Hi, my name is Catie and my beautiful Jolene, lovingly known as Joey, came into my life unexpectedly March 2013. A good friend had an unexpected litter and I happened to be visiting to catch up and enjoy a few cocktails, nothing more. I sat down and played with the puppies and one just chose me. In that instant I knew I was ready, and this little bundle of border collie love became my first child.
Life flourished and within a year Joey and I moved in with my fiancé. I started a new job working all day so Jolene went to daycare. It seems like she had a great time as she always came back tired and hungry, which was great as it was the only time she showed any interest in the Science Diet I fed her. She was a happy enough dog, but I’ll never forget how bad her breath and poops smelled, and she was always itching!
But then life changed…
Jolene and I left basically the only home she’d ever known. The wedding was called off and we left only man she’d ever lived with. I was living on my own for the first time ever with her and we were both an emotional wreck. I stopped eating. Joey stopped eating. I cried and laid in bed. Joey cried and laid in bed. The only thing she would eat was wet canned Purina food on top of her Science Diet – so that’s what she ate for a year.
Time heals all wounds and slowly Joey and I started to have more sunny days than cloudy. We moved to Austin in attempt to restart our lives. When I registered with a vet I was heartbroken, although not entirely surprised to hear that at 40lbs, Joey had become obese. I cried. I cried right there in the vet’s office. Just like me Joey had been emotionally eating (well I had been emotionally feeding is more like it) way more calories than she needed without enough exercise.
I always had a niggling in the back of my mind that “dog food” was bad, but the vet recommended it so it must be safe and good, right? Joey would sometimes go DAYS without eating dog food and sharing my junk food. To be honest I couldn’t really blame her, that kibble looked and smelled totally unappetizing. But I had numerous friends whose dogs just “weren’t that into food” so just thought that was the case with Joey. The only thing she was keen to eat was whatever junk food I was eating…. So that extra weight we both gained wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon
It seems like fate that we came across The Braw Dog. Sat in our local bar, Joey suddenly showed an out of character interest for a girl and her dog. She’s a friendly dog, but never naturally drawn to strangers. That’s when we met Emma and Bella, and learned of The Braw Dog Fresh Food For Dogs. I immediately said that Joey wasn’t really into food and likely wouldn’t touch it. I also had reservations in my own ability to store and serve fresh food for her every day because I certainly couldn’t accomplish that for myself. And I was terrified of potential poop explosions that Joey often got with new food, and of course I was worried about the additional cost.
That day we got a sample pack to take home, and Joey demolished it. That’s when I realized that Joey did indeed love food, and she’s loved it every day since, for over a year! Within 6 months Joey was back at a lean and healthy 32lbs, having lost nearly 25% of her bodyweight. Her coat is finally healthy and shiny, her breath is fresh and her teeth are noticeably whiter!
The Braw Dog may cost me a little more to feed Joey every day and take a couple of minutes to prepare, but it’s totally worth it, and I’ve already saved money by not having her teeth cleaned this year, because she didn’t need it! She’s been such a constant source of companionship in my life, giving her The Braw Dog is the least I could do for her! Hand on heart, my Jolene will NEVER go back to “dog food”.