I give lectures all around, one of the 427 00:24:17,000 --> 00:24:20,160 things that often happens is that somebody will ask me 428 00:24:20,279 --> 00:24:23,720 or come up to me after the talk and say, well, 429 00:24:23,720 --> 00:24:26,039 I don't feed commercial dog food. I make my own 430 00:24:26,400 --> 00:24:27,759 and when I say, well, what do you do for 431 00:24:27,839 --> 00:24:30,880 vitamins and minerals, they get this blank look on their face. 432 00:24:31,240 --> 00:24:34,079 And that's really why we started in hand. So we 433 00:24:34,119 --> 00:24:37,319 have products so you can add to raw or home 434 00:24:37,359 --> 00:24:39,920 prepared to make them better. We have kibble, we have 435 00:24:40,000 --> 00:24:44,319 supplements for post exercise or way to put calories on. 436 00:24:44,400 --> 00:24:46,559 So we cover a lot of the bases in the 437 00:24:46,599 --> 00:24:47,640 pet food industry. 438 00:24:48,000 --> 00:24:50,839 Speaker 2: Thank you. You kind of already answered this question, but 439 00:24:51,160 --> 00:24:54,160 just in case some of our listeners didn't catch this. 440 00:24:54,720 --> 00:24:58,799 So you know, you had athletic dogs with dog sledding 441 00:24:58,920 --> 00:25:02,319 and then with the diving at that you started after 442 00:25:02,440 --> 00:25:05,839 your dog sledding journey of forty years. Most of us 443 00:25:06,000 --> 00:25:10,480 just have, you know, house dogs. How does animate help them? 444 00:25:10,680 --> 00:25:13,119 So the calories and all that, like a like an 445 00:25:13,160 --> 00:25:14,759 athletic dog, they're just at home. 446 00:25:15,039 --> 00:25:19,559 Speaker 5: Yeah, right, right. So obviously we have some diets that 447 00:25:19,640 --> 00:25:22,680 we developed that are more performance and so those would 448 00:25:22,720 --> 00:25:27,160 be more higher floric density, right, so they'd be higher fat. 449 00:25:27,480 --> 00:25:31,279 But we also had formulas that were great for older dogs, 450 00:25:31,319 --> 00:25:34,400 Like a couple of our pre therapeutic formulas are for 451 00:25:34,599 --> 00:25:37,799 seniors because one of the things we know is our 452 00:25:37,839 --> 00:25:42,960 pets are living longer, longer, right, And there's certain nutraceuticals 453 00:25:43,440 --> 00:25:47,599 that have been shown to help as dogs age keep 454 00:25:47,640 --> 00:25:53,319 them in better health, right, and and so those are 455 00:25:53,359 --> 00:25:56,880 critical to ours. And the other thing is even you know, 456 00:25:57,000 --> 00:26:00,319 when I first started in nutrition, the whole idea were 457 00:26:00,319 --> 00:26:04,279 strict protein to older dogs. And now all research now 458 00:26:04,319 --> 00:26:07,759 indicates it is dog's age they need more protein, not less. 459 00:26:07,960 --> 00:26:11,720 So we formulated these senior formulas that are higher in protein, 460 00:26:12,119 --> 00:26:17,160 that have these nutraceuticals that help with things like arthritis 461 00:26:17,680 --> 00:26:21,079 or with age associated or pognitive decline. You know, those 462 00:26:21,119 --> 00:26:25,559 are important things. And also things like vitamins and minerals. 463 00:26:25,920 --> 00:26:28,759 There was a study where they found they followed five 464 00:26:28,839 --> 00:26:33,279 thousand beagles in homes and they found the difference in 465 00:26:33,319 --> 00:26:36,480 the diets was vitamins and minerals. And they found that 466 00:26:36,599 --> 00:26:41,480 dogs on extra vitamins lived thirty two percent longer than 467 00:26:41,519 --> 00:26:44,920 dogs or twenty three sorry, excuse me, twenty three percent 468 00:26:45,000 --> 00:26:48,480 longer than dogs on average vitamin levels. And there were 469 00:26:48,480 --> 00:26:51,519 thirty two percent less likely to have a veterinary visit 470 00:26:51,759 --> 00:26:55,640 when they're on extra high vitamins versus average vitamin levels. 471 00:26:55,839 --> 00:26:57,960 And when they went back and they tested pet foods 472 00:26:57,960 --> 00:27:01,640 in the market. They found that only less than five 473 00:27:01,680 --> 00:27:05,119 percent had extra high vitamins, right, And so that's the 474 00:27:05,240 --> 00:27:07,519 kind of stuff that we do at Animate. And I 475 00:27:07,599 --> 00:27:10,880 went back and laid our numbers out against that, and 476 00:27:10,920 --> 00:27:13,599 we're extra high on everything. The only thing I didn't 477 00:27:13,640 --> 00:27:16,160 go as high as they did was vitamin D. And 478 00:27:16,480 --> 00:27:18,720 quite honestly, I wouldn't go that high in vitamin D 479 00:27:18,839 --> 00:27:22,079 because if you go too high in vitamin D, you 480 00:27:22,160 --> 00:27:25,880 increase the calcium absorption into the blood, and we already 481 00:27:25,920 --> 00:27:29,039 have too much calcium in these diets anyhow. So sorry, 482 00:27:29,640 --> 00:27:33,440 I get carried away in my nutrition vortex, but it's 483 00:27:33,519 --> 00:27:35,599 my passion, and so it's important to me. 484 00:27:35,880 --> 00:27:39,119 Speaker 2: The animate has a great line. So you've grown. You 485 00:27:39,160 --> 00:27:42,599 don't just have the kibble, you have treats, you have supplements. 486 00:27:42,640 --> 00:27:47,359 Can you give us a little synopsis of animate products overall? 487 00:27:47,680 --> 00:27:51,119 Speaker 5: Sure? Sure. So we have several that are grain free, 488 00:27:51,200 --> 00:27:54,119 we have several that are grain inclusive. We actually have 489 00:27:54,440 --> 00:27:59,519 seventeen different kibble formulas now because quite honestly, no two 490 00:27:59,559 --> 00:28:03,279 dogs are alike, right, and so we have different foods 491 00:28:03,279 --> 00:28:07,319 for different stages where they'd be puppy, small breed, medium 492 00:28:07,319 --> 00:28:11,079 and large breed, and then seniors adult foods, and then 493 00:28:11,119 --> 00:28:14,000 we also have cat products that we have both grain 494 00:28:14,039 --> 00:28:19,000 inclusive grain free. We're also big into sustainability and protecting 495 00:28:19,039 --> 00:28:22,680 our natural resources. I was born and raised in the outdoor, 496 00:28:22,799 --> 00:28:26,319 so that's been a fabric of our company since we started. 497 00:28:26,880 --> 00:28:32,400 So all of our packaging is we use bioflex technology 498 00:28:32,559 --> 00:28:35,680 so that the poly bags are broken down in eight 499 00:28:35,720 --> 00:28:38,680 to twelve years in a landfill and they collect the 500 00:28:38,720 --> 00:28:41,799 gases as opposed to eight to nine hundred years. Those 501 00:28:41,880 --> 00:28:43,720 are the kind of things that are important to us. 502 00:28:43,920 --> 00:28:47,680 We have some products that are actually MSc certified Marine 503 00:28:47,720 --> 00:28:51,880 Stewardship Council, which is a gold standard for marine sustainability. 504 00:28:52,079 --> 00:28:55,039 So that means all the fish in that product is used, 505 00:28:55,200 --> 00:28:59,839 is kept at sustainable numbers and cock sustainably right. That 506 00:29:00,000 --> 00:29:03,240 it's important to us. We're also all of our supplements 507 00:29:03,640 --> 00:29:09,480 are NASC certified. That's National Animal Supplement Council, which means 508 00:29:09,519 --> 00:29:13,640 that that that's the gold standard for animal supplements. It 509 00:29:13,680 --> 00:29:17,359 means that all the ingredients we use have to be 510 00:29:18,119 --> 00:29:21,640 purchased through an NASC certified supplier, so they come in 511 00:29:21,680 --> 00:29:26,960 and inspect us. They inspect their supplier. They literally purchase 512 00:29:27,039 --> 00:29:29,920 your supplements it retail and then send them out to 513 00:29:29,960 --> 00:29:32,680 have them analyzed, so that if you say you have 514 00:29:32,759 --> 00:29:35,519 a thousand milligrams of glucose meme per doulse or seven 515 00:29:35,599 --> 00:29:38,480 hundred mid droid and they'll actually test to make sure 516 00:29:38,480 --> 00:29:41,839 you do that. So it's actually more strict than what 517 00:29:41,960 --> 00:29:45,079 you could what you do for human supplements, right, I mean, 518 00:29:45,119 --> 00:29:48,240 which is really kind of crazy. And so you know, 519 00:29:49,480 --> 00:29:53,480 we're also EU certified, which means that all the meat 520 00:29:53,480 --> 00:29:56,160 and fish in our products has to be passed fit 521 00:29:56,200 --> 00:29:59,640 for human consumption. That's another inspection. So I think we're 522 00:29:59,640 --> 00:30:03,839 probably we have more inspections at our facilities and most people. 523 00:30:03,839 --> 00:30:06,279 And then the other thing, quite honestly, what we do 524 00:30:06,400 --> 00:30:09,799 is we do a significant amount of testing, not only 525 00:30:09,880 --> 00:30:13,480 in raw materials coming in, but the product before it's 526 00:30:13,519 --> 00:30:17,960 released is tested for things like salmonilla, eedback, everything, and 527 00:30:19,519 --> 00:30:22,759 so it's not nothing's released till test come back, which 528 00:30:22,799 --> 00:30:25,160 is part of the reason we've never been involved in 529 00:30:25,200 --> 00:30:28,359 a recall. And one of our biggest line items is 530 00:30:28,400 --> 00:30:32,720 that we continually test our products to make sure nutrient 531 00:30:32,839 --> 00:30:35,480 levels are where they should be, and we don't trust 532 00:30:35,519 --> 00:30:38,359 one lab. We typically send them up to four different 533 00:30:38,400 --> 00:30:42,000 labs and to make sure that everything is exactly where 534 00:30:42,000 --> 00:30:42,559 we want it. 535 00:30:43,039 --> 00:30:47,400 Speaker 2: That's incredible news. For some people, they might want to 536 00:30:47,519 --> 00:30:51,759 use animated food as an maybe as an enhancement or 537 00:30:52,039 --> 00:30:56,119 topper with what they're using. Is that possible and it 538 00:30:56,119 --> 00:31:00,240 could be you know, budget reasons or something, or or 539 00:31:00,400 --> 00:31:03,319 is that going to be helpful or not effective at all? 540 00:31:03,480 --> 00:31:06,279 Speaker 5: Well, the advantage of animate is because we've gone with 541 00:31:06,559 --> 00:31:09,839 optimum levels of the nutrients and vitamins and minerals, adding 542 00:31:09,880 --> 00:31:13,559 it to another complete balanced diet. Certainly, there's nothing wrong 543 00:31:13,599 --> 00:31:15,839 with that. And we actually have a lot of show 544 00:31:15,920 --> 00:31:19,839 people that we use our kibble for treats, right and 545 00:31:20,000 --> 00:31:23,000 you know training treats. I mean, if you're going to 546 00:31:23,079 --> 00:31:25,799 do a training treat, why not use something that's complete 547 00:31:25,799 --> 00:31:30,119 in balance and that contains vitamins and minerals. So that 548 00:31:30,319 --> 00:31:32,960 certainly is an important thing and one of the things 549 00:31:32,960 --> 00:31:34,920 we're going to be doing that Animate is going to 550 00:31:35,000 --> 00:31:38,279 be releasing some exciting new products in the next year 551 00:31:38,640 --> 00:31:42,119 that are going to change what people to give us 552 00:31:42,200 --> 00:31:46,599 more options for people. And I think exciting new things 553 00:31:46,599 --> 00:31:48,960 are about to happen with Animate. 554 00:31:48,960 --> 00:31:51,680 Speaker 2: Oh, well, I'm excited to hear that. Where can people 555 00:31:51,720 --> 00:31:52,960 buy Animate foods? 556 00:31:53,400 --> 00:31:56,599 Speaker 5: Well, actually, the best way is to go to our website, 557 00:31:56,880 --> 00:31:59,680 and on our website we have a dealer locator so 558 00:31:59,720 --> 00:32:05,559 they can find a a dealer near them, or there's 559 00:32:05,640 --> 00:32:09,119 also online options. If they don't have a dealer in 560 00:32:09,160 --> 00:32:11,839 their area and the forst comes the worst, just reach 561 00:32:11,880 --> 00:32:14,640 out to the office. Because one of the interesting things 562 00:32:14,640 --> 00:32:17,559 about Animate is if we actually answer the phone when 563 00:32:17,599 --> 00:32:19,279 you call, what a novel idea? 564 00:32:19,920 --> 00:32:23,039 Speaker 2: That's always nice listeners. You know, we have a page 565 00:32:23,039 --> 00:32:26,359 for every episode and they'll be a link to the website, 566 00:32:26,680 --> 00:32:30,680 but it's Animate dot com. So anna a n NA 567 00:32:30,799 --> 00:32:34,279 and then may m a e T dot com where 568 00:32:34,319 --> 00:32:38,079 you could find out more. Also, Rob, you didn't really 569 00:32:38,119 --> 00:32:41,400 plug your book, but I have to. It's Until the 570 00:32:41,519 --> 00:32:45,559 Last Dog by Rob Downey, and you can find your 571 00:32:45,599 --> 00:32:50,839 book probably gone Amazon and great bookstores all over the country. 572 00:32:51,400 --> 00:32:54,400 Speaker 5: Yeah, it's it's actually just out. It was just released 573 00:32:54,799 --> 00:32:58,079 a couple of weeks ago. We already have over ninety 574 00:32:58,119 --> 00:33:03,319 five star reviews and it's currently available on Amazon and 575 00:33:03,359 --> 00:33:07,480 we're just now starting to put it out secondary ways 576 00:33:07,519 --> 00:33:11,519 and you know, like the you know, independent bookstores. But yeah, 577 00:33:11,519 --> 00:33:15,440 it's really a great read. And you know something you 578 00:33:15,480 --> 00:33:18,039 said we hear all the time is I simply couldn't 579 00:33:18,039 --> 00:33:19,920 put it down And you don't have to be a 580 00:33:19,960 --> 00:33:22,799 dog lover to enjoy it. It's a great inventor. So 581 00:33:22,880 --> 00:33:26,160 if you like Alaska, you like adventure, you like dogs, 582 00:33:26,160 --> 00:33:28,680 it's a great story and you know it brings in 583 00:33:28,680 --> 00:33:33,000 the whole family, like our kids racing in world championships, 584 00:33:33,039 --> 00:33:36,279 whether it be in Spain or in Northern Quebec. It's 585 00:33:36,319 --> 00:33:37,799 a pretty interesting story. 586 00:33:37,880 --> 00:33:42,279 Speaker 2: It's fascinating. What would you leave our audience with if 587 00:33:42,359 --> 00:33:46,240 you could tell them one thing to do to make 588 00:33:46,279 --> 00:33:48,799 their dogs life better? What would you tell them? 589 00:33:49,160 --> 00:33:52,480 Speaker 5: I'm a nutritionist, so feed them, feed them good food. 590 00:33:52,519 --> 00:33:55,440 And the point is, don't get caught up in all 591 00:33:55,440 --> 00:33:59,400 the marketing and the fancy commercials, right, don't hesitate to 592 00:33:59,440 --> 00:34:02,079 reach out to the pet food company and ask them 593 00:34:02,200 --> 00:34:05,319 questions on why they do this or you know, there 594 00:34:05,319 --> 00:34:08,440 are certain things that reading ingredient lists that you know 595 00:34:08,559 --> 00:34:10,599 can help you. And don't be afraid to call out 596 00:34:10,840 --> 00:34:13,280 and ask a pet food company why they do things. 597 00:34:13,599 --> 00:34:16,719 You know, there's so much information now available. Of course, 598 00:34:17,079 --> 00:34:19,760 the other the double edge of that is that a 599 00:34:19,760 --> 00:34:23,639 lot of that information you find online isn't necessarily accurate. 600 00:34:23,719 --> 00:34:27,519 But the bottom line is, our pets are now part 601 00:34:27,559 --> 00:34:30,480 of our family. Ninety five percent of people that own 602 00:34:30,639 --> 00:34:33,440 pets now considering to be a central part of the family, 603 00:34:33,880 --> 00:34:37,079 and so feeding them properly is going to extend their lifespan. 604 00:34:37,679 --> 00:34:40,039 They're going to live healthier lives, which in the long 605 00:34:40,119 --> 00:34:42,480 run is also going to make you healthier because we 606 00:34:42,559 --> 00:34:46,159 all know that pets have such a great positive effect 607 00:34:46,239 --> 00:34:47,360 on our lives as well. 608 00:34:47,679 --> 00:34:50,760 Speaker 2: Absolutely, I want to thank you so much for coming 609 00:34:50,800 --> 00:34:54,000 on Best Bets for Pets and telling us about Animate 610 00:34:54,079 --> 00:34:58,480 Foods and sharing your background with us. So thank you 611 00:34:58,599 --> 00:34:59,119 so much. 612 00:34:59,400 --> 00:35:02,000 Speaker 5: Thank you, Miss Yeah, it's really been an honor and 613 00:35:02,039 --> 00:35:04,880 you do a great job and Pedlife Radio is a 614 00:35:04,920 --> 00:35:07,519 real asset to all pet owners, So thank you so 615 00:35:07,639 --> 00:35:08,440 much for having me. 616 00:35:08,880 --> 00:35:11,239 Speaker 2: Oh, thank you and my honor to have you on. 617 00:35:11,800 --> 00:35:14,519 I hope all of you enjoyed the show. You have 618 00:35:14,639 --> 00:35:17,719 to check out the book Until the Last Dog. It's 619 00:35:17,760 --> 00:35:22,400 a memoir by Rob Downey. The book is incredible and 620 00:35:22,679 --> 00:35:26,480 I would definitely encourage you to check out anime dot com. 621 00:35:26,480 --> 00:35:32,559 Animate Foods fabulous. As you know I'm dog sitting this week, 622 00:35:32,679 --> 00:35:36,079 so I actually have Charlie the dog with me and 623 00:35:36,280 --> 00:35:40,000 I did try to animate cat food and wow. You know, 624 00:35:40,079 --> 00:35:43,400 my cats are not too finicky, but they are particular 625 00:35:43,440 --> 00:35:47,000 and don't like switching. But they really enjoyed the anime food, 626 00:35:47,519 --> 00:35:50,840 so please check that out. So thank you Charlie, my 627 00:35:51,039 --> 00:35:54,159 visiting dog. Then I'm gonna have the pleasure of dog sitting. 628 00:35:54,519 --> 00:35:57,840 Thank you to Mollie, Dennis and Charlotte my cats for 629 00:35:57,960 --> 00:36:01,960 keeping me in check. Thanks ovbsolutely to my guest Rob Donnie, 630 00:36:01,960 --> 00:36:04,440 thank you so much for coming on Best Bets for Pets, 631 00:36:04,719 --> 00:36:08,159 and thanks to the magic of my producer Mark Winter 632 00:36:08,320 --> 00:36:12,880 for working his magic. And last but not least at all, 633 00:36:13,119 --> 00:36:15,960 thank you so much listeners for listening to Best Bets 634 00:36:15,960 --> 00:36:19,920 for Pets. I greatly appreciated, and remember, you never know 635 00:36:20,039 --> 00:36:22,880 what we're gonna have next on Best Bets for Pets. 636 00:36:23,400 --> 00:36:27,960 Speaker 4: Let's talk bets every week on demand only on petlight 637 00:36:28,119 --> 00:36:41,079 Radio dot com.