Dog Food at Your Doorstep

Fort Worth startup makes it easy to feed your pet the right stuff

While researching diet solutions for my adorable, smart, perfect — but slightly overweight — Golden Retriever, I stumbled upon Baxter’s Premium Pet Food Delivery. The Fort Worth-based company delivers healthy pet food residents in cities such as Southlake, Keller, Arlington, Hurst, Euless, Bedford and North Richland Hills. Dallas is next on the list.

Unlike most pet foods, which use wheat, corn or rice to fill your dog or cat’s belly, Baxter’s offers foods that contain only high-quality meats, vegetables and fruits — no fillers necessary. According to Baxter’s, feeding your pet a grain-free diet can result in less stool, a thicker and softer coat, less shedding, cleaner teeth and proper weight.

Founder Ben Miller knows what the right food can do. In his quest to find the best dry food on the market for his dogs, Maddie Sue and Gunner, he discovered Orijen. Trouble was, he had to drive 25 minutes to Aledo to get it. But he did it because it was that effective in improving his dogs’ coats, energy and overall health.

“As you might imagine, I would find myself out of dog food on the weekends,” Miller says. “So I would feed them cat food and scrambled eggs until Monday morning when I’d have to make another trip out there. That’s when I thought that someone needed to bring this food to Fort Worth.”

Not only did he bring the food to Fort Worth, but he also decided pet owners shouldn’t have to pick up the food at all. To order, clients can call, text, email or hit the refill button on the Baxter’s website.

In addition to the flagship brand, Orijen — which has been voted Pet Food of the Year for last three years by the Glycemic Research Institute — the company offers a carefully curated collection of pet foods extensively researched by Miller. Prices on this premium pet chow range from $42-$93 a bag.

Miller has a more recent story that speaks to the power of a proper pet diet. Three months ago, Miller and his wife adopted a frail black lab (now named Amos) that the shelter estimated to be around 12 years old. He was scheduled to be put down, so the Miller family took him in so he could live his last year or two in as much comfort as possible.

“He was so skinny you could see his spine, and he had salt and pepper gray hair all throughout his coat,” Miller says. “His coat felt like broom bristles and was incredibly oily and smelly. Even right after bathing him, you would still have to wash your hands if you pet him.”

Miller started feeding Amos some of the food offered at Baxter’s. The dog started to get his energy back, bouncing around the backyard. When Miller took the dog to the vet to see what was happening, he discovered that Amos was only 5 years old. Now he is enjoying a wonderful life at home with the Millers, who have two other labs and two cats.

“Amos has had a hard life, so it’s nice to see him continually getting healthier every day,” Miller says. “And we’ve still got a little ways to go.”

As for his company, as it continues to expand, Miller is exploring new ways to make it more convenient for his customers.

“I’ve been in business for a little over a year now, and it’s been growing fast,” he says. “We have a refill iPhone app coming soon. I’m constantly trying to think of any way I can make the experience even better. It’s a constant evolution.”

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To sign up for Baxter's delivery service, or to be among the first notified of Dallas delivery, visit the website.

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Fight This Fly

Wildlife officials warn Texans to keep eye out for new invasive worm

U.S. Department of Agriculture/aphis.usda.gov

The the New World Screwworm (NWS) is a parasite that turns into a fly.

An invasive species is crawling towards Texas and wildlife officials are warning Texans to keep an eye out: It's called the New World Screwworm, and it's been detected in Mexico, with a trajectory headed north.

According to a release from Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, a worm was found in a cow at an inspection checkpoint in the southern Mexico State of Chiapas, close to the border with Guatemala — following its progressively northward movement through both South and Central Americas.

As a protective measure, officials are asking those along the southern Texas border to monitor wildlife, livestock, and pets for clinical signs of the New World Screwworm (NWS) and report potential cases immediately.

Clinical signs may include:

Irritated or depressed behavior
Loss of appetite
Head shaking
Smell of decaying flesh
Presence of fly larvae (maggots) in wounds
Isolation from other animals or people

They are called screwworms because they screw into the flesh, worsening injuries and causing a painful condition called NWS myiasis. Flies lay eggs in open wounds or orifices such as nostrils, eyes, or mouth. These eggs hatch into parasitic larvae. The maggots burrow or screw into flesh with sharp mouth hooks. Wounds can become larger, and an infestation can often cause serious damage or death.

After feeding, larvae drop to the ground, burrow into the soil and emerge as adult NWS flies. Adult NWS flies can fly long distances and the movement of infested livestock or wildlife can increase the rate of spread.

NWS primarily infests livestock but can also affect humans and wildlife including deer and birds.

This is not the screwworm's first rodeo. The parasite was last eradicated from the U.S. in 1966, with costly efforts by federal and state animal health officials, livestock producers, and veterinary practitioners. Eradication efforts have continued in Central America, but the pest is widespread in Cuba, Haiti, Dominican Republic, and South American countries.

Travelers to those areas should clean and cover all wounds and use insect repellent on outdoor clothing.

Anyone who suspects signs in wildlife of NWS should report their findings immediately to a local wildlife biologist. Reports about livestock should be directed to the Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC) or U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
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Brianna Caleri contributed to this story.

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