My Perfect Pet opening in larger Poway quarters

When her Labrador, Hunter, died in early 2007, Karen Scoggins’ heartbreak was compounded by the horror that it was due to melamine-tainted pet food recalled a few weeks later.

“That was our wake-up call,” said Scoggins, noting the healthy, 7-year-old dog always ate premium pet food.

Scoggins, a retired engineering manager, immediately started researching pet food and was shocked by the standards of what could be put into it.

“The more I studied, the more I learned,” said Scoggins, a Poway resident. “I no longer trusted the pet food companies.”

She started making her own using fresh, natural ingredients she could trust. Word spread, and soon she had a waiting list of interested pet owners. In 2009, she and her husband Tom opened My Perfect Pet, a pet food manufacturer that uses restaurant-grade ingredients from food suppliers such as Sysco. The products began appearing in local stores.

Quickly outgrowing its first location in El Cajon, the co-founders moved My Perfect Pet to Poway in August — doubling their space to a 4,100 square-foot facility with operations open to the public for viewing.

On Saturday, My Perfect Pet will host a grand opening, inviting visitors — and their pets — to see the factory in action and offering samples from 1 to 4 p.m.

“This started out of our commitment to make our own foods for our dogs,” said Scoggins, who consulted with veterinarians to design the recipes. “It grew from a need to give people healthier choices.”

My Perfect Pet uses unprocessed, human-grade food such as lean chicken, beef brisket, hard-boiled eggs, whole grain brown rice and vegetables. The fresh ingredients are fully cooked, ground up, formed into bars, and immediately frozen to avoid preservatives.

“Anything that wouldn’t go on my table is not going into this dog food,” said Scoggins, CEO and co-owner.

Each product is balanced to meet specific nutritional needs, including those with meat or grain allergies and special blends for puppies. The biggest seller, Boomer’s Blend, is made for adult dogs, and Hunter’s Blend is a turkey and salmon formula for grain-free diets. Dog owners may also request custom blends.

Each 8-ounce bar costs $2.25 and is equivalent to a day’s food for a 20-pound dog. A 40-bar case of Boomers Blend costs $84.85 on the company’s website, www.myperfectpet.net, where orders are shipped nationwide.

The popular Bobo’s Bites, frozen treats for dogs, sell for $9.99 for a 16-ounce bag containing 32 pieces.

The products are available at 25 higher-end pet stores throughout San Diego County, including The Buried Bone, Unleashed by Petco, and Wholesome Choice Pet Market and by home delivery. They are also sold through pet nonprofit fundraisers.

The Poway facility includes an educational room with exhibits on pet nutrition and a window peeking into the kitchen where pet food is made. Teachers have called to schedule class field trips, and informal tours are given to drop-in visitors. Regular visiting hours will be offered in the near future, said Tom Scoggins.

The growing company plans to run three production shifts, five days a week, and is currently recruiting workers, said Karen Scoggins.

A fresh and balanced diet can improve and prolong a dog’s life, said Karen Scoggins, noting customers who started feeding My Perfect Pet products to their dogs have seen drastic improvements for conditions such as allergies/itchiness, staining, or irritable bowel disease.

“We have testimony after testimony,” said Karen Scoggins. “The majority of the time, the dog needs fewer medications, or comes off completely from medications.”

My Perfect Pet is located at 12655 Danielson Court, Suite #312 in Poway. The phone number is 858-486-6500. For more information, visit www.myperfectpet.net.