Bogey’s Mix offers healthy food for your furry, four-legged friends

by Ava-Grace Satterfield, Staff Writer

The three co-founders of Bogey's Mix, Zachary Feldman (front), Adam Totter (second) and Judson Smith (last) work alongside two other members from the kitchen staff. Photo contributed by Bogey's Mix

When Leesburg business owners Caroline and Zachary Feldman brought home their boxer, Bogey, they wanted to feed him the healthiest diet possible.

After struggling with traditional kibble and subscription dog food services, they teamed up with friend Adam Totter to launch Bogey's Mix, a fresh dog food company that prepares affordable meals made with locally sourced ingredients.

The difference was almost immediate. "We saw him vertically leap in the air when we first fed him fresh food," Caroline Feldman said. "Bogey's the whole reason behind Bogey's Mix, and he's just thriving."

The company operates from a commercial kitchen in Leesburg, where head chef Judson Smith prepares two recipes, Turkey Feast and Beef Bonanza. Both are made with whole ingredients, contain no preservatives and feature meat sourced from suppliers around the Washington region.

Transparency is central to the business. "As a pet owner, I'm reading labels constantly," Feldman said. "I always want to know what's in his food."

The company lists every ingredient and explains its purpose on both its website and product packaging.

Before starting Bogey's Mix in 2024, the Feldmans found that meal plans from several subscription services didn't provide enough food for Bogey. Today, the company works with pet nutritionists to develop recipes that meet dogs' nutritional needs. Its website calculates customized meal plans based on a dog's age, weight, activity level and other factors, tailoring portions within about 50 calories of each pet's daily requirements.

Bogey's Mix hand-delivers meals each week to customers from Reston to Fredericksburg and also sells its products at markets and community events throughout Northern Virginia.

The enthusiastic response from dogs and their owners keeps the team motivated. "Some dogs will jump up on the table and house the bowl, while some try to eat another dog's meal," Feldman said. "It's cool to see the excitement from the dogs and that we're creating a product people believe in."

The company continues to refine its recipes and cooking methods while keeping its mission in focus. "We're always refining our recipes and enhancing ingredients," Feldman said. "We want to keep evolving."

For the Feldmans, the business is personal. "Bogey is my bestie, and he's a family member through and through," Feldman said. "We really hope he lives a really long life."