Orijen and Acana, popular pet food brands, bought by Mars Incorporated

What do Mars bars, M&Ms, Skittles, and Royal Canin all have in common?

If you’re puzzled by a possible connection between popular candy brands and dog food — so are many consumers!

And now, beloved Canadian pet food brands Orijen and Acana share a connection to chocolate and candy, too. Why? Mars Incorporated, a global household name known for its namesake chocolate bar, has purchased Champion Pet Foods, the company behind creating some of the best-quality kibble for our Canadian fur friends.

While not a surprise to some, considering Mars owns a lot of well-known pet food brands from Whiskas to Pedigree to Greenies, this acquisition has left many Canadian retailers and pet parents with a bad taste in their mouth (and no, they didn’t taste the kibble!).

The concern is that Mars Petcare, a large corporation, is focused on creating profit for its shareholders, which could, in turn, affect the quality and overall nutrition of the beloved Canadian brands pet parents — and their fur babies — have come to love and trust.

What can concerned pet parents do?

Look for Canadian-owned and Canadian-made pet food, that fully disclose where and how they source their ingredients. Don't be afraid to ask questions to truly understand what's in your pet's food.

Tom&Sawyer, for example, sources all its human-edible ingredients from Canadian restaurant suppliers and cooks food in batches in an open kitchen . Anyone can stop by during the week to see our professionally trained chefs in action. Check out our freshly made, gently cooked recipes for dogs and cats here .

Have questions? Contact us here - we'd love to talk about your pet's food!