You may recall the one about Old Mother Hubbard, who visited the baker, the butcher, and the alehouse for snacks to please her foodie dog. Portland Pet Food Company has taken this idea and run with it, creating handmade food and treats sourced from local suppliers, including spent grain from Coalition Brewing and Ground Breaker Brewing, human-grade cuts of meat from SP Provisions, and flour from Bob’s Red Mill.                                          

Founder Katie McCarron spun a background in nutrition and experience cooking for her aging dog, Rosie, into a national company, working with the Oregon Food Innovation Center to develop a sustainable line of products, including gluten-free biscuits and camping-friendly meal pouches. This year the company plans to launch two new flavors and is eyeing an expansion into Whole Foods.

Rosie, a standard poodle, made it to a ripe 16. “I saw what a natural diet with high-quality meats and vegetables could do for a dog, and I decided other dogs could benefit from this, too,” McCarron says.

“I have to laugh—my mom would always sneak food to the dog under the table, and I’d tell her, ‘Don’t feed the dogs!’ Here I am making human-grade dog food.”