Soul Touched by Dogs

Welcome to the Soul Touched by Dogs
Podcast, the show for dog lovers who

see dogs not as toys or tools, but
wise souls worth our respect and care.

I'm an Herrmann, and I'm your host.

I talk to poor some humans, people who
do great work for dogs and their people.

So come and join us for
today's conversation.

Anke: Hello and welcome Tony.

I'm delighted to have you here.

Toni: Hi Anka.

Thanks for having me.

Anke: Well, I always ask, and I
have to ask you as well, where in

this lovely world are you based
and what's your business with dogs?

Toni: Sure.

So I live in Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania, in the United States.

And um, I, my life with dogs is very long.

Um, yeah, it's very long and I think we
all can, we both can agree that our, our

dogs kind of guide us throughout life.

I feel like.

So Cool.

So yeah.

So, um, but currently I have a podcast
called Tony Unleashed, and it is about,

um, natural remedies to common ailments.

In pets, in dogs and cats.

So I'm very holistically minded
and, um, I feed my dogs raw food

and, um, I really just try to spread
that message as much as I can.

So that's kind of what I'm, that's
basically what I'm doing right now.

Anke: I love that.

I love that because I think.

For, for some weird reason,
there still needs to be quite

a bit of education around that.

Yeah.

Topic there.

Right.

So I know when I started looking, when
I started reading the labels was when my

first dog just stumbled into my life and
the kibble that I was, that the vet told

me I needed, like I wasn't allowed, I
was not to feed him anything else other

than the expensive kibble they sold.

You know, and he had skin issues and,
you know, he kind of wasn't a good agent.

Like something didn't add up.

So, you know, that was what made me
look, you know, and I came across the

seaboard where somebody said, well
actually tip number one, read the labels

and you'll never feed that crap again.

So that's kind of what, what made
me look into the direction of,

okay, kibble isn't the answer.

You know?

What was it for you?

Toni: So literally 25 years ago, I
was walking into a grooming shop,

and as I walked into the grooming
grooming shop, I witnessed the groomer

handing her dogs raw chicken legs.

And I am not a very shy person.

And I said, what are you doing?

You cannot give your dogs raw
chicken, let alone chicken bones.

Those are the legs.

You're gonna kill your dogs.

And she said, no, I'm not.

She said, I feed raw food.

This is how they, this is
biologically appropriate to them.

This is how they would
naturally eat in the wild.

Kibble is manmade and highly processed,
and literally a light bulb went on in

my head and we talked for a while, and
then she recommended a couple of books.

And this was 25 years ago.

So I went straight to the bookstore
and I, I bought the books.

And read the books.

And then my dog at the
time, her name was Meg.

She was eating Purina one, and
that's what the shelter was

feeding when I adopted her.

So I just kept on feeding her
Purina one, and as soon as I read

those books, one of which is Dr.

Ian Billinghurst.

Give your dog a bone.

It's a fantastic book that I highly
recommend, but, um, I literally cold

turkeyed her from Purina one to Raw Food
the next day and we never looked back.

And she, the, the crazy thing is Anka
is she had zero digestive upset from

going cold Turkey from kibble to raw.

So, um, and then she didn't really
have any issues like health issues.

Fortunately, she was a pretty healthy dog.

But she still changed.

Like her coat became softer
and thicker and fuller.

Her eyes were brighter, her teeth
were cleaner, her breath was fresher.

She poops less, she drinks less water.

She, I mean, there were just so many
changes in her that it was just, uh.

It, it just creates a different animal.

So, um, so that was Meg.

And the weird thing was too, where I
was living at the time with Meg, there

was a small little pet food store.

Really close to my house.

So when I would walk, Meg, uh, we'd
stop in, but they didn't carry raw food.

They carried natural foods like
grain-free kibble and better selections.

So, but I'd stop in and they'd give her a
treat and I'd buy some treats and things,

and you know how, you know how that goes.

And you just get to know each other.

It becomes like a, you
know, like a family almost.

So, um.

So the owners one day said to me,
I'm, we're thinking about moving to

Florida and we wanna sell the business.

Yeah.

So, yeah.

So, um, so prior to, and I was pet sitting
at the time, so I had my, I'D had my own

pet sitting business for about eight years
and I was getting to the end of that.

I was really burning myself out
and prior to PET sitting, I have an

extensive retail management background.

Yeah, that's made in heaven, right?

So, um, so that's kind of, so I bought
the store, um, and that was one location

that was a thousand square feet.

I moved it six months after I bought it.

I doubled my square footage, which
allowed me to bring my first freezer in.

And then, so that was in 2008.

And then 2011 I opened a second location,
um, because I had people coming from all,

like very far distances because I, I mean,
I had a lot big selection of raw food.

So then, um, I opened a third location in
2019 and then a fourth location in 2022.

So, um, I really built and grew
the raw food market, um, and I.

You know, that really has helped
a lot of pets in the area.

Helped a, a lot of education in the area.

And then, um, in like 2021, I'm like, I
feel like this message needs to go further

than just Pittsburgh and I, and that's why
that's, that's how the podcast came to be.

Anke: Wow.

Wow.

I love that.

I love that.

I mean, you know, it, it
makes so much sense to me.

You know, and it's interesting
that you saw that, you

mentioned the, the cold Turkey.

I actually had somebody on the show not
long ago, and she was basically saying,

well, yeah, why wouldn't you go cold?

Like, you know, if you like the
moment, it's almost like if you.

Nothing but hamburgers all your life.

And all of a sudden you realize that
that's actually not very good for you.

You're gonna start eating better
food, but you're not gonna kind

of gently ease in for a month.

You know, like, right.

You know?

So like, yeah, no, you're gonna eat better
food and your body's gonna be grateful.

You know?

It's really, because I
think it's one of those, um.

This idea that people always
have kib, then you kind of

have to kind of transition.

Is that, is would, in any
case, would be situations when.

You

Toni: do have to transition
from kibble to kibble.

But the crazy thing is when you
are a raw feeder, you do not

have to transition with raw food.

So my dogs eat different brands, different
proteins from morning to night even,

and they have no issues whatsoever.

So I feel like that speaks volumes.

Anke: Yeah.

You know what I mean?

So what do you think?

Like what do you think, uh, why, why are
you sort of KIPP still hanging in there?

I, I get the sense, and I don't know,
like it's my personal perception that

more people become aware of, you know,
Hey, this isn't the best thing to feed,

you know, but it, it's still the common
thing, like dog food is a, is on a

shelf in a supermarket kind of thing.

And if you're lucky, it's, uh, it's
a more expensive kibble at the vets.

But, so this idea of
there's still this like.

Is this a good idea?

You know, that's even
still a question, right?

So what, what's your theory on that?

Toni: So my theory on that's,
that's a great question.

Um, my theory on that is as much
as I want kibble to completely go

away, I think it's an unrealistic, I.

Idea because of mostly cost and
marketing, we and the veterinary

industry, the veterinary industry really
pushes, pushes, pushes the kibble.

And even not just even their prescription
based kibble, they really push it

because, you know, their, their phrase
is, well, it's been scientifically tested.

We've, we've got the data to back it.

Well, the data is from the companies
that make it, or the pharmaceutical

companies that own the kibble.

Companies that own the vets that own.

So it's just this convoluted message.

Right?

Yeah.

So, and then from a cost
perspective, I mean, it is more

expensive to feed raw food.

Anke: True, but I, I must
say, I've always had a says.

It's been literally almost like
to the, the week, 20 years since

my first dog came into my life.

And I can honestly say what I spent
more on, on food I safe in bed costs.

Toni: Yes, I 100%.

'cause I

Anke: literally, like, when I look
at the kind of health issues that my

dogs have is like nothing, you know,
to the kind of health issues that

dogs have, who I know are basically.

Get kibble and stuff.

So I, I don't really think that kibble
is more cost effective if you really take

everything into account in the moment,
it's cheaper and maybe convenience.

But then you were saying freezer, so
you know, like, 'cause maybe not, so not

everybody, not everybody wants to like
chop the head off a chicken every day.

You know, like it's, and
not everybody's close to a

Toni: butcher.

Because going to a butcher
that is very cost effective.

Yeah.

When you go straight to the source
and get some necks and body parts

and you know, that sort of thing,
then it definitely can be effective.

Yeah.

And yes, you're a thousand percent
right, you spend less money at the vet.

Anke: So how do you kind of solve
the convenience or, you know,

address the convenience concern?

I mean, is there a way, you know, when
you say like, in the freezer, can, you

know, if you kind of, I mean, I have a
freezer here, literally it's for the dogs.

It's for the dogs, right?

Yeah.

Toni: Yeah.

It, I don't think it's, it's not more
complicated to feed raw food, especially.

If you can buy a brand that is
thaw and serve like they make, they

make them in eight ounce patties.

They make them in two
ounce little meatballs.

They make them them in little bites.

They make it e, it's easy.

So if you do not want to go to a
butcher and you know, do the body

part route or make your own grind,
you can go to a local, most likely

a locally owned pet food store
and get formulas that are already.

Ready to go.

Yeah.

Anke: I mean, that's the thing.

It's almost like there's, I
can't even see a reason why

somebody would still, you know.

I don't know.

There's, there's no, there's,
I can't see any benefit because

the stuff's like imminent.

Like my dogs even didn't even,
like, I remember Leo, I mean the

other Don, like the last, the big
ones nowadays she doesn't, I don't

think she even like the last one.

She's like almost three.

I don't think she's ever tried it.

Like I don't think she
knows what it is, you know?

That's awesome.

But, um, you know, like Leo.

I know was a picky eater.

He wasn't a good eater, and I constantly
have to put that bowl in front of his

face to try and encourage him to eat.

You know, the moment he ate real
food, he gobbled it up and, and

so I'd have to kind of, you know.

Yeah.

But also they, they don't get overweight.

Toni: They don't get
overweight because they,

Anke: they do actually eat, like, you
know, well, I don't know a lot or not a

lot, whatever, but, but they don't get
overweight even when they age, you know?

Toni: Because you don't have to have that
starch, that is the binder and kibble, so

that starch turns to sugar in the body,
and that's what makes them get fats.

So yeah, my dogs have
always been lean and mean.

And I usually, I mean, usually
people say to me, oh, isn't your

dog a little on the thin side?

And I'm like, well, actually not.

You know?

Yeah.

We just, I think we have a distorted
view of how big our dogs should be.

Yeah.

Um, and they even tell us,
you shouldn't see their ribs.

You should only feel their ribs.

Well, I think if you can see the
ribs a little bit, it's okay.

You know what I mean?

Like my dog, I have a great Dane.

I have two dogs right now.

I have a great Dane, Layla.

And you can see her
muscles like you, like.

She is gorgeous.

Absolutely, and you can
see her too, but she.

Anke: But I think it also depends on
the breed, you know, like you can have a

Greyhound and I think you should probably
see some ribs because it's not the poor

thing's probably too fat, you know?

Whereas like a, a chunky Labrador,
like, you know, whatever with

a, or if they have longer.

Coat more fluffy.

It's probably harder to see.

You would wanna starve them to the
point that you can see the ribs, right?

Yes.

But I think there's also common
sense and comes in play, right?

So you wouldn't wanna kind
of just like, yeah, yeah.

Go by that, go by that visual, you know?

Yeah.

Yeah.

Toni: Unfortunately, sense.

I think marketing has pushed common
sense out of a lot of people's heads.

Anke: Yeah, I mean, I mean you
were mentioning sort of brands.

Are there some specific ones that
you would, other than your own?

You know, like, is there, if somebody
wants to start, I'm like, okay, I

don't have, I can't go to Tony's shops.

Like, where, where should I start?

Like what's a, what's a good
place to start if somebody

goes, well, let me try this.

Toni: Yeah.

So depending on what's available and where
your, where all your listeners are, um,

solutions pet food is one of my favorites.

Um, they're, um, real, they
don't even freeze in plastic.

That's how, you know extreme.

They are as far as it being pure.

So they only use ra, they wrap it
in butcher paper and then pack it in

cardboard boxes because they don't
want the dioxins from a plastic

to transfer into the raw food.

Right.

So, um, solutions pet food
is one of my favorite.

Um, raw dynamic is a great brand.

Raw dynamic is, I feel like, has grown
greatly because theirs is in little cubes.

So I think from a, from a visual
perspective, like a customer, a person can

still see themselves scooping that just
like we're so used to scooping kibble.

I, I, I think it's,

Anke: it's like hamburgers, right?

It's, you

Toni: feel like you're, you know.

That's fine.

Making that.

Yeah.

I don't know.

So, um, rod, any, there are
quite a few good brands.

Um, what's another good one?

OC Raw, um, instinct is good brand, which
is more available at like, pets Butter.

Petco selling Chewy's is now
available at PetSmart and Petco.

Um, so, and that's all, you
know, a, a good selection of

what's available in the us.

Anke: It does seem to me like
there's more and more, uh, choice.

Right.

You know when, yeah, when I first
started to get layer off, off cable,

like literally the Moroccan butcher
down the road was literally the only

place you could get stuff, you know?

So there was nothing, you would look and
there would be like cans, and it's like,

oh, you know, this is the luxury band.

It had like 30% of meat
byproducts rather than four.

You know?

So that kind of stuff.

And it's just like, yeah.

It just reminds me there was, uh, a
company, a UK company, I think it was,

they advertised quite heavily for a while.

I haven't seen it in a while, and
they were selling something like.

They would basically dry freeze food.

Toni: Oh, free.

Yes.

You know, and they

Anke: basically said, well, this way
it keeps the nutrients and yada yada.

And so there was some of the,
they had some sort of supplements

that kind of like herbal stuff
that you couldn't put in front of.

I tried.

That ones didn't really, I don't know.

Wasn't nobody, nobody got
upset stomach or anything.

But I also didn't feel like
there was nothing where I.

See a massive difference, but there was
also no problem to fix, so Fair enough.

You know, but they basically, their
whole philosophy was to, to say that

dry freezing process somehow keeps the
nutrients and you just basically, because

that really solved the convenience,
that addressed the convenience bit,

because it was basically like a,
like, like dry, dry it, uh, parley or

something, you know, that kind of stuff.

And you just put water on it and then,
you know, so what's your take on that?

Toni: So freeze dried
is very high quality.

It's second best to raw food.

So they literally, those companies are
taking their exact raw food formula and

putting it in, putting it through a freeze
drying process and making it shelf stable.

No different than, you know, things
you can go camping with or go to, you

know, the military goes to war with.

As far as.

Something to eat.

It's still very high quality.

It is one of the fastest growing
categories, and the interesting thing

is it is the most expensive category.

Anke: Mm, isn't that wild?

Yeah.

But it is interesting, right?

Because it feels to me it's like,
well, you know, I don't, I'm not on

trips all day every day, you know?

So if I can norm, like feed my normal
more inconvenient, messy, or you know,

like, and then if I do go somewhere where
I know I might not have a kitchen or I

can't mess around with the chicken legs
basically, you know, then that might be

an alternative that will kind of tie me
over when I'm not in my own own space.

Toni: Totally.

You can even get freeze dried goat milk
if you like to, if you do goat smoke.

Um, shepherd Boy Farms is the brand
for freeze dried goat milk, but I

always have a bag of freeze dried in my
cupboard in case I forget to thaw a meal.

I.

Or at, like you said, it's
perfect for traveling.

Um, but to, to, I don't, I, I mean people
can do whatever they want, but I don't re

re recommend using it as your day in and
day out meal because it's so expensive.

If you look at the feeding
calculations, it's so expensive.

It's cheaper to feed raw.

Anke: Yeah.

I mean that's, and I think I,
you know, that's the thing.

It's like you pay for the convenience.

And so yeah, if you Well, fair enough.

Fair enough.

Yeah.

Right.

So.

Find out more.

Where can people listen to the podcast?

Obviously we're gonna pop the links
in the, in the show notes of course.

But um, yes.

Toni: So my website is tony unleashed.com

and it's Tony with an I.

My Instagram is Tony dot
Unleashed and I'm on Facebook.

Um, and TikTok, and that's
just Tony Unleashed.

So awesome.

Such a

Anke: cool name.

Toni: Thanks.

Thanks.

I was unleashed from retail 'cause I
sold three out of my four stores, so

that's where the unleashed kind of.

Anke: Oh, that's interesting.

See, I'm thinking of leash and
dog leash kind of thing, right?

Yeah.

It's a, it's aray on
it, like flaring words.

Yes.

Very cool.

Very cool.

Well, thank you so much.

Thank you.

I think this is a, this is a, it's
a message that I sort of really kind

of wanna do anything I can to help
get out because I've seen the big

difference in, in Lejo, I've seen
how the other dogs thrive and uh, so

it's definitely, definitely worth it.

So thank you so much for
coming and, and sharing.

Toni: You're welcome.

Thanks for having me.

Anke: Thank you.

Thanks so much for listening.

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And if you know a pawsome human
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Email me at Anke.

That's A N k E at Soul
touched by dogs.com.