Born and raised in Vermillion, AB, Maureen Tate grew up with dogs, and has been a dog owner for most of her life. Growing up in “farming and duck-hunting country”, her family always had lots of dogs. They were always fed a diet ranging from table scraps, meat and bones, to oatmeal, carrots and even berries from the branch. “They were fed such a natural diet,” Maureen explains - a very different one from the kibble and dried food so many dogs are fed today. When she took early retirement from her job in the trust industry in 1995, Maureen became involved in rescue transport, transporting dogs to and from the US. It was then that she got her first Airedale, followed soon after by two more. When she lost all three of her beloved dogs to cancer at a young age, Maureen began researching pet food to try to understand more about animal nutrition. “I realized that the biggest barrier to our dogs’ health was of course the dog food that was commercially made.” Her passion for natural, organic and raw pet food grew, and she started her own company, Paws4Health, in order to sell this type of pet food to the public - in fact, Maureen was the first person to bring fresh, frozen, Canadian-made raw pet food into Nova Scotia, where she now resides.
At the end of 2012, Maureen sold the frozen raw food part of her business and began looking for a different kind of product to sell - one less prone to spoilage. It was in March 2013 that she first spoke with Smack Pet Foods, and Paws4Health began stocking Smack products soon after. “I said yes because I wanted organic, I wanted natural, and I wanted Canadian,” Maureen explains. “I went with Smack and it was probably the very best thing that I’ve ever done. It’s been a great business to carry, and a great food to carry.” When it comes to pet nutrition, Maureen believes strongly in a natural and organic diet, with plenty of variety. “If you’re going to have a dog, you have to treat your dog like you treat your kids. You need to feed them the best that you can.” For Maureen, Smack Pet Foods offers just this. “I like that there is so much flexibility, and for the most part you really don’t have to supplement. It’s an excellent company and an excellent product - I wouldn’t even consider going with any other food.”
As one of Smack Pet Food’s earliest supporters, Maureen’s partnership with the company comes down to shared values and a similar understanding of the importance of good nutrition. “I think the philosophy of Smack is exactly in tune with my philosophy, in treating our dogs and recognizing that all immunity comes from the gut, and it’s what you put in that gut that makes the difference.” When asked what she values most about her partnership with Smack, Maureen is very clear. “The best thing about our relationship was Michael Giller getting in touch with me and the second best thing was my saying yes!”
Read more at https://paws4health.ca/pages/about-us