“If it’s something we wouldn’t give to our pets, we’re not going to bring it into our store and sell it!”

In one simple line, Guy Britten, Co-Owner of RuffMutts in the Altona Mall, sums up their business philosophy and commitment to their customers.

The Altona location has been open for several weeks, retailing a variety of grain-free and grain-inclusive Canadian-made kibble, including Acana and Orijen.

“Despite our name, RuffMutts, we carry a good selection of cat food, cat toys and litter, as well as a selection of small animal food and products,” says Britten. “We like to cater to our local markets, so we will bring in specific products our customers' request if it is available from our suppliers.”

They sell local products like Smack Pet Food, which is made in Winnipeg. They also offer Perfectly Raw, another local Manitoba product, and other raw food products like, Naturawls and Mountain Dog.

The story of RuffMutts begins with Guy and his wife Mandy. Mandy started a dog grooming business out of their home in Niverville in 2011, which quickly evolved into retailing pet food.

“We were always big pet lovers,” he said.

‘Big’ is the key word considering the duo has three large dogs as family pets; a rescue dog named Moose, who they believe is an Italian-Mastiff, a Great Dane-Mastiff mix named Norman, and Ralphie who is also a Great Dane-Mastiff mix.

“I started looking at the nutritional aspect of pet food, and I did a lot of research, and speaking to experts in the field,” explains Britten. “From that, we started selling some food, outside of the grooming shop.” The business grew from there to the original RuffMutts location in Niverville.

He discovered that there is more to determining the cost of pet food than looking at the price on the bag. For example, you can buy a $40 bag of pet food that you must feed your dog six cups a day, or you can buy an $80 bag of food and feed your dog two cups a day. That $80 bag is significantly cheaper when you consider the feeding guidelines, and is typically superior in quality. Britten’s research led to two important findings:

1. A quality, properly balanced raw is diet is typically the best for your pet, but he knows it’s not for everyone.

2. By understanding the math, the recall history, and the quality of the ingredients, you can get the best kibble for your pet within your budget.

“That is how we select the food we sell. We have options for every budget, and our economical foods have better quality ingredients and save you money compared to the other cheap brands,” Britten said. “We also look closely at the ingredients to ensure the products we carry don’t have corn, soy, or by-product. By doing all this research, we have been able to offer quality food for every pet owners’ budget.”

The idea for the Altona RuffMutts location came out of Britten being approached by one of the co-owners of the Altona Mall, Jake Rempel, who presented the opportunity to open a storefront in the community.

“Once we saw this opportunity with Altona, we thought it would be a good fit, and provide more residents of Southern Manitoba a local option to care for their pets,” Britten said. “Our stores provide a more personal experience, with education being an important aspect of what we do.”

Their daily approach at RuffMutts is doing things the right way, whether it be the food and toy selection in the store, or how Mandy cares for the animals she grooms in the Niverville location.

One of Britten’s favourite things about owning a pet store is helping other pet owners.

“I think one of the best things about working with pet customers is they’re positive. You’re dealing with positive, like-minded people, who have a love and care for pets,” he said.

“It is extremely rewarding when our customers tell us about their pet’s transformations, because of the new diet they switched to based on our advice. They are almost always amazed at the money they save too.”

That love and care for pets has found a local connection in Altona based Furever Friends Cat Rescue. Altona RuffMutts store manager, Meghan Funk, is a big advocate for the organization.

“We set up a system in the store where customers, through loyalty points they earn, can submit donations to Furever Friends to help their spay and neuter program,” says Britten. “That’s one we really care about. We see a lot of value in rescues, and a lot of the work these rescues do… especially if it’s toward spaying and neutering. We think that’s the best way we can support some foundational issues with the number of homeless pets we have out there.”

RuffMutts in Altona Mall is open Monday to Friday from 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., and on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Customers can purchase pet food in-person, using curbside pick-up or RuffMutts’ free delivery service in Altona. Due to current Level Red restrictions, some items such as toys, pet furniture (i.e. beds) and animal training supplies are available by curbside pick-up only. Call 204-319-7077 to place an order or visit Ruffmutts.ca for a sampling of what products they carry. Follow them on Facebook and Instagram @RuffMuttsAltona to stay up to date on products and specials throughout the year.

RuffMutts is your go-to place if you want to feed your pets better for less.