Toronto Star

In 1993, Debbie Pelczynski set out with an idea to improve pet nutrition. “I believe ingredients play a crucial role in our pets’ overall health and wellbeing, and I wanted to create a food that was clean — basically something that I could eat,” says the owner and founder of Harlow-Blend, a family-owned Canadian holistic pet food company in Mississauga, Ont.

The pet food manufacturers she initially spoke with told her it couldn’t be done. “I kept asking why and was finally told it was too expensive,” she says. “That’s when I realized it was about profits, but my passion is the health and longevity of our pets, not the bottom line.” In 1993, she launched her first brand, Holistic Blend, followed soon afterward with My Healthy Pet.