Featured in Vintage Altaroc Odyssey 2021, Open Farm Pet specializes in animal feed. Its products are of the highest nutritional quality, and are produced from carefully nourished livestock in strict compliance with environmental standards.
The Toronto-based company was co-founded by Jacqueline Prehogan, who has set out to redefine industry standards in sustainability. Passionate about the environment and animal welfare, she has led Open Farm's Impact programs since its inception and, more recently, has implemented major industry-leading environmental programs such as the Science Based Targets commitment, the Zero Waste to Landfill program and ambitious regenerative farming targets.
A recognized entrepreneur and leader in the pet industry, Jacqueline received the Ernst & Young Emerging Entrepreneur of the Year award in 2015, the Pet Age Women of Influence award in 2021, and the Pet Age Power 50 award in 2022.
"For Open Farm, my husband Isaac and I started to think about food differently. We wanted to connect the way ingredients were grown and raised with quality. We began to be more selective, looking for food raised with respect for human dignity and from sustainable sources. Naturally, we wanted to feed our animals the same way. Realizing that there was no pet food that met these standards, we seized the opportunity to raise the bar by offering healthy, nutritious meals and products for our pets. We had to move mountains to make this vision a reality, we developed an entirely new vision of what pet food could be, and then an entirely new supply chain to go with it," she explains in an interview with Women of Influence.
Combining a love of animals with a commitment to sustainability
Jacqueline describes herself as "a lifelong animal lover - it's the only passion I've had since childhood. My parents kept the presentations and scripts I used as a child to plead for the adoption of new pets - a monkey, a hamster, a dog, a cat, turtles - I wanted them all. I've always felt a deep compassion for animals and wanted to build my life around them. My interest in sustainable development came later. Keeping our planet clean and reducing waste had always been important to me, but it wasn't until I started our companies that I became passionate about making better products with less impact. I wanted to prove that consumers didn't have to choose between good products and sustainability, and that having a sustainable mindset could be the catalyst for creating exceptional products and brands."
Open Farm Pet achieved sales of over $55 million in 2022. Estimates point to sales growth of 55% in 2023, reaching $86 million.
