(PRESS RELEASE) AVON, CT — Oma’s Pride Raw Pet Food, a 4th-generation family business, recently brought together leaders from across the raw and fresh pet food industry for an inaugural “Raw Roundtable.” This collaborative, one-of-a-kind discussion focused on innovation, accessibility, nutrition, wellness, and the future of feeding pets real food.
Watch the full discussion here.
Hosted by Bryan MacDonald, Director of E-Commerce at Oma’s Pride, the roundtable features Kelley Marian, Founder & Owner of Green Juju, Billy Hoekman, VP of Nutrition & Formulation at Green Juju, and Amy Zalneraitis, Co-Founder & Chief Brand Officer at We Feed Raw.
The conversation marked an impactful collaboration among independent raw pet food brands. Different brands, different approaches—but the same mission to educate and do right by pets, always.
On Making Raw Accessible
Throughout the discussion, panelists addressed one of the biggest challenges facing the raw category today: making biologically appropriate nutrition feel approachable rather than intimidating.
Advertisement
Bryan MacDonald opened, “How do we, as brands and as a category, embrace the newfound interest in fresh food instead of sitting back? Let’s grow the frozen category together. Let’s figure out how to get people who feel like organs in the bowl is too harsh. Nutrition is important, but the biggest issue is how do you get people over?”
Amy Zalneraitis shared, “We welcome people however they want to feed raw. Topper, mixer, every other meal…we hold people’s hands through the process. Educating the consumer is still very important—how raw can be safe, how raw can be complete and balanced, and that there is a safe way to do it.”
Kelley Marian added, “If there’s one message for pet parents: you have control. You can make a difference. You don’t have to abandon everything overnight; small steps matter. Even a little raw added to kibble makes a difference.”
Bryan MacDonald agreed: “That’s something we really leaned into last year. A little raw is better than no raw. That became a big retail message for us.”
On Nutrition Trends
Beyond accessibility, the panel highlighted the growing alignment between human and pet nutrition trends—including a renewed focus on whole foods, organ meats, reducing processed foods, and metabolic health.
Advertisement
“There’s also a lot of work being done in the human space. Metabolic health, animal protein, organ meat—those are becoming more accepted, even more ‘sexy’ terms,” Amy Zalneraitis said. “Our customers love to have that light bulb moment. When you explain why raw is the best way, why it’s the most bioavailable or biologically appropriate, it makes sense. Once you switch your dog, you start seeing benefits within the first week.”
“Sixty percent of dogs are overweight. Fifty percent get cancer by age ten. Kelley Marian noted, “Something is wrong. Feeding real food can be the biggest change we need to see.”
Billy Hoekman adds, “One thing bridging the gap psychologically is freeze-dried food. It looks familiar, and people understand it. We need to keep pushing forward…what’s the thing that extends dogs’ lives by another ten years? We have a great foundation with whole, unprocessed food, but we can’t stagnate.”
On Packaging and Convenience
The conversation also explored how thoughtful packaging, portioned formats, and peel-and-feed solutions are removing friction and helping pet parents stick with fresh feeding long term without compromising quality.
“We launched one pound grab-and-go products—everything from Complete Meals to Signature Mixes—so people could add sardines, salmon, toppers. Just add a little. It lowered the financial barrier, which is a big unlock for the category,” Bryan Macdonald said.
Advertisement
“We’ll never compromise quality. In 2026, we’re improving formulations and launching peel-back packaging,” shares Amy Zalneraitis. Billy Hoekman noted, “In neighborhood pet, everything started frozen. Now you see a lot more freeze-dried. Even though thawing and rehydrating are basically the same amount of work, people like keeping food in the cupboard.”
On the Future of Fresh Feeding
As the roundtable concluded, all participants expressed optimism about the future of the category and the role independent brands play in shaping it.
“Founders here actually care. That honestly is why I love this industry. This isn’t about shareholders. People wake up excited,” shares Bryan MacDonald.
“Our team continues to grow beautifully. The culture is strong. I love waking up and doing this work. After twelve years, it’s still my favorite thing to do,” adds Kelley Marian.
Looking ahead, Billy Hoekman shared, “Shoot for quality and hope for quantity. Focus on vibrant, healthy years—not just lifespan.” Amy Zalneraitis adds, “Real food is worth the investment. It’s the number one thing you can do for your pet’s health. The transformation stories are real. It’s not a miracle cure, but it can feel miraculous.”
More Episodes Coming Soon
The Raw Roundtable is the first in a planned series of collaborative conversations hosted by Oma’s Pride to foster education, transparency, and innovation within the raw pet food space.
For more information about Oma’s Pride Raw Pet Food, visit omaspride.com, email [email protected], or call 1-800-678-OMAS. Follow Oma’s Pride on Instagram @omaspride, Facebook @omaspridepetfood, and YouTube @omaspridepetfood.
