TULSA -- An idea to improve the health of pets and prolong their lives led one woman in Green Country to launch her own line of pet food products.
Lien Alsup started PetsWell Pantry in 2015 because she wanted what was best for her own two dogs, and she found that they enjoyed the fresh, organic meals she made for them in the kitchen.
"Our pets are apart of our family, and, just like humans, nutrition is from the inside out," Alsup said. "If you want them to live a long, healthy, precious life, include fresh food into their daily diet."
Alsup enrolled in the kitchen startup program run by the Lobeck Taylor Family Foundation called Kitchen 66 so that she could get her business up and running. She now uses the program's commercial kitchen to whip up fresh batches of the various pet products she makes.
"We handcraft fresh pet products from scratch here at Kitchen 66 with health and safety in mind for our four-legged foodies," Alsup said.
The various products that she makes include fresh meats, vegetables and grains. "Our motto is 40 percent premium protein, 40 percent organic vegetables and then 20 percent of an organic carb, like a brown rice or a sweet potato," Alsup explained.
Despite having dedicated pet parents as some of her most loyal customers, she admits that the concept has been slow to catch on. She said she got a pet food truck to try and spread the word locally about her business.
"There is never a boring moment," Alsup said. "I say to myself, 'God, I love my job.' I love it, and it's not work to me."
She said she would like to expand her line so that PetsWell Pantry products will be in stores across the country.
"When people hear PetsWell Pantry in Tulsa, they're going to know that we provide fresh, wholesome pet food," she said. "We want to provide it to everyone, not just Tulsa pets, but pets nationwide."
To find out more about PetsWell Pantry and to see what kinds of products are for sale, follow this link.
