President and Co-founder Anthony Bennie, a nutritionist with 17 years in the pet food business, was inspired by the health problems of his own puppy. He explains: “I’m trying to bridge the gap between the two sides of the gulf – people food and pet food.”

While some pet owners will spend more to purchase premium pet foods, the nutritional value of treats is often ignored by shoppers. While parents may limit their children’s consumption of unhealthy foods like candy and chips, pet treats are often not critically evaluated.

“Blackwing’s products come from sustainable, free-range organic ranches and specialized sources that are certified as free of steroids, added hormones, antibiotics and pesticides,” Bennie elaborates. ”And to differentiate us even further, we handle all of the ingredients exactly as they would be handled for human food use – they are kept frozen until processed and then only processed at human food plants rather than pet food plants.”

Blackwing for Pets’ high standards are a direct result of the company’s roots in the food industry:

• Blackwing Meats is a family-owned company that supplies five star restaurants with certified organic meats from free-range ranchers
• The pet treats company was founded when customers began requesting dog bones and treats

Blackwing Five Star Organic Beef and Buffalo Bones, the company’s featured product, is made from organic piedmontese beef and organic buffalo. The product has no toxins, pesticides, hormones or other added chemicals.

The Blackwing website lists several online retailers as well as stores, by state, that carry the product. To show the company’s commitment to consumers, the website introduces the staff, including the safety manager, accounts receivable, transportation specialist and shipping specialist – Bijou, Isis, Tiger and Tucker all appear remarkably canine. A page of photos and testimonials from satisfied doggie customers follows.

To date, the company has relied heavily on word of mouth from industry insiders and specialty retailers. “If you make a great product and give it to family-owned stores and teach them what it’s about, they become your advertising and marketing partners,” says Bennie. “That’s how you market a great product.”  

Bennie further attests to the quality of the product, assuring, “We would eat it ourselves.” Perhaps we humans will pass on that, but Blackwing for Pets is mounting a brand challenge in a dog-eat-bone industry.