Seasons Greetings to our amazing Nature's Select Customers.
What a year it's been for our family owned business. I'd like to take this time to recap a great year for us and thank you all for your ongoing support of our family's pet food brand.
2023 in Review - Well, I'm happy to share that we've grown like crazy since the spring. We welcomed hundreds of new customers thanks to our amazing word-of-mouth customer referrals (thank you for spreading the "woof" about our pet food to your family and friends!) we grew through our online marketing efforts & general advertising, and also through our network of amazing partnerships. Huge thanks to our friends at OC Animal Care, Patriotic Service Dog Foundation, German Shepherd Rescue of Orange County, Homeward Bound Golden Retriever Rescue, America's VetDogs and Guide Dog Foundation - just to name a few. We welcomed our Nature's Select of Northern California customer base after the former distributors in that area Tony & Crystal retired back in May - happy retirement folks, well deserved! Thank you also to the various Law Enforcement agencies, K-9 units, and US Veterans that help us reach new business, we're proud to support you all and thank you for all that you do to protect and serve. Thanks for being so patient and understanding with our small team as we navigated huge spikes in sales and business growth experiencing the largest volume of pet food orders in our history. If you ever have questions or concerns you're welcome to contact us, we're happy to assist you any way we can.
We overcame some hiccups and bumps in the road but because of your ongoing loyalty we got through it stronger than ever. After officially making the switch to our brand new state of the art pet food manufacturer earlier this year, our pet food has been the best I've ever seen. Many of you have reported your dogs thriving more than ever since feeding the newer product made at the new mill and I'm beyond thrilled to hear it. We strive to always offer the freshest, best kibble possible for your pets and making this investment switch was well worth it just to hear many of you tell stories of your dogs devouring the new food that arrived to your doorsteps. It's a joy and a pleasure to fuel your pups with the best pet food possible. Know that food safety and quality always come first for Nature's Select, as we will never sacrifice ingredient integrity or cut corners. Only the best for you all.
As we enter our 30th year of business next month, I'm excited to watch our brand continue to soar in 2024. We're just getting started and I'm looking forward to seeing the new heights we reach ahead.
On a personal note, I'd like to share that this year was a particular difficult one for our family. Sadly we lost our sweet girl Lucy back in October. Our rescue pup lived to be a vibrant and healthy 15+ years old and was running around, doing her daily neighborhood walks and eating all the treats until the last couple weeks of her life. She came to the office every single day with my wife Diana & I and that first day back without her was a particular rough one. I've had many dogs over the years but none as sweet as her. We rescued her from OC Animal Care back in 2008 and what a joy she was for our family. She will be dearly missed by us and our office feels so empty without her. Our friend of Molly's Grooming in Yorba Linda went above and beyond giving Lucy amazing grooming care in the last couple months of her life coming to our house as it was too much for Lucy to go into her usual place. After Lucy's passing, Molly surprised us with a beautiful water color painting of her on our doorstep that really touched our hearts. Friendly service that goes above and beyond is what we're all about so to receive that back in this personalized way really made the weeks after losing her a little bit easier. My heart goes out to all of our customers who lost their pets this year, it never gets any easier. Our prayers are with you if you're in that season of loss right now. Gosh it's awful I wish they could live forever.
Finally, I'd like to share that while we lost our sweet Lucy girl in mid October, the very week after we were able to welcome home our first grandchild, Jay. My grandson spent 133 days in the NICU after being born more than 14 weeks early. He's a fighter and I'm looking forward to spending the holidays with him and watching him grow. Congratulations to my daughter Megan and her husband Mike - our family is growing I can't wait for all the adventures as a grandfather. Adding the title "Grandpa" to my resume, a role I've patiently waited to step into!
May your family experience love, good health, and joy in the new year. There's always hope to be had, never give up. Wishing you and your family a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
Sincerely,
Paul Cavanaugh
President, CEO & Founder
Nature's Select Pet Food