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If you clicked over to this blog post, then it's probably because you've heard the news about Answers Pet Food, and you're wondering what you should do next. You're reading this and wondering, “What's happening with Answers? – here's an update. Or your wondering what happened to Kure Pet Food.
Answers Pet Food Executives Resign
In May 2021, the fresh food community learned that the brilliant founders of Answers Pet Food, Jacqueline Hill and Roxanne Stone, left the company, followed by the Science Director and Face of Answers Pet Food, Billy Hoekman, and their on-staff veterinarian, Dr. Doug Knueven.
Pet parents and loyal customers of this epic brand had a total meltdown on social media as people shared their thoughts about the news and questioned the future of a much-beloved and respected raw food brand.
Although I've done a couple of Lives sharing initial thoughts, I have been holding out for more information (shared below) before publishing my thoughts on my blog.
Memo from Answers Pet Food, May 2, 2021
Memo to ANSWERS™ Pet Food Business Partners, Distributors, Retail Stores, & Pet Owners (click here for memo)
Dear Associates,
My name is Keith Hill, and I am President and CEO of Lystn, LLC d.b.a./ANSWERS™ Pet Food. While I am encouraged that our company continues to make life changing differences in pets’ lives, I am also dismayed that disparaging misinformation has been spread to employees/workers and some suppliers, and now the perpetuation of the false narratives to our distributors, retail partners and pet owners.
Many of you know and associate with my wife, Jacqueline Hill as well as other employees of the company on a routine basis with less familiarity of me because I work behind the scenes and am not directly involved in sales and marketing. Please understand that ANSWERS™ Pet Food is a family owned company started with a group of passionate, individually talented, likeminded individuals coming together with the idea to change the pet food industry and pets’ lives. I am proud to say that for nearly twelve years we have accomplished this goal as a symbiotic unit expanding on the ideas of fermentation, raw, high quality sourced ingredients, integrating environmentally friendly practices, and challenging the FDA to ensure the choice of healthy, truly raw products for all our pets. Unfortunately, personal, private matters, including the separation of Jacqueline and myself, have contributed to discord among the family
and owners. Let me assure you that ANSWERS™ Pet Food remains committed to its core values, but in order for the company to continue to move forward with its mission, it is now necessary to bring clarity to the questions raised by these false narratives.Foremost, Jacqueline and Roxanne are not being forced out of the company or being removed from leadership roles in the company. Jacqueline and Roxanne have requested voluntary transfer (sell out) of their ownership which triggers contractual legal obligations. They have also decided to resign as employees and officers of the company. ANSWERS™ Pet Food has policies and practices in-place to protect all classes of our employees and owners. From what I have seen, it appears some individuals have been engaging in the spread of misinformation, what I believe are inappropriate threats and demands and intentional disparagement of the company. While I believe most people are good and try to demonstrate, act in support of and fight for what they believe is justice, it is disappointing when such well-intended efforts actually cause more harm, making these supporters unknowingly complicit.
Yes, ANSWERS™ is experiencing shortages in supply of our products for reasons including COVID 19 and shortages of labor and raw material matters. However, the company is financially sound, and the inventory shortages are also due to growing demand for our products. Although Jacqueline and I are struggling through a divorce, the company will continue to manufacture and sell our wonderful products. I am respectfully requesting that everyone please respect our family’s privacy in this matter.
I implore you not to rush to judgement. I hope you will stand with the company as you have always done in the past.
With sincere gratitude and appreciation,
Source: Answers Pet Food
Keith A. Hill
President & CEO
Facebook Statement by Answers Pet Food
Valued customers,
We appreciate your patience as we are working to answer your questions. We will be updating this post with the latest information as it arises, and we welcome you to visit the links below for the most up-to-date information:
Q&A: Sourcing and other concerns: https://bit.ly/3nPf04p
Memo addressing recent events: https://bit.ly/3tonQr1
Our commitment to transparency remains, and we are working to provide answers and updates as much as possible.
Source: Answers Pet Food Facebook Page
Statement from Jacqueline Hill and Roxanne Stone
It is with a very heavy heart that we announce our resignation from Answers Pet Food.
We leave the company with a heartfelt gratefulness to all the incredible, dedicated, conscientious, passionate humans and their animal companions that made this venture and upward movement in the raw pet food industry possible.
We sincerely appreciate the support, education, and commitment from all those involved in bringing nutrient dense, functional, beneficial, raw foods to our companion animals. We further send our appreciation to the devoted, hardworking farmers and tireless volunteers who collaborate and advocate for raw foods for our companion animals. We continue to be filled with the passion and desire to help animals and their caretakers and we look forward to the possibilities the future may bring. We appreciate the patience and consideration that all our amazing customers, retailers, veterinarians, and distributors have afforded us at this difficult time.
Gratefully,
Jacqueline Hill and Roxanne Stone
Source: Truth About Pet Food
My Thoughts on Answers Pet Food
2020 changed my life because I repeatedly saw people react to the news, burning up social media while burning down communities, only to learn that they jumped the gun. Social media keyboard warriors aren't a new phenomenon – however, last year, the United Association of Keyboard Warriors and Trolls must have hosted a job fair because, suddenly, everyone had lost their minds and forgotten about the very real human beings they're attacking online.
With that in mind, I want to be fair to all parties involved with the changes at Answers Pet Food:
- Jacqueline Hill, Roxanne Stone, Billy Hoekman, and Dr. Doug Knueven are no longer affiliated with Answers Pet Food.
- There are shortages due to COVID; I know this firsthand because it takes longer for me to get my orders for their fermented chicken feet, and a couple of other items have been on backorder.
- Keith is now in charge of operations.
That's it.
There are a lot of rumors and speculations going around, but I don't think that we will know the whole story until every party shares their perspective on events. The information I've received so far can have many explanations and since I'm not privy to the discussions that were held prior to Billy's April 30th announcement, I won't pretend like I know what is happening nor will I condemn anyone.
And, frankly, most of the things I'm reading are none of my business. I'm only concerned about which products will go away, what changes will be made to ingredients and sourcing, and how those changes will impact the food.
That's it.
Alternatives to Answers Pet Food
When I heard the news about Answers Pet Food, I headed to five pet stores in my area and stocked up on fermented fish stock, cow kefir, and fermented chicken feet. I also purchased a couple of cases of the detailed formula for my dogs. And I place an even larger order through my local raw food co-op. My freezers are going to look like an advertisement for Answers Pet Food by the time I'm done.
But why stock up?
I have so many questions about the direction of Answers Pet Food, so I've decided to hold off on purchasing their products after today because I'm waiting to hear more about the company's changes. In the meantime, I'll continue DIY raw feeding along with feeding other raw food brands.
To all pet owners that have purchased the List, Answers Pet Food has been removed from the 2021 List. This is due to verification of ingredients – all verification was provided by Roxanne Stone who has resigned, thus making the verification null and void towards products manufactured after the resignation. It is unknown at this time if the brand will be questioned for consideration in the 2022 List.
Source: Truth About Pet Food
Alternatives to Answers Pet Food
To be honest, I don't believe that there are apples-to-apples alternatives to this amazing brand. The beauty of Answers Pet Food, besides the people and the farms, is the fermentation, and right now, I don't know of any brands that are fermenting their foods.
But there are a lot of amazing brands that I do trust for my dog (in no particular order):
- Darwin's Natural Pet Products
- Solutions Pet Products (recommended)
- BJ's Raw Pet Food
- Vibrant K9 (Southern CA only)
- Raw Bistro
- Raw Paws Pet Food
- Wild Coast Raw
- Natural Pet Pantry (Seattle area only)
- Raw Feeding Miami*
- Small Batch
- The Bones ‘n Co Pet Foods*
- OC Raw
- Viva Raw
- We Feed Raw
* Raw Feeding Miami offers great variety, and if you have been contemplating DIY raw feeding, this is a great place to start. I've never fed The Bones and Co to my dogs, but I've heard NOTHING but great things about the brand. Solutions Pet Products is your best option if you want something similar (or superior) to Answers Pet Food.
This is NOT an exclusive list. There are many other great raw food brands, but these came to mind immediately and were mentioned when people were looking for alternatives. So, if a brand isn't on my list, please know that this doesn't mean that the brand has any flaws. This is a personal blog, so I stick with what I know and what I'm doing for my dogs.
What About Dogs that NEED Answers Pet Food?
If you're raising a dog that is currently thriving on one of the Answers Pet Food diet protocols, all is not lost. If you don't plan to continue feeding Answers Pet Food, this is a fantastic time to start educating yourself on how to meet your dogs' health and nutritional needs through another brand or DIY.
The best place to start is with a veterinarian who can help you formulate a diet with your dog's health needs in mind.
If DIY isn't your jam, not a problem. Contact the raw food brands in your area and speak with them about better addressing your dog's health concerns through their diet. I know that many of the brands I listed above will help pet parents create a diet using the brand's food, treats, and supplements, OR they'll help you find a brand that will work for your dog.
Be patient because raw food brands are usually small companies with limited staff, and I bet many are being hit up with inquiries from pet parents around the US right now.
My Final Thoughts on Answers Pet Food
I was blown away by the response but not surprised. We're learning two things from the news about Answers Pet Food:
1 – Answers Pet Food has significantly impacted people's lives and their pets' lives. I've heard so many stories of very sick dogs, a few on the brink of death, and Answers saved them. I can't think of any other raw food brands that would receive this kind of response after announcing a similar change.
2 – People quickly go to the dark side when dealing with stressful news. I'm blown away by the nasty and cruel statements being posted with glee on social media. This is a stressful time for all involved.
Update on Our Experience with Answers Pet Food
The summer following the changes at Answers Pet Food, my dogs would no longer eat their food. I don't know why. I donated the food I had left to a local rescue.
I continued feeding the fermented fish stock, kefir, turkey stock, and chicken feet. And eventually changed to Kure Pet Food, a company founded by farmers that used to work with Answers, and later Solutions Pet Products, after Kure was shut down due to a lawsuit brought by Answers.
I purchased Answers Pet Food products since I stocked up in 2021. I don't know if their ingredients or formulation has changed.
In 2022, Jacqueline Hill, co-founder of Answers Pet Food, passed away. Her passion for animals, nutrition, and innovation will be missed.
Kure Pet Foods is coming soon. It’s a company by the original founders of Answers in partnership with the farmers that used to work with Answers, so I’m hoping that we’ll be able to at least start getting raw goat’s milk, kefir, and fermented fish stock in the fall (2021).
Maybe that’s what’s wrong with my dog. His poop is terrible, and he’s been waking me up at 3 and 4 in the morning to go out. There’s a lot of mucus and it’s runny, but according to the vet, he’s fine healthwise. I’ve also notice that his cartons of goat’s milk aren’t airtight any longer. If you shake it before opening it for the first time, milk goes flying everywhere. I’m going to switch to a diff brand and see if that helps. That milk saved us when nothing else would help his sensitive stomach. If nobody else ferments their product, I’m not sure if it will work. This is terrible!
Thanks for the update, Lisa. I’m going to go out and buy a carton of fish stock this weekend to see if I can see the same difference. Because we all know that smell and if it doesn’t have that strong smell, then it’s a different product. It may still be great, but I would appreciate if a brand came out and said something about it before we notice.
Over the last few weeks of purchasing Answers 4# detailed cartons of beef and chicken I’ve noticed these proteins are very dry and the beef has an awful smell. There is definitely a difference from what I’ve been used to purchasing over the last seven years. I stocked up on the cows milk, kefir and fish stock when I first heard the news of Jacqueline and Roxanne leaving so I haven’t had to purchase any of those recently. I did hear from a friend of mine stating her current purchase of the fish stock didn’t seem the same as it had no odor and we all know the fish stock has a terrible odor and the dogs love it. Something definitely is going on. When the Answers Facebook page no longer lets anyone comment on their post that raises a red flag too. Sad but I see this company heading in downward spiral. I started to purchase Small Batch to feed my two dogs. I also plan on trying Darwin’s and Bones and Co.
Damn this is bad bad bad news. Your comments are perfectly reasonable and many people are asking the same questions. It’s things like this that make people distrust a company and I wonder if they realize this (or even care). Damn. Well, thanks for sharing the details. So many people have been so nasty so I expect them to be blocked, but if they’re blocking anyone who questions the direction of the company then how can they expect people to buy their food or trust that nothing will change? This is bad.
Sadly though, answers pet food has blocked many of us from commenting on any of their posts on Facebook. To me, that is a RED FLAG. I did not say anything nasty, I simply had said I hope nothing changes as my dogs thrive on their food and it is the only thing that really works. I said I always get nervous on ownership changes because despite claims things won’t change, the always do and I hope that isn’t the case here. For that, I am prevented from posting on their FB page? It wasn’t threatening or aggressive, just a worried pet owner whose dogs’ lives were essentially saved by this food. So much for their promise of transparency when they are already preventing us from commenting on their FB page now!
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. Personally, I’m not a fan of brands that use HPP on their poultry products. I know that some think that it’s healthier/safer and I recognize that it’s a great food for many dogs, but I can’t get past the HPP process simply because it takes away from the reason I feed raw in the first place. That’s why I don’t openly recommend them or similar brands on my blog. Living enzymes in our dogs’ food is important, IMO.
Now, be honest, were you blocked for your questions or HOW you asked your questions? I get a lot of legit questions too, but sometimes people can say them in a way that is so hurtful and I’ve decided that life is too short and I block/ban them. Like this guy who repeatedly asked me if I was paid to promote certain raw food brands. No matter how many times I said “no,” he kept asking his legit question. It was insulting and it became clear that no matter what I said he wasn’t going to believe me so I banned him.
As long as Answers Pet Food works for my dogs, then I’m continue buying the food. Rodrigo and Scout are doing great on their food But if this changes, then I stop buying.
Primal raw is excellent dog food too. I never trusted Answers 100% as I was blocked from their page when I asked legit questions on protocols.
Check out the section below “Alternatives to Answers Pet Food” – that is where I quote Susan Thixton and link to her website as well as The List.
Thanks!!!
If people want a list that has been researched, I buy the following list each year for myself. https://truthaboutpetfood.com/the-list/
I do not receive anything from promoting this list, I just have bought it since 2016 and trust the work she does to compile the list. I rawfeed but with the uncertainty of the world and having dogs that sometimes do not do okay on raw, I feel that it is worth it.
Thank you so much for being a voice of reason in a very stressful situation! I am new to Answers, having just transitioned from a different commercial raw food in February. I found and read your blog about three years ago when I was just starting to research raw feeding. You were helpful then and very helpful now. My 7 year old Boston, Rowdy, had a seizure on December 27th 2020 and another one on March 4th. I’ve been reading as much as I can find to give him his best life possible holistically for as long as I can. Thanks again and I will continue to follow your offerings.