It is very ‘of the minute’ for companies to be socially responsible so it is particularly refreshing to hear of an established UK business that’s taken this approach for several years. When we found out that Beautiful Joe’s made ethical dogs treats it’s no surprise that Reg and Bob were ready to find out more.

I talked to Anne Keane, pack leader and part of the Honey’s Real Dog Food team. Honey Real Dog Food is the Wiltshire based family business that make Beautiful Joe’s. I was keen to find out more about the brand, the treat itself and their part in the ‘one-for-one’ movement.

The first thing you notice about Beautiful Joe’s is the gloriously vibrant yellow tin. Designed by the architect son of the founders, it looks stylish and the treats make a great rattle inside which never fails to get the boys attention when out on a walk. Any treat that can bring the gift of hearing to a Norfolk terrier (or any dog for that matter) is good news! And equally important, the tin is the best behaved tin on the market - it only opens when directed which means no pocket spills for me and certainly no sneaky snacks for Reg - who try as he might has not managed to gain access!

But what about the treats themselves? Ethically sourced liver treats, air dried to lock in all the flavour and importantly with nothing else added - just pure liver. But I was keen to find out more about what makes them ethical and was delighted when Anne filled me in. “The liver which only comes from grass fed cattle, is sourced from local farms where we have direct contact with the farmer to ensure traceability, quality and animal welfare”.

So they look good and taste great but what about the social responsibility? What makes Beautiful Joe’s such a fabulous offer is that for every single 50g packet of liver treats sold, the equivalent number of packets are donated to rescue homes nominated by customers themselves. Anne filled me in on how this came about. Beautiful Joe is a book written by Margaret Saunders about the real life Beautiful Joe - a Canadian farmers dog who in 1890’s who was the subject of the most abhorrent abuse by the owner until he was rescued to live his remaining years in comfort. What a fabulous name for treats that are donated to rescue homes to help give dogs a second chance in life - just like Beautiful Joe.

The ‘buy one give one’ scheme came about as the founders recognised rescue homes were strapped for cash and they could see a way of making a contribution. Anne explained: “Feeding rescue dogs is onerous enough without providing treats. But with the help of Beautiful Joe’s the staff can use the treats to re-train and reward the dogs which means they have a better chance of being re-homed.’’

And just to put this into perspective - today 87,471 50g bags have been donated to over 254 canine rescue homes. Anne who has been with Honey's for just over five years arranges the donations for all the wonderful charities who have been nominated by their customers - “its just the best job!”. Such a practical approach to help dogs that so desperately need to find a loving family and give them another shot at life - now who wouldn’t want to be part of this story

So how amazing is Beautiful Joe’s - a small company with social responsibility at the core, an ethically sourced, home produced treat that never fails to delight the eager dogs, wrapped beautifully in a totally practical tin - what else can we say but come along and join in. And don't forget to share this amazing story - the rescue homes will be truly grateful.

To buy Beautiful Joe’s - shop here

To find out more about Honey’s Raw Feeding check out the website

https://honeysrealdogfood.com

To nominate a rescue home please email me at hello@regandbob.com

Thank you Anne for taking the time to talk about the wonderful story behind Beautiful Joe’s

Beautiful Joe's dog treats - giving back to dogs in need

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