Mickey's Pet Supplies proudly carries the Free Range brand of dog chews. Recently, we have been informed that our supplier, Free Range Dog Chews has moved their plant location from Brazil to Argentina.
That has produced a backorder on all our Free Range Bully Sticks, Bully Jr. sticks and Natural bones and we are anxiously awaiting the supply to be available again within the next 30 days.
We thought our customers should know that there are some other companies that have been calling their bully sticks Free Range, but in fact, we have found more information regarding this.
Please beware of some other companies products claiming that they are Free Range Dog Chews.
Buy from retailers that only carry the FREE RANGE DOG CHEWS brand and label.
Here is the press release by Free Range Dog Chews.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Free Range Dog Chews Moving to Greener Pastures
Romeo, MI (January 12, 2010) – In keeping with the Free Range Dog Chew's commitment to market only the finest quality products available, President Ralph Claypool Sr. has announced that due to industry consolidations, the company is moving its beef production from Brazil and its lamb production from the U.S., both to Argentina.
"Argentina offers us the unique opportunity to supply our customers with the world's finest meat products," says Claypool. "Argentine organic beef, mostly from the Aberdeen Angus lineage, is considered some of the healthiest and highest quality and is in demand worldwide." Claypool went on to say that "this is important to Free Range because of the company's belief that ‘healthy treats come from healthy cattle.'"
Free Range Dog Chews takes pride in making products from grass-fed-only cattle. The products have no added hormones, antibiotics, animal by-products, steroids, or preservatives, and present no risk of "mad cow" disease. The chews are merely dehydrated before packaging, which is a safe and natural process.
While the company has been pleased with the quality of Brazil-sourced meat products in the past, this situation has recently changed. "Three U.S. companies now control the majority of the beef in Brazil and have imported their bigbusiness mentality of ‘highest possible production level with least cost'," says Claypool. "Unfortunately, to achieve their goals, they are finding it necessary to begin conforming Brazil's beef industry to U.S. standards, including putting cattle in feed lots; using steroids, hormones, antibiotics, and supplemental by-products (which is illegal in Argentina); and, in some cases, even establishing ranches in the endangered Amazon Rainforest."
"In light of these changes, we have made the decision to move our production operations to Argentina so that we can, with complete confidence, assure our customers that all of our beef and lamb treats are humanely raised in a stress-free environment, with the animals thriving on their native organic diet while they roam free in ecological rotation matrix pastures," asserts Claypool. The company has already opened three plants within a two-hour radius of its raw-material sources, ensuring that all of their products are processed fresh, never frozen. A fourth plant will be online in March 2010.
Free Range Dog Chews Inc. is best known for its Odor-Free Bully Sticks, which will remain the case. In fact, due to the Angus lineage of the cattle, the company will be able to fulfill the overwhelming requests for Supreme/Monster Bully Sticks, as all of the Bully Sticks from Argentina are a larger diameter.
"It has been well worth our investment in time, energy, and financial resources to make this positive move, which has allowed us to maintain our core values, rather than lower our standards," said Claypool. "In this case, the grass is greener on the other side and that's where you'll find us!"
About Free Range Dog Chews Inc.With almost three decades of experience in the pet industry, Free Range Dog Chews Inc. provides customers with dog treats and chews that are as close to nature as possible. The company merely dehydrates them to a shelf-stable level. Free Range Dog Chews proudly offers Odor-Free Bully Sticks, Buckarooz antlers, and one or two-ingredient treats from Beef, Chicken, Duck, Fish, Goat, Lamb, Pork, and Rabbit.
