FirstMate Pet Foods

Last updated on April 27, 2018

FirstMate Pet Foods (FirstMate) manufacture a line of premium pet foods made from high-quality ingredients.

FirstMate Pet Foods image 2017

The company exports premium pet food products, in both dry kibble and canned formulations, often made from local ingredients such as Pacific Ocean fish, Fraser Valley grubs and free-run Fraser Valley chickens. Their products allow pet owners to maintain a limited ingredient, grain free or grain friendly diet approach for all of their pets including pets that have stomach sensitivities, allergy issues and other nutritional issues. FirstMate were pioneers in the use of fish as protein source for pets, and their canned product line includes pet foods that use human-grade, wild-caught salmon and tuna, sourced from sustainable local fisheries.

Their wide range of pet food products include: FirstMate pacific ocean fish original; FirstMate chicken with blueberries; FirstMate wild pacific salmon; KASIKS free range lamb formula; KASIKS wild coho salmon formula; and many more. FirstMate uses Good Manufacturing Practices practices to control for quality standards, and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points principles to ensure food safety from procurement, through manufacturing and distribution. FirstMate Pet Foods owns both a dry production facility and human grade cannery, which are certified by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, the United States Department of Agriculture  and the European Union. 

Established in Chilliwack in 1989, FirstMate is a family-owned business, founded by Michael Florian. Prior to FirstMate, Michael established a business monitoring fish feed. When guard dogs at the fish farms would not stop eating his product, he was asked to produce a dog food from the same high-quality ingredients. Today, FirstMate ships their products to stores across Canada and the world. The company strives to source sustainable ingredients wherever possible, including fish that has been certified sustainable by the Marine Stewardship Council. They also work with a number of animal rescues, sanctuaries and wellness organizations.