The duo officially launched Bogey’s Mix in the summer of 2024. They spent the rest of the year testing various recipes, getting the proper licenses and fine-tuning their business plan.The following excerpt is from an article by Chris Wadsworth originally published in Ashburn Magazine:
DUKE
The idea for Bogey’s Mix started years ago and came from one of Feldman’s lowest points. (Zachary Feldman, Co-Founder). His first dog was a German Shorthaired Pointer named Duke. He was an active dog that never tired of playing catch with a Frisbee.
“You could throw it 100 times, and he would never run out of gas,” Feldman recalled. “In 2018, when he was 8 years old, I was throwing the Frisbee to him at Wolf Trap Park and he just started to walk back really slowly. I took him to the vet.”
What followed was heart-wrenching — a tumor on Duke’s spleen had burst. He was gone in a matter of days.
Feldman started to research dogs and illnesses and food and was horrified to discover the low-quality ingredients used in some cheaper dog foods and also a growing concern about the possible presence of carcinogens in some kibbles.
In a sad coincidence, Caroline Feldman also had a beloved dog die from cancer, so when the couple got a new puppy — Bogey — in 2022, they took a different approach.
“We were like, ‘OK, let’s change things up. Let’s try to do something different to extend his life,” Feldman said.
The couple knew they wanted to switch to fresh food and for a while, Bogey was fed The Farmer’s Dog, a national brand of fresh dog food that customers order online and have shipped to them. But Feldman said it broke the bank — costing between $500 and $600 a month.
“It was very frustrating,” Feldman said. “And then Caroline said ‘Hey, Zach, why don’t we make his food?’”
A COMPANY IS BORN
And that’s what they did. Bogey was soon eating home-cooked meals each day as Feldman learned more and more about the pet food industry. He consulted with canine nutritionists, experimented with ingredients, and then started brainstorming with his pal, Totter.
“We’re very entrepreneurial,” Totter said. (Adam Totter, Co-Founder). “Zach and I have had many different businesses over the past 10-plus years or so.”
It’s true. Since both men graduated from Penn State in 2015, Totter has worked in the corporate security industry developing personal protection products.
After a stint in the U.S. Air Force, Feldman worked in the tech and health industries. But his love of animals has been ever present. In 2021, he and Caroline developed and launched an app called Pals, where dog owners could connect to set up play dates and find dog-friendly venues near them. That experience was the seed that ultimately led to Bogey’s Mix.
They set themselves up at the ChefScape commercial kitchen facility in Leesburg and started producing batches of fresh dog food. They launched a website to market and sell their products and started holding doggy hibachi demonstrations and speaking to would-be customers at farmer’s markets around the area.
“It’s been freaking awesome,” Totter said. “We do great at in-person events where people can talk to us directly. People really get a sense that we have put a lot of work into this, and we really care about having the highest quality product available.”
The current recipe has the cheeky name “Bogey’s Mix Turkey Feast Mode.” Feldman says it costs customers from $1 to $15 a day, depending on the size of the dog and the meal plan chosen. A new beef-based recipe is in the works.
Since sales started in January, new customers have signed on each week, and the company currently has more than 100 subscribers for either their full meal plans — where the dog is fed entirely Bogey’s Mix meals — or a Topper plan — where Bogey’s Mix is used in conjunction with other foods
Read the full article at https://e.issuu.com/embed.html?d=ashburn_magazine_september_october_2025&pageLayout=singlePage&u=leesburgtoday
Want to feed your dog fresh, local, healthy meals without breaking the bank? Check out our meal plans on our website by clicking the link below.
