The passionate individuals from the pet world leading the Campaign for Real Pet Food:
Joe Inglis
TV vet
Joe, who is best known for his 6 years on the BBC program 'Vets in Practice' as well as his current role as The One Show vet, is the driving force behind the Campaign for Real Pet Food. As well as practicising as a vet in Oxfordshire and working in the media, Joe also runs his own natural pet food company, Pets' Kitchen.
"I set up the campaign because I am passionate about pets and believe they deserve better food - and their owners deserve better information to help them make informed choices.
I hope that we can make a real difference to the pet food industry - and to the health and wellbeing of our pets."
Liz Nuttall and John Rice are passionate about all things organic, and believe that, having benefited from an organic diet themselves, their pets deserved the same quality food. This led them to set up their own organic pet food company, OrganiPets, and join up to the campaign.
"We both believe that just like us, our pets are what they eat, and we should only be feeding them foods that we would be happy to eat ourselves - and for us that means ethical, organic food."
Inga is one of the UK's leading behaviourists, and she understands the importance of diet when it comes to the behaviour of our pets.
"As a pet behaviourist, I have seen a number of cases where pets have been affected by the food that they have been given. Some animals can be sensitive to a variety of ingredients and I feel that it is essential that pet owners are well informed about what is contained in pet food. Transparency of ingredients is essential so that the pet owner can make an informed decision about which food to buy."
Carol Wilcox has always felt that, wherever possible, pets should be offered diets that mimic their natural feeding patterns. This belief led her to join Naturediet Pet Foods in 2002 where she now holds the position of Managing Director.
Many Veterinary Surgeons now believe that poor quality or unnatural diets may be contributing to many of the new diseases affecting dogs today, which is why Carol continues to campaign for clearer labelling and more natural ingredients for all pet food.
“I am pleased to be part of such an important campaign,” says Carol. “I know that pet owners want the best for their animals, but without the correct information this can be difficult to achieve. This campaign is well overdue and it will hopefully improve the health and lives of Britain’s pets and lead to more informative labelling of pet foods.”
After many years in the pet food industry, Helen Booth founded her own company, Feelwell’s, in 2006, because she was so frustrated with the quality of existing treats for dogs. She joined the campaign because of her passion for health pet foods.
“Sharing your life with a pet is a joy and they trust us to provide them with the best care and nutrition to allow them to lead a long, happy & healthy life. It is our responsibility to ensure that we know exactly what we are feeding our pets and to do this we must be able to understand the labelling and ensure that we only choose natural, healthy, wholesome food without any additives, colourings, preservatives or animal derivatives."
Paul Hunter has been in the natural pet food industry for many years, and is a passionate supporter of open and honest labelling and top quality foods - so much so that he's launched his own brands of natural dog and cat food, Barking Heads and Meowing Heads! He aims to provide the very best in nutrition.
“I was horrified the day I found out what was really in my pets food. It was after finding out this information that I decided to make it a life ambition to educate and inform as many pet owners as I can, so they can then also make an informed decision as to what they choose to feed their pets. Being part of the Campaign and having my own brand goes some way towards enabling me to do this.”
Martin has worked in the pet food industry for over 30 years in retail, wholesale, and manufacturing and is very aware of the growing demand for quality, value for money premium products that mirror the criteria set by the Campaign for Real Pet Food. He has been working alongside nutritionists and veterinarians for the past two years with the sole purpose of developing a premium Hypo-Allergenic dog food. This is now known as Collards.
‘I am extremely passionate about supporting the campaign and the positive effect this association will have on Collards and most importantly the benefits that clear labelling and transparency has for dog owners (and of course, dogs!)’
Alan and Rosey have always been great believers in having natural, unadulterated food for themselves and their animals. Several years ago they got the chance to develop and manufacture the UK’s first totally natural complete dog food, an opportunity which they seized with both hands resulting in the formation of the Natural Dog Food Company Ltd and its All in One brand of 100% natural dog food.
“We have been promoting clearer pet food labelling for many years and are delighted to be a part of the campaign. The modern pet food industry has become such a minefield for the un-suspecting pet owner but together with the other campaign members we’ll keep striving to raise awareness so that pet owners can make the right choices for their pets.”
Simon worked in the pet trade for over 15 years before joining TopLife as Brand Manager. Like many other people in the Campaign he was shocked by some of the ingredients used by established household names in pet food. Simon firmly believes that we owe it to our pets to give them the best and the quality of ingredients in pet food. We as pet owners have a responsibility to our pets and should act accordingly.
As an experienced dog trainer, certified behaviourist, and judge on the Animal Planet show 'Top Dog', Carolyn is an expert on pet behaviour and is passionate about the vital role that diet plays in behaviour and training.
"I am passionate about reward-based dog training and have a strong desire to improve life for as many of the nation’s dogs (and owners!) as possible - which is why I think the Campaign for Real Pet Food is so important."