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Inside Costco // Supplier Spotlight

cat

courtesy of wellness pet company

Pets and the planet

Wellness Pet Company reaches its goals with sustainability, philanthropy

by Debbie L. Miller

Costco supplier Wellness Pet Company, which manufactures food, treats and supplements for cats and dogs, is committed to partnering with organizations to help people, pets and the environment.

Building a better brand

Wellness Pet Company has roots extending back as far as 1873, when it began as A. Hubbard & Son Bakery in Gloucester, Massachusetts. In 1961, animal nutritionist Jim Scott Sr. bought the company. His son, Jim Scott Jr., took over operations in the 1990s—when he worked with a team of veterinarians, animal nutrition experts and scientists to create pet food made of natural ingredients—and the Wellness Pet brand launched in 1997. The company offers products that include wet and dry dog and cat food, grain-free dental chews and treats.

“Our latest offering, Wellness Good Kitty wet cat food, was crafted with ingredients that support skin, coat, digestive, bone, joint, immune and heart health,” says Dr. Danielle Bernal, global veterinarian with Wellness Pet Company.

More than food

As the products at Wellness Pet Company evolved, so did the company’s sustainability goals. In the last eight years, it has diverted more than 589,000 empty pet food bags from landfills as the first U.S.-based pet food company to partner with recycling company TerraCycle.

TerraCycle collects materials most recyclers won’t accept and creates planters, playground building materials and other products. Wellness Pet Company has set a goal to transition to 100% recyclable packaging by the end of 2025.

Last year, Wellness Pet Company also donated over 100,000 pounds of pet food to shelters and pet fosterers in the U.S.

“We are passionate about crafting natural, proven nutrition for dogs and cats and we understand that our role as an organization, beyond creating delicious and nutritious meals and treats, is critical to enabling a shared life of well-being between people and pets,” says Wellness Pet Company CEO Reed Howlett.


Walking to help

Wellness Pet Company has partnered with Pet Partners—an organization that advocates for the therapy benefits that pets provide to seniors, hospital patients, veterans and children in need—to sponsor a virtual event called World’s Largest Pet Walk on September 23 of this year. The event raises money for Pet Partners’ Therapy Animal Program. For more information, visit petpartners.org.—DLM


Debbie L. Miller is a Brooklyn, New York–based journalist.


Costco Connection: Find a variety of Wellness Pet Company products in Costco warehouses and at Costco.com.

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