As the new guest blogger here, I want to make sure I get on the record about Halo’s food superiority (even though I know Halo touched on this before in an earlier blog).

Halo Spot’s Stew is a dog food that deserves all-around praise and one I am using exclusively for my own dogs. I waited over five years to choose a pet food company whose outlook on the world of pets and whose dog food was so much better than any other. I held off on making that decision because I never wanted to have to say “I’m sorry” or be on the defensive about any business practices that came to light later about how a company conducts itself or what they slide into their dog food.

The first thing that attracted me to HALO was the excellence of their ingredients and a solid commitment to not skimping on the high quality while also having transparency about their origin. I learned that the protein content in HALO’s dry food is just about the same as WELLNESS CORE – but there is a gigantic difference. ALL the meat used in HALO foods is “fit for human consumption” (that is, no chicken meal, or other rendered meats). I do not know of any other company using such extraordinarily high quality and really costly basic protein ingredients.

Click over to my original blog on “Why I Chose Halo” for the whole story!

Tracie Hotchner, author of The Dog Bible and The Cat Bible, guest blogs here every Thursday on healthy, natural choices for pets.

A product using “meat by-products” is a good example of a food NOT to give your dog. I have been saying this for years; long before I learned about HALO, Purely for Pets and discovered the high standard they hold themselves to, in only using fit-for-consumption actual meat in their kibble.

It’s why I’ve chosen HALO dry food for my dogs and can rest easy that the ingredients that went into making it were tip-top. “Meat by-products” is an ingredient which may not sound as bad as it really is – and companies using it are depending on your not questioning what it means.

You can learn more on page 443 of my book “The Dog Bible” about how to read a food label. You’ll learn what “crude protein” actually is – and that it does not contain protein as we think of it (the meat itself). You’ll soon figure out to avoid foods with words like “by-product meal” and fats from an unspecified species when a food says “animal fat” (instead of “chicken fat”).

All of these and many more are a signs of inferior dog foods. Don’t be surprised if all the dog foods carried by supermarkets have these ingredients-to-avoid. Don’t be surprised if you find them right on the food you’re feeding now – even when you thought it was a premium brand.

I think a company like HALO sets the bar high, where it needs to be for the health and wellness all of our pets. You get what you pay for: quality ingredients that your dog’s body can really digest and put to good use for energy, skin health, insurance against mediocre (and even unsafe) ingredients and contribute to overall wellness.

Tracie Hotchner, author of The Dog Bible and the Cat Bible, guest blogs here every Thursday on healthy, natural choices for pets.

Shannon Bahrke, a bronze medalist in this year’s Olympic women’s moguls, is also a champion for animals.

Bahrke, founder of the Silver Bean Coffee Company, brewed up a way to help our furry friends with Best Friends Animal Society, America’s largest sanctuary for abused and abandoned pets.

For every bag of Silver Bean’s Best Friends special blend you buy, Best Friends and the animal on the front of your bag of coffee receives $5.

Bahrke tells NBC that her love of animals is one thing people don’t know about her.

“Whether it’s my own kitty cat or somebody else’s dog or fish in a tank, I just love animals,” Shannon said. “And I really have a soft spot about them. I’m going to be the cat lady, that’s what I tell everyone, I’m going to be the cat lady with like 30 cats because I love them all.”

Halo loves to help Best Friends’ furry friends too. We are longtime supporters, and recently donated 3,599 cases – or 43,188 cans – of Spot’s Stew for its 400-plus dogs.

Here is a guest blog from one of our Facebook Fans, Wendy Shekell Dosch. She wanted to share Codi’s story with Halo and our blog readers.

Thank You Halo!!! OUR STORY:

You literally saved my Golden’s life!!

My precious 13 year old Golden is a different dog since eating Halo. In the past she has been diagnosed with chronic UTI, thyroid problems, hip displasia, had her spleen removed, was told she had liver cancer and lymphoma… The list just goes on.

She had been on prescription Science Diet for about 8-10 years. She has been on so many different antibiotics there were few left the vet had not tried. In October of last year she was so weak she could not walk and had to be feed soft food by spoon. My husband and I carried her out to potty.

She started chattering and shaking and was sicker than I’ve ever seen her. She was taking two very strong antibiotics one of which was Batril she was put on Valium and pain meds. Also still giving wet Rx Science Diet. Late October my vet suggested it was time to let her go!!! I was sick, scared and just wasn’t sure I had done everything I could.

SO, that’s when I read about Halo!!! I made the decision the last week of October to take her off all meds except Rimadyl and try feeding her Halo wet food. This is not an exaggeration… I am serious, within four days of feeding her Halo along with Halo supplements she got up for the first time in a month on her own, walked into the kitchen where I was cooking dinner and literally bumped me on the leg and dropped her ball at my feet!!!!!!!

All I could do was get on the floor with her and cry tears of JOY! I am convinced Halo was the main reason she is still with us today. She has not been to the vet since late September of 2009, and is so healthy her hair stopped falling out, her skin isn’t flaking off and she is so happy and absolutely LOVES her Halo Food!!!

Thank You doesn’t even come close to how I feel.
Wendy and Codi

For the second year in a row, everyone’s favorite 100% protein treats took top prize in The Reviewers Choice Awards among dog treats. Halo Spot’s Stew dry dog food also won a Finalist award. As the Buzzillions award site explains, “think of these as the People’s Choice Awards of online shopping” – recognizing the highest-rated products from over 9 million online consumer reviews.

Even though we won for top dog treat – many of our reviews come from cat families, who know that felines can get ferociously addicted to Halo Liv-a-Littles!

As Bettina from Roy, Utah’s Buzzillions review states, “Five stars. Great for either cats or dogs. We purchased these treats for our two Pomeranian’s. It was very interesting to see our very aloof cat come running when we called “chicken” after he got a taste of the treat. It is always fun to see which one of our little ones will get to the kitchen first. ”

Susan D from Illinois explained, “We have three cats who absolutely love this product. It is the only treat our 13-year old diabetic boy can have since it doesn’t contain additives, preservatives or anything else that will raise his blood glucose. He doesn’t mind having his blood sugar tested, he knows his favorite treat will follow.”

That reflects my own experience at home, where our cat Sterling runs to the kitchen when our dog Bert gets his injections – so then they each enjoy a treat.

All Halo treats are made with the highest quality ingredients. Spot’s Stew Dry Dog Food is part of Halo’s Natural Dry Dog Food that is highly digestible, high in protein and quality ingredients, low in carbs and always created with your pet’s entire well-being in mind. Halo never uses chicken meal or other rendered meats.

“This recognition for our pet food is especially important to all of us at Halo because it comes straight from the consumer,” said Steve Marton, CEO of Halo. “Halo wins awards like this only because consumers are demanding great ingredients. Every Halo ingredient is a real, natural ingredient that consumers recognize and understand. Every meat we use can also be sent to make human food products. That’s what consumers are demanding, and that’s what Halo has delivered for over 20 years.”

Click over to our News page to see the Buzzillions reviews and our press release.