A recent Channel 5 documentary, The Truth About Your Dog’s Food, saw pet nutritionists lift the lid on big dog food manufacturers, who they claim are intentionally shortening the life of our beloved pooches by selling products unfit for canine consumption. Meanwhile, the organic and natural dog food industry is exploding, more restaurants and pubs than ever are welcoming dogs, and personalised dog birthday cakes are all the rage. As the doggy dining revolution takes off, we pick our favourite sites for dog-lovers.

ALL ABOUT DOG FOOD
www.allaboutdogfood.co.uk


With so many new dog foods coming to the market, finding the right one for your pet can be a challenge, but allaboutdogfood.co.uk can help. Launched by former pet-industry nutritionist David Jackson, this new site analyses the various dog treats, biscuits and dog meat brands available combining reviews and ratings with useful articles on doggie nutrition, as well as links to your local pet shops and online retailers, so you can find the “best food for your best friend”.

GENTLE DOG FOOD
http://www.gentledogfood.co.uk


A new kid on the dog-food block, Gentle is one of just a handful of cold-pressed dog food companies in the UK. Given a 4.5/5 star rating by whichdogfood.co.uk, it aims to offer dog food that is as close to your dog’s natural diet as possible by cold-pressing fresh ingredients in order to retain more their natural nutrients and extend your dog’s life. Free from gluten, artificial flavours or colourings, preservatives, food colourings or bulking agents, Gentle ensures that your pet eats as well as you do, or perhaps even better.

WILSON’S PET BAKERY
www.wilsonspetbakery.co.uk


It might sound ridiculous, but the dog birthday cake industry is booming in Britain, and the madness doesn’t end there. At Wilson’s Pet Bakery, you can order all manner of hand-baked cakes, cookies and confectionary for your darling dog, all made from natural, wholesome and top-quality ingredients that are safe for consumption by your favourite pet. Dog birthday cakes can be personalised and the Pick and Mix selection is apparently particularly popular for dog parties… yes, it really is a dog’s life.

DOGGIE PUBS
www.doggiepubs.org.uk


This excellent website is a non-commercial enterprise, driven purely by the desire to connect dog-loving owners with dog-friendly pubs. Extending across the UK, Doggie Pubs is an attractively designed website featuring over 5000 establishments that welcome dog-lovers and their four-legged friends. Each listing comes with a short review and may be reviewed by other dog-owners too. Watch out for the icons, which tell you if the pub serves no food, award-winning food, stunningly good food, adventurous food or basic food and if it also operates as a B&B.

NATURE’S MENU
www.naturesmenu.co.uk


There has been much press recently about how highly processed meat, biscuits and treats are bad for your dog’s health. It’s something Nature’s Menu has been saying for years. A leading expert in natural and raw dog and cat foods, this well-established company offers gently steam-cooked cans and pouches that are free from sugars, artificial colours, flavourings, preservatives and meat derivatives to help you give your pet a healthy diet that is as close what nature would provide as possible.

LILY’S KITCHEN
www.lilyskitchen.co.uk


This popular pet food specialist offers a top notch range of natural and organic options for your dear mutt, offering wholesome, nourishing ingredients that it says will help pets to build a strong immune system and fight disease. Found in all good pet shops, Lily’s Kitchen products are unique in the word – it is the first company to produce and launch grain-free and meal-free foods and only uses 100% fresh meat in all its recipes.

Emily Jenkinson

March 2014