Local Austin Pet Food Company Nulo Making a Difference

Much like their owners, household pets are showing alarmingly increased rates of obesity, allergies, and food intolerance. It makes no difference if a pet lives in an East Austin or a West Austin home: its food, now packed with as many fillers, additives, and preservatives as our own, is showing the same devastating impacts on long-term health.

A new Austin-based pet food company is determined to make a difference: Nulo, where “nutrition meets love”.

“I decided enough was enough,” says owner Michael Landa. “I hired one of the world’s leading animal nutrition scientists and worked with him for nearly two years to develop our own line of dog and cat foods.”

His company, founded in 2010 and headquartered in Downtown Austin, does things differently.

At Nulo, pet food is packed with nutrient-rich whole grains, fresh vegetables, fruits, and free-range meats. Next, it is delivered straight to your door and to store shelves—no warehouses, no middlemen, no sitting on distributor shelves. Its goal is for no other company to get its food faster to your pet’s food bowl.

What is this company up against? Six multi-national food companies control 85 percent of an $18 billion U.S. market. “And, they’ve mastered the skill of making garbage look healthy,” says Landa.

Nulo is more than ready for the fight. Already, it’s knocking competition out of the water. Picked up by Whole Foods this spring, Nulo is flying off the shelves at 29 locations from Texas to California.  

Pet-owners ask Landa why Nulo is worth a higher cost. “What most people don’t realize,” explains Landa, “is that if you break it down to a cost per meal basis, there’s little difference in the price of a cheap supermarket brand and a premium food.”

In the end, pet-owners may need to select foods to give their pets just as judiciously as they select their own. “Pay now, or pay later,” says Landa, “both in terms of veterinary bills and emotional toll. Poor nutrition will impact the way your pet feels and what happens later on in its life.”

Austin REALTOR® Brian Talley, along with his dog Bella, supports local businesses like Nulo and cares about health and wellness. If you’re on the lookout for a luxury Austin home for sale, check out Brian’s Austin Home Search.