"I never forget that my name is quite literally on every
container that leaves our building," says Jeni Boniface, founder
of Aunt Jeni's Home Made. "That's a very strong motivation to
accept no compromise on safety and quality."
"Several other companies started because a well-meaning
owner had a sick pet, discovered the healing power of raw
foods, and then started making it at home for their friends,"
'Aunt' Jeni Boniface says, as she explains the beginnings of
her own petfood company,
Aunt Jeni's
Home Made
, who recently celebrated their ten-year anniversary. "What
makes us different is our educational background; I have
degrees in Animal Science/Nutrition, while most members of my
staff have similar degrees and training."
It's not only the staff's impressive academic backgrounds
that set Aunt Jeni's apart from other similar holistic and
natural companies, but also the quality of their ingredients.
"Our recipes are all based on whole-food ingredients," claims
Boniface.
"What I mean by that is that we use absolutely nothing
synthetic: no vitamin/mineral pre-mix powders; no preservatives
or flavorings, etc. We approach the manufacture of petfood from
the standpoint of the nutritional best interest of the pets we
make it for, rather than from a marketing or business
standpoint."
The company believes strongly that raw food is the best way
to feed companion dogs, cats and ferrets. Boniface continues,
"Because of our academic, scientific background, we are able to
formulate our own complete and balanced recipes as well as
answer any questions customers may have about the recipes,
ingredients, or which is the best selection for their own
pet."
After obtaining a Bachelors degree in Animal Science
(University of Maryland, 1985), Boniface held a series of
positions within the USDA. Then the day came that one of her
dogs fell seriously ill, necessitating a visit to a teaching
vet hospital. This event reminded Boniface that her true
calling lay in working with animals, not numbers, as she puts
it. Soon after that, she received her Masters in Animal
Nutrition Science, where her research with Maned Wolves
resulted in the development of a special diet, later
manufactured by Purina Mills.
Boniface then began doing consulting work for pet owners
whose dogs or cats were facing health issues. "Whenever I
could persuade someone to prepare their own homemade petfood,
the pet would show remarkable improvement," attests Boniface.
"The challenge lay in convincing busy people to cook for their
dogs. I soon realized there was a need for someone to do the
work of preparing the food, and that started me on the road to
manufacturing." With her background training in the
academic/scientific community and her gravitation toward the
world of holistic care, 'Aunt' Jeni Boniface found herself in a
position to combine the best of both worlds into something
special and different - and Aunt Jeni's Home Made was born.
"We continue to grow and expand, adding new products and
finding new ways to manufacture them efficiently," says
Boniface. "Our treat division has experienced the most growth
in the last couple of years, with the addition of a
state-of-the-art custom made dehydrator that has allowed us to
dry a wide range of fruits and meats as healthy, low-fat
snacks." Aunt Jeni's Home Made manufactures products for pets
in 3 categories:
- Frozen Items (complete and balanced diets, and Raw Meaty
Bones);
- Treats; and
- Supplements.
Aunt Jeni's has recently started to branch out into
offering more Raw Meaty Bones from their current product line.
"We currently have Ostrich Necks, Duck Necks/Feet, Chicken
Necks/Feet and Rabbit Legs; and the newly introduced Alligator,
which has been quite popular," says Boniface.
Aunt Jeni's has recently started to branch out into offering
more Raw Meaty Bones from their current product line. "We
currently have Ostrich Necks, Duck Necks/Feet, Chicken
Necks/Feet and Rabbit Legs," explains Boniface. "Last summer we
introduced a new treat made from dehydrated Alligator meat
that's been very popular so far." This year the company will be
adding some new frozen food recipes: Ostrich and maybe Bison or
possibly Duck.
"We like to offer products that are not readily available
elsewhere," continues Boniface.
"We're also phasing in new frozen food packaging, changing
to something more "green" and eco-friendly." Aunt Jeni's
already changed their packaging on their Raw Meaty Bones to
something more user friendly and less breakage-prone, according
to the company. Home Made may also seek greater distribution as
petfood distributors become more adept at distributing frozen
foods properly.
Owning and operating their own manufacturing facility right
outside of Washington D.C., Aunt Jeni's Home Made does no
co-packing or contracting out of the production of their
petfoods and treats to someone else. Their facilities are
regularly inspected by the
FDA
as well as the state's agricultural department, says the
company.
"While this has always been a point of pride with us, it has
become even more important in the wake of the petfood recalls
of a year ago," explains Boniface. "We maintain complete
control over each step in the production process. We have
established one-on-one relationships with our vendors such that
we know exactly where our ingredients originate, and we are
able to inspect -and reject, if necessary-ingredients on
arrival."
Beth Thibodeau, a Home Made staff member had this to say,
"We research all of our suppliers to determine the origin and
growing conditions of all our ingredients. We know that our
customers will demand straight answers to these questions, and
we need to be equipped to provide those."
Aunt Jeni's likes to have complete control over all aspects
of their products, from the selection of ingredients to the
final product. There is less chance of alien ingredients or
tampering when everything is done in-house, the company claims.
"We even do our own microbial testing in-house; that way we
have instant access to the information in the unlikely event we
would ever need to destroy a batch, although that has never
happened," says Thibodeau.
And in the long run, it's all about customer satisfaction
and trust. "I never forget that my name is quite literally on
every container that leaves our building," says Boniface.
"That's a very strong motivation to accept no compromise on
safety and quality."
Read an
Online Extra!
on Aunt Jeni's.