Cuisine for Canines

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Every weekday, a delivery of restaurant-grade meat and vegetables arrives at a business in Sherman Oaks.

But this isn’t a restaurant. Inside the corner storefront at Ventura Boulevard and Stern Avenue is a kitchen that makes gourmet food for dogs and cats.

The San Fernando location of Just Food for Dogs is one of five kitchens the company operates. The kitchen has an open format, so it’s visible to the public from inside and through the windows facing 13900 Ventura Blvd. The staff prepares about 1,300 pounds of pet food a day. The store is open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Saturday and until 6 p.m. on Sunday.

Walton Dornisch, a Panorama City resident, has been coming to Just Food for Dogs for about 18 months. He was there recently with Molly, an 11-year old shelter rescue dog that Dornisch got about a year ago.

“She used to eat horribly and now she eats great,” Dornisch said, adding that Molly “loves” the food made at Just Food for Dogs.

The idea that the food is human grade is a real selling point, Dornisch continued. If the company were ever to go public, he said he would buy the stock because “it is a real quality product.”

According to Salomon Diego, general manager of the Sherman Oaks location, the product starts out with the vegetables chopped up and the meat grilled in a skillet. Afterward, it is put into a chill blaster where the temperature drops below 41 degrees. After chilling for several hours, the meat and veggies are put into the mixer and the nutrients are added. After the mixing, the food returns to the chill room and then is taken out to be packaged. There are no chemical preservatives used in the preparation process, Diego said.

“The only preservative we use is vacuum-sealed bags that go immediately into a freezer,” he added.

The pet food and treats are sold at the kitchens and eight pantry locations, including one in Glendale. Additionally, it is sold at Petco locations and Pet Food Express stores in Tarzana, Thousand Oaks and Woodland Hills.

“After the production date, it is good for one year frozen,” Diego said.

The company also formulates custom recipes to address pet health issues for a one-time fee of $195. The bags of frozen food start at $3.95 and online ordering is available.

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