It has taken me a year to be able to put this in writing, and it is still with a heavy heart that I write this now. On October 4, 2010, three months shy of her 13th birthday, Skye lost her battle with what may have been leptospirosis, but tests could not determine for sure. Skye has left an incredible legacy and touched many people, and dog's lives. I am grateful for every day I had with her and she will always be with me. Until we're together again my "boo"... I love you!

I'm Liza Cowell and beside me as always is my Skye. Skye is a cross of Husky and German Shepherd, and she is 12 years old. When Skye was 2 she became very ill, through months of different treatments, drugs and diets I started my own research and discovered many eye opening and disturbing facts. I learned a lot about what goes into commercial brand dog food and biscuits and I changed her from kibble to a natural, fresh food diet and decided to do the same for her treats. Skye was on so many drugs and treatments during her illness, I wanted to know how healthy her immune system was once she was finally finished all her medication. The lab tests came back with amazing results, she was completely healthy, our vet was very impressed and I was very relieved! It's an incredible feeling knowing and understanding every ingredient that goes into the products we make and more important, that they are completely natural, healthy products.

When I talk to people about making Skye's food, the overwhelming response I have received is wow, I would love to be able to offer my dog that, but I just don't have the time... hence our business. Partnering up with Tessa was a very easy decision. She is one of the most energetic people I know. Her passion for her family and life is very obvious, and that just naturally flowed into our company as well. Tessa and I both bring to the company our own unique talents and have the same goal in mind, natural, natural, natural. Our dog's don't have a choice in what you feed them, we offer you the choice and convenience of giving them a healthy alternative to commercial brands.

I'd like to introduce 2 new members of my family.

First up is Azure, she is a Golden Retriever and was born on January 13, 2011. Azure is a color and the color is sky blue, so I thought that was a nice tribute to my girl Skye. I flew out to beautiful Victoria, British Columbia to bring her home and she quickly took over the household and my heart with her bundle of energy and mischievous personality. She is a very sweet girl and shadows me every where I go, unless she is playing with her adopted brother Buddy.

Buddy came into my life on October 21, 2010. He is a rescue from The Dog Rescuers They are a wonderful organization who rescue all breeds and find loving homes for them. Buddy started out as a foster dog, and by the time I was ready to pick up Azure, I realized that Buddy had found his forever home. He is a Lab cross and was approximately 2 years old when he came into my life..

Azure and Buddy are inseparable and are often found snoozing together somewhere in the house. They have brought joy back in my life.

I’m Tessa Fisher, and it might be a bit surprising to you, but I do not have a dog, however I have become passionate about this business for a number of reasons.  After moving here from England, I was fortunate to meet my neighbour Liza, and her dog Skye. Little did I know at the time, that four years later, I would be a partner in this very worthwhile venture.  As our friendship grew, it became obvious to me that Liza’s passion for developing healthier food products for dogs, was more than just a business opportunity, but something that came from her personal experiences, and her desire to truly want to make a difference to the health of dogs everywhere.  During this time I also became a surrogate mother to Skye and she has become a member of my family and is a great friend and playmate to my two children.

As a stay at home mom, this partnership has provided me with the opportunity to care at home for my children and contribute to a business that I receive so much personal satisfaction from.  I take great pride in creating an all natural, fresh food diet, that contributes to the overall well being of dogs everywhere.

Joanne and Abbey

“I am so impressed with the quality and convenience of Canine Life that I am now producing it here on Vancouver Island.  It will be distributed under the name West Coast Canine Life in Western Canada and neighbouring States.  With years of thought and testing already gone into creating such a balanced and nutritious food, one can be assured that all of the high quality ingredients will remain the same from coast to coast!”

Joanne lives in Victoria British Columbia, with her family and beloved Golden Retriever Abbey.  She got her first dog in 1969.  He was a small mixed breed who was plagued with skin problems and allergies, no matter what type of food he was fed.   It wasn’t until an old British Veterinarian suggested a homemade diet, consisting of fresh meat, vegetables, ground brown rice, and herbs that the little dog’s skin problems and allergies disappeared.  This led Joanne to believe that the ingredients, processing, and additives in the commercial pet food her dog was fed, significantly compromised his health.

For almost 30 years, Joanne has loved and owned many Golden Retrievers who have also been fed a homemade diet.  “Creating a balanced homemade diet from scratch, is a very big commitment,” says Joanne.  “Having the fresh ingredients readily available is not always convenient, and I never really knew whether I was meeting all of my dog’s nutritional requirements.  That’s why I was thrilled to be introduced to Canine Life Health Food Pre-Mix.  I switched her diet overnight with no problems at all.”

I now spend approximately 1 hour every two weeks, whipping up a couple of batches of Canine Life Muffins for Abbey.  I mix ground meat, minced vegetables, eggs, safflower oil, water, and a shredded red apple into the pre-mix, and then bake. The muffins smell so wonderful, that Abbey sits by the oven waiting for the timer to go off! To serve, I simply crumble the muffins into her bowl.  I refrigerate enough for a few meals and freeze the rest. For those who prefer to feed raw meat, simply omit it from the above ingredients and serve the raw meat alongside of the baked muffins.  Either way, you can be assured that your dog is getting a balanced healthy, whole fresh diet that not only tastes great, but also meets the National Research Council’s daily requirements for dogs.  It can’t get better than that.

Contact information:

Joanne Fraser

Email: info@westcoastcaninelife.com

Phone: (250) 598-8370