Born in Ontario, Canada, I grew up with a deep love for animals. I had two dogs in my family growing up. A German Shepherd named Diamond and a Golden Retriever named Kasey.

I quickly learned from Diamond and Kasey just what a special bond humans and dogs can share. They are always happy to see you. They are always there when you need a shoulder to lean on. They are extremely empathetic and never judgmental. You can tell them your biggest fears, mistakes and failures. They are amazing at keeping secrets. They are always there to protect you and lick your tears when you cry. They truly are your best friend.When I was twelve years old, I attended a summer horseback riding camp where I fell in love with horses. I developed special bonds with the horses as we learned to trust each other. I felt like I could be myself around the horses. I didn’t grow up in a wealthy family, so to pay for my riding lessons; I accepted a job working at the stable every Saturday. It was hard grunt work mucking stalls and taking care of the horses, but it was a labor of love. I continued to ride horses throughout high school and loved it so much that I went on to complete my college degree in Equine Studies.After college, I decided that it was time to get a dog of my own. I lived in a small apartment at the time, so it only made sense to get a small dog. I ended up not only bringing home a small dog, but a tiny dog. A baby Chihuahua that only weighed one pound… Sophie.If you’ve never trained a Chihuahua before, let me tell you that it’s much different than training a big German Shepherd or Golden Retriever. They are extremely stubborn, especially when it comes to house training. Treats quickly became a regular part of Sophie’s training routine. Rewarding her for good behavior (especially when she went potty outside) was important and it strengthened our bond together.I wanted Sophie to live a long, healthy life. Feeding her healthy food that would prolong her life was important to me. I found it difficult to find dog treats that didn’t contain glycerin, preservatives or other ingredients that I couldn’t pronounce. When I did find treats with healthy ingredients, it seemed like they were all dry, brittle, crumbly, burnt and contained sharp edges. So I decided to make something more realistic.In 2014 I moved to Southern California. I was working in the car business (a little different kind of horsepower.) I was working twelve to fifteen hour days and I was tired of the rat race. I was tired of the same routine everyday: Get up, go to work, come home, go to bed, repeat. I was living in a beautiful house overlooking the ocean in Laguna Beach, but I was never home to enjoy it. Even worse, I felt like I never saw my husband Kurt or my best friend, Sophie. I knew that things had to change, so we started True Pet Kitchens; a company for animal lovers, by animal lovers.I’ve always believed that how you do anything is how you do everything. Everything we do at True Pet Kitchens is built around quality, from the ingredients we use to the love that goes into everything we make. We make all of our treats by hand, in small batches, not in big factories or plants. We also make sure that all of the ingredients we use are sourced in the USA and approved by the USDA. No feed-grade ingredients, by-products, fillers or preservatives are ever used. True Pet Kitchens gives pet owners a way to connect with their pet and create happy memories. Pets are family.