Nova Scotia-based company leads the charge in sustainable pet nutrition

Mississauga, Ontario – November 8, 2016. Dane Creek Capital Corp. (‘DCCC’ or the ‘Company’) is pleased to announce the creation of Dockside Pet Products and Services Inc. (‘Dockside’), an innovative new pet food company serving North America with a mission to deliver the best in pet nutrition using rescued fresh food and environmentally sustainable ingredients to craft delicious treats, meal mixers, and meal toppers for dogs and cats. Working directly with farmers and fisheries, Dockside pet foods will use perfectly fresh seafood, vegetables, and fruits that don’t make it to retail market and are otherwise wasted for cosmetic or other reasons that don’t negatively impact their nutritional value. Nearly all ingredients will be locally sourced where Dockside is based in Nova Scotia, Canada, a region known for its clean air, clean water, abundant seafood, and the world renowned Annapolis Valley growing region.

Dockside will also be among the first pet food companies in North America to use crickets in their recipes, offering a highly sustainable and easily digestible alternative to traditional proteins like beef, lamb, and chicken. As one of the next generation of alternative proteins gaining wider acceptance for human consumption, crickets are a complete source of all 10 essential amino acids for dogs and 11 essential amino acids for cats with three times the iron, five times more magnesium, and twice as much protein as ground beef. Cricket farming also produces 80% less methane than cattle farming and uses 1/14th the feed and 1/2000th the amount of water on a pound for pound basis compared to beef.

Other ingredients featured in the Dockside line will include:

• Capelin, a source of heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids and selenium supporting immune function, this small North Atlantic fish is one of the few fish designated safe for daily consumption by Health Canada;
• Cauliflower, high in antioxidants and phytonutrients that help prevent cancer and reduce inflammation;
• Wild blueberries, also high in antioxidants and shown to help regulate blood sugar;
• Lobster shell, an excellent source of bone and joint-supporting glucosamine and chitin shown to support digestive function and weight control.

These ingredients will be purchased directly from farmers, fishermen, and fish processors but with the unique caveat that they would otherwise have gone to waste. For example, Dockside products will use whole male capelin which is undervalued and often wasted because the females are preferred for their roe. The cauliflower used will be purchased from the nearly 50% of each crop deemed ‘unacceptable’ for human consumption because the size or color of the florets doesn’t meet cosmetic retail standards. Likewise for misshapen or undersized blueberries, lobster shell as a byproduct of processing fresh caught lobster, and other sustainable fish safe for daily consumption like pollock and tilapia.

“Sustainability is the key to our future and how we provide for the animals in our homes is part of that,” says Mark Warren, creator and thought-leader behind Dockside. “Our mission through Dockside is to give pet owners sustainable pet food options without sacrificing quality nutrition and we’re doing that by thinking outside the box with cricket protein and tackling the food waste crisis, specifically targeting fresh food wasted at source.”

An estimated 40% of food produced in Canada and the United States is wasted annually according to the National Resources Defense Council, an international non-profit based in New York. In the U.S. alone this represents an annual loss of 40 trillion liters or 25% of all freshwater consumed. Food waste is also the largest component of municipal solid waste and accounts for 16% of U.S. methane emissions, a greenhouse gas that traps 20 to 30 times more atmospheric heat than carbon dioxide.

Dockside has established a range of baked treats as well as ‘meal mixers’ and ‘meal toppers’, products designed to deliver high impact nutrition and a boost of flavor to regular kibble. These unique items will include a ‘granola’ which can be added by the spoonful to other pet food, protein-packed ‘ravioli’ made with cauliflower flour, and a ‘ramen’ style meal also made with cauliflower noodles. A line of Dockside broths are also currently in development.

All Dockside products will use limited ingredients with many items seven ingredients or less and be wheat free, gluten free and free of hormones and antibiotics. Where possible, only natural preservatives from Nova Scotia will be used.

Dockside is the sole property of Dane Creek Capital Corp. For more information visit www.docksidepets.com or contact:

 

About Dane Creek Capital Corp.

With over 30 years of experience in the pet industry and an extensive network of industry professionals, we offer valuable financial and management support to up-and-coming companies in the companion animal sector through selective, strategic investments. Our investment horizon is long-term taking into account current trends and changes in pet owner demographics with a current focus on opportunities in pet food products sourced from sustainable ingredients, alternative models for veterinary care, biotechnology, pet insurance, pet hotels, and pet-related technological applications for pet owners.

For more information visit www.danecreekcap.com.