IRVINE, Calif. — JustFoodForDogs (JFFD), a fresh pet food company offering whole-food, minimally processed products, announced Jan. 16 it has allocated $1 million to help fund animal nutrition research.

The company has also commissioned a research advisory board to guide the research JFFD will fund with the grant. The advisory board consists of 12 veterinary professionals, of which eight are board-certified specialists, according to JFFD.

Members of the board include:

  • Dr. Colleen Tansey Baldwin, DVM, DACVIM (Oncology)
  • Dr. Ashtri Bonaparte, DVM, DACVIM
  • Dr. Emilie Chaplow, VMD, DACVIM
  • Dr. Mickila Collins, DVM, DACVIM
  • Dr. Adam Davis, DVM
  • Dr. Sara Fiocchi, DVM, DACVIM (Oncology)
  • Dr. Michael Geist, DVM, DACVIM
  • Dr. Trina Hazzah, DVM, DACVIM (Oncology)
  • Dr. Mary Sebzda, DVM, DACT (Reproduction)
  • Dr. Julie Stegemen, DVM, DACVIM
  • Dr. Vanessa Teresi, DVM
  • Dr. Matthew Wheaton, DVM

“From the very beginning, it was never enough to simply sell dog food. We are truly in it to help make the pet population healthier. In order to achieve this, you need to invest considerably in research and ask the right questions,” says Dr. Oscar E. Chavez, BVetMed, MRCVS [Member of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons], MBA, chief medical officer of JFFD.

Chavez helped organize JFFD’s feeding trails at California State Polytechnic University in Pomona, where he was the director of the Animal and Veterinary Science department from 2010 to 2013 and continues to teach as a professor.

In 2019, JFFD funded two pieces of pet nutrition research and published a study on digestibility in a peer-reviewed journal, Translational Animal Science. The company plans to publish another digestibility study in the journal in 2020.

“We’ve come a long way as a company, and the founding of this advisory board is evidence of that fact. When we first launched the company in 2010, some vets were unsure about recommending us as we were new. Now, with three published papers under our belts and very robust research planned for the future, vets have no problem not only recommending us, but partnering with us,” said Shawn Buckley, founder of JFFD.

JFFD will focus on funding canine nutrition research with this grant. Dr. Dan Su, MS, DVM, staff nutritionist, will lead JFFD’s ongoing research initiatives in 2020.

Stay up to date on news about the pet food processing industry on our News page.