Built because Doris needed it.
A founder, a foster dog, and the food the rest of the industry forgot to make.
Doris, 2022
1 in 3 dogs is allergic to their food.
Before Archway, our founder Gabe was fostering puppies in Chicago. And after a while, a pattern got hard to ignore: dog after dog reacting to chicken, poultry, beef.
Then he adopted Doris. Same intolerances — but now figuring it out was on him. Prescription diets cost a fortune. Novelty foods couldn't be verified. Nothing felt right for the pup sleeping next to him.
So he built the food he wished he could buy for her. Sure, there are novel proteins out there like ostrich, wild boar, kangaroo. But we weren't looking for the most exotic. We were looking for the most sustainable. That's how Silver Carp became the heart of Archway.
I wasn't trying to start a pet food company. I was trying to feed one dog. The rest came after.
The dog this was built for.
Doris is our Chief Tasting Officer. She's the reason this company exists, and she takes her job seriously — first to try every batch, harshest critic when something's off.
You'll catch her in the videos, judging quietly from the kitchen floor. She has notes.
- Adopted
- Memphis Animal Rescue
- Allergic to
- Beef
- Favorite
- Silver carp, obviously
- Mood
- Loves hard. Judges quietly.
Thanks for reading our story.
There's more where this came from — behind-the-scenes from the Chicago HQ, recipe notes, and the occasional Doris cameo.
Doris approved ★