Charlie's Story

You could say the Neighbor story is really the story of Charlie, a lively and playful dog, who started to feel the effects of age, far too early. At just eight-years-old, he started having terrible joint pain that quickly progressed into limiting his ability to even walk. Concerned, his pup parents Paul and Mary took him to the vet where they learned he was suffering from autoimmune health issues.

 

Having first-hand reaped the benefits of a healthy human diet, Paul and Mary set out to help Charlie by learning all they could about the effects nutrition could have on a dog's health. They began to cook his meals at home using simple, fresh ingredients. The positive effects on Charlie's health were almost immediate.

 

Dog park friends and neighbors started to see and remark on, Charlie's improved health and this got his parent's thinking, "If this could work for Charlie, maybe it could work for our friends' dogs too." After multiple trials and experiments, Paul and Mary consulted with veterinarian nutritionist to ensure the health benefits they saw for Charlie could be extended to other pets and together they developed our signature recipes. Those same friends and neighbors started switching their dogs to the home made recipe and the Neighbor Pet Food movement began in the heart of Portland, Oregon. 

 

As the business continued to grow up and out of Paul and Mary's home and outside immediate friends, Paul secured a USDA-certified facility in SE Portland, and hired two well-known, chefs from the Portland human food scene, to lead R&D and kitchen operations. They continue to refine the original recipe based on feedback from our board of veterinarian advisors and we made the commitment to source locally and reuse/recycle packaging to reduce our carbon footprint.

 

 

 

While Charlie has sadly passed, we continue to keep his neighborly spirit alive by baking and delivering thousands of healthy meals to our neighbors and larger community throughout the Pacific Northwest. We are committed to working with independent neighborhood pet stores, local suppliers, and maintaining our local kitchen and delivery hub. We are also committed to giving back to the community we call home—to our neighbors. All of us at Neighbor Pet food have seen and experienced first-hand, the power of animals to heal and connect us. That's why we give a portion of all our proceeds to support animal welfare organizations that help keep people and pets together and those that facilitate the power of animals to support our mental health. 

The Pets of Neighbor Staff

These are just a few of the pets that help us test recipes, provide support while we provide support, greet us when we get home from deliveries, and demand regular walks and half of the bed.