In March, the FDA recalled deadly pet kibble that contained contaminated

wheat gluten. The incident caused many pet owners to question what they feed their furry friends. Unfortunately, pet

food is not usually the savory cuts and gravy that commercials portray.

Cooked and dried kibble in a bag is often more than 50 percent grain, including corn, wheat, rice, and even straw or cornhusk fillers. All that grain can be hard

on the digestive systems of mostly carnivorous cats and dogs.

Environmentally speaking, those inexpensive grain fillers are usually grown with chemical fertilizers and pesticides, then shipped from faraway places like China. Low-grade pet food meats often come from feedlots where animals receive drugs and hormones. With 88 million cats and 75 million dogs chowing down in American households, a switch to more eco-friendly pet food production could have significant impact.

To help clean up the pet food scene, animal lover Karen Youssefi and her husband Sean founded Petforia in 2002 in Bellevue. Their Pepperdogz brand natural food chubs and treats are made in a local USDA-approved meat processing plant and contain at least 70% fresh raw meats like grass-fed bison that are free of hormones and antibiotics. Northwest-grown vegetables and supplements like organic kelp powder round out recipes with fiber and nutrients.

A Pepperdogz/catz representative oversees quality control at the manufacturing plant. Ingredients are delivered shortly before each run, and final product is stored in a blast freezer to ensure freshness.

"We are longtime advocates of animal rights," Youssefi says. "It's a friendly business and for such a good cause--that inspires us."

Interested in switching your pet to organic and natural foods? Find Pepperdogz at these locations. You'll also find other green brands in Seattle at Bark Natural Pet Care, Natural Pet Pantry, All the Best Pet Care and Next to Nature.