ASCHAE’s DogBlog

Source: BusinessWire.com, June 5, 2009

Leading organic and natural pet food brand Castor & Pollux has broken the half-million-meal barrier, donating more than 538,000 meals for dogs and cats in shelters in less than a year as the founding sponsor of freekibble.com.

Created to provide healthy food for hungry homeless dogs and cats, freekibble.com commits to raise 10 pieces of kibble for shelters across the country each time a visitor answers a trivia question on the freekibble web site. Castor & Pollux helps fulfill that commitment by donating its ORGANIX® and Natural Ultramix® dog and cat foods. Castor & Pollux provides food to 12 freekibble-sponsored pet shelters across the country, in many cases fulfilling all of the shelter’s food needs.

“For most shelters, finding food is a constant challenge — you never know when a food donation may come in, or what the quality will be when it arrives at your door,” said Jill Franklin, executive director of freekibble beneficiary The Humane Society of Forsythe County, in Georgia. “Now, we have a steady supply of extremely high-quality food, which both adds to the health of the pets in the shelter, and frees us to focus on finding good homes, not finding the next meal.”

Castor & Pollux co-founder and “Top Dog” Shelley Gunton says the relationship with freekibble is a special one.

“We know we’re not the world’s largest pet food company or biggest shelter donor, and we salute everyone who chips in. But with freekibble, we’re part of a bigger-than-life story that started when a young girl from our area had a vision of feeding every dog and cat that’s in a pet shelter,” said Gunton. “We share the value of feeding pets in need, and with freekibble, we’re participating in a meaningful way.”

Freekibble.com was founded last spring by Mimi Ausland, a 12-year-old at the time. Soon after, she founded freekibblekat.com, and has since become a national sensation, recognized as a People Magazine Hero Among Us, national ASPCA Tommy Monahan Kid of the Year, and national Prudential Spirit of Community honoree.

In addition to donating food to support freekibble site “clicks,” Castor & Pollux created GOOD BUDDY® Mimi’s Favorite Mac & Cheese flavor dog cookies, which generate additional meal donations and funding. The bright red boxes can be found at natural grocery and pet specialty stores across the country. Priced at $4.99, the cookies are a great way for dog lovers to treat their pets while donating a meal to shelter dogs; with each purchase, Castor & Pollux donates additional meals and funds to freekibble.

Castor & Pollux Pet Works’ principal business is organic and natural dog and cat foods, featuring the ORGANIX® line, which complies with all USDA National Organic Program regulations applying to ingredients and packaging of organic human food.

About Castor & Pollux Pet Works

Founded in 2000, Clackamas, OR-based Castor & Pollux Pet Works is a passionate, independent, family company that offers a range of organic and natural food, treats and supplies for informed, conscientious pet parents. The company celebrates the love of pets in the family, and is committed to feeding pets in need. Through its Pet & Soul foundation, Castor & Pollux has donated more than $700,000 in food, financial aid and volunteer time to organizations including Guide Dogs for the Blind, Project Pooch, and AniMeals.

Castor & Pollux Pet Works
1-800-875-7518
www.castorpolluxpet.com