Lend a helping hand

“We are a different kind of company.” This statement is often heard from newly established companies in the pet supplies sector. This motto seems to apply unequivocally to FreeHand, a super-premium pet food company from Los Angeles, however. The company has made it its mission above all to save the lives of homeless dogs in rescue organisations and animal shelters by the sale of its four holistic dry dog foods. The dog foods are manufactured for FreeHand by the Texan company Texas Farm Products (TFP) in Nacogdoches, using only ingredients from the United States. “FreeHand’s cause-related corporate philosophy comes at a critical time for rescue organisations and animal shelters – many of which are barely surviving due to the prolonged bad economy and increased demand for their services. Approximately four million pets are euthanised each year in shelters across the country,” says the company. With pet food as one of their largest expenses, overcrowded and underfunded rescue organisations and shelters desperately need support. This is where the programme of the company of Ryan Kavanaugh and his wife Britta Lazenga-Kavanaugh comes in. “For every pound of dog food sold, FreeHand will donate an equal amount of food to a local rescue organisation or shelter.” Donated food stays in the communities where it is purchased. Affiliated resellers design­ate recipients from a list of local rescue groups and shelters screened and approved by FreeHand. Online purchasers may select recipient organisations from a pre-approved list provided at checkout. In the social media sphere, the company’s idea has also been received with glowing approval: FreeHand already has 106 000 “likes” on the social media platform Facebook. To date FreeHand has provided more than 16 000 pounds, or 4 600 meals, to dogs in homeless shelters across the United States. And sales have grown: after its initial launch in Southern California, Dallas-Fort Worth and Indianapolis, FreeHand has expanded into the major markets of Austin, Las Vegas, Colorado, Upstate New York and is finalising details for distribution to the New York Tri-State area. “With a little help from my friends” Substantial efforts are needed, however, to maintain this unique donation programme in the long term. “How FreeHand is able to sustain such a generous donation programme and stay in business can best be summed up in Beatles’ song, ‘With a Little Help from My Friends’,” says the company. Not only has FreeHand come up with ways of…