SMACK Pet Food is one of Winnipeg's genuine success stories — a local, family-owned company that has grown into one of the most respected dehydrated raw brands in North America. They're manufactured right here in our city, which means traceability, quality control, and a tight feedback loop between maker and customer.
For Barks N Purrs, SMACK isn't just another brand on the shelf — it's a neighbour. Supporting SMACK supports Winnipeg.
SMACK uses low-temperature dehydration (below 70°C) to preserve the nutritional integrity of fresh raw ingredients while removing moisture for shelf-stable storage. This is fundamentally different from kibble extrusion (which cooks at roughly 120–150°C under pressure, then dries).
When you rehydrate SMACK with warm water, you get something remarkably close to fresh raw — live enzymes preserved, bioavailable proteins intact, natural moisture restored. It's the closest thing to fresh raw that doesn't require a freezer.
Travel and convenience. SMACK is shelf-stable. Camping, vacation rentals, road trips, weekend getaways — pack a bag and feed normally. No coolers, no thawing, no logistics.
Limited freezer space. If you live in a small home or apartment without freezer capacity for fresh raw, SMACK lets you feed at the same nutritional tier without the storage burden.
Bridge from kibble. For pet parents nervous about transitioning to fresh raw, SMACK is the perfect bridge. It looks and scoops like kibble but performs like raw nutritionally. Many customers stay on SMACK long-term and never go back.
Picky eaters. SMACK's concentrated aroma is irresistible to most cats and many dogs. The smell carries through dehydration in a way kibble never does.
Topper for kibble feeders. Sprinkling SMACK over kibble adds real nutrition and rapidly increases palatability. Many customers start with SMACK as a topper and graduate to feeding it exclusively.
SMACK runs a Buy 8 Get 1 Free loyalty card on bags. The threshold is lower than fresh raw brands because the bags are smaller and the rotation cycle is faster. For households feeding SMACK exclusively, the loyalty math works out very favourably.
Every bag of SMACK you buy at Barks N Purrs supports a Winnipeg manufacturer. The dollars circulate locally — staff wages, equipment, ingredients sourced where possible from regional suppliers. In an era of multinational pet food consolidation (Mars, Nestlé, General Mills, Colgate-Palmolive all owning major pet food brands), buying SMACK is genuinely a local economy choice.
It's also faster to market — your bag was made weeks ago, not months ago shipping from a continental warehouse. Freshness translates directly to nutrition for shelf-stable foods.