This Pet Store Owner Is Only Eating Dog and Cat Food for 30 Days

A Washingston state woman has vowed to stick to pet food diet to demonstrate its nutritious value

By Elizabeth Freda Jul 07, 2014 7:43 PMTags
Dorothy HunterFacebook

Move over, paleo (and low carb and clean eating and Atkins and South Beach—are people still doing South Beach?). There's a new diet sweeping the, well...uh, there's a new diet that at least one woman is doing: Eating dog and cat food.

On June 19, Dorothy Hunter began a 30-day mission to eat her words. Quite literally. She swore to only eat the dog, cat, and bird food she sells at her pet store, Paw's Natural Pet Emporium. Her goal is to prove pets deserve healthy meals just as humans do.

"You really are what you eat and it's the same for your pets," Hunter told the Tri-City Herald last week. "I decided to eat this food for a month just to prove how good it tastes, as well as showcase its nutrition."

Hunter says she carefully selects which brands of food to bring into her store—choosing most brands based on their nutritional value—and some are imported from as far away as Europe. "You won't find empty food in this store," she claims. "No fillers, or animal [byproducts] or preservatives."

Our favorite quote? "In the dry kibble, I really like the Italian brand and the Natural Balance." Yes, like you have a favorite pizza place, she has a favorite brand of dog food to feed herself. This must be a serious mealtime bonding experience between her and her three shih tzus.

Hunter isn't the only one willing to switch up her diet either: Amanda Kempf, who has worked for Hunter for about nine months, says, "My kids love the dog treats as well, and I don't mind them eating those because they are nutritious. They even told their teachers, who then asked me if it was true."

(Just in case you didn't catch that: She's feeding her kids dog treats.)

Overall, Hunter is very pleased with her 30-day lifestyle change. She explains, "I know people think this is crazy, but I can't stress enough how important it is to read labels and see what's in the food you eat—whether it's pet food or human food."

"If [this] enlightens people to the importance of that, then I'll be happy," she concludes.

To keep everyone up to date on her meals, Hunter is posting videos on the Paw's Natural Pet Emporium Facebook page. Meanwhile, we're still wondering how "good" dog food could possibly taste? Like, even the good stuff can't taste that good, right?

Anyway, best of luck to Ms. Hunter, but this diet definitely isn't for us.