PETS

Bark starts dog-food delivery service

Mark Williams
mawilliams@dispatch.com
BarkEats employee Hannah Anderson removes empty containers from an earlier delivery after bringing fresh food Tuesday to a home on East Whittier Street in German Village. The new service from Bark & Co. offers pre-portioned meals customized to a dog’s needs. [Fred Squillante/Dispatch]

The company behind the treat and toy subscription service for dogs known as BarkBox has introduced a dog food delivery service called BarkEats.

Bark began testing the service in Columbus, where it has its customer service operations, five months ago.

Bark, which has grown to 700,000 customers since it started in 2012, began the service after getting questions from customers about what kinds of food are best for dogs, especially those with allergies or other conditions, said Carly Strife, one of the company’s co-founders.

BarkEats now has about 200 clients. Most of them aren’t Bark Box customers.

“It’s a very different type of service,” Strife said. “We want you doing the best you can for your dog at the price most people can afford.”

Other services, such as Chewy, offer delivery of pet food.

What makes Bark’s service different is its more customized approach, akin to the old-time milkman dropping off bottles of milk in the neighborhood and picking up the old bottle when making a new delivery.

“We have a lot more experience to do something in the space that’s fun, experiential,” she said.

Working with Bark’s dog food team, customers can figure out a food plan for their dogs. That includes pre-portioned meals with toppings and supplements to help dogs’ skin, joint and other issues.

Bark uses food from companies such as Purina, Wellness, Nature’s Variety and Stella & Chewy.

Meals are delivered to a customer’s door in reusable, stainless steel bowls that drivers pick up when the next shipment is dropped off.

Prices are comparable with what many owners already pay.

The cost for kibble, routine supplements, delivery and access to BarkEats experts for a 40-pound dog typically run from $30 to $60 a month. More specialized diets can cost more.

Bark has been connecting with dog owners about the new service through several channels such as Facebook.

Dog owners who reach out to BarkEats typically spend about 30 minutes talking about their dog.

“When you build a rapport like this, people open up about their dogs and allow us to get to know them better,” she said.

Bark operates its customer service operations out of the new Gravity building in Franklinton.

Bark is using a 3,500-square-foot warehouse in the Milo-Grogan neighorhood for BarkEats, which currently employs nine people.

BarkEats plans to expand the service to other cities over time.

Before switching to any new food or diet, a dog owner should check in with his or her veterinarian first, said Jules Benson, chief veterinarian for Nationwide, the nation’s No. 1 pet insurer.

“You are what you eat. Feeding high-quality, nutritious food and the right amount is massively important,” he said.

Such programs that BarkEats offers can help dogs maintain the proper weight by having pre-portioned meals, he said.

As with people, dog obesity is one of the leading causes of poor health, including arthritis and torn ligaments, Benson said. Overweight dogs often don’t live as long, he said.

“We always are trying to keep them as happy as possible,” Benson said of pet owners. “Food is a good way to do that.”

mawlliams@dispatch.com

@BizMarkWilliams