Rebel Raw

Rebel Raw is an Atlanta-based small business started in 2014; founded by a husband and wife duo, Tina and Matt, whose mission is to make it easy to feed your pet food that they thrive on. They use 100% human-grade, local, and fresh restaurant-quality proteins. Meals are complete and balanced according to AFFCO standards with no junk and fillers. As a result, pet parents can choose from various balanced meals for all life stages.

My dog, Yenko, tried their Bestie Beef, Perfectly Pork, What the Duck, Rabbit, and Venison. In this blog post, and as always, we will focus mainly on their beef products.

Bestie Beef

Nutritional Info: Beef heart, turkey wing (including bone), beef kidney, spinach, carrot, beef liver, flaxseed, dicalcium phosphate (supplement, source of calcium and phosphorus in foods), wild salmon oil, sea salt, organic kelp, zinc polysaccharide (supplement for zinc), vitamin E (supplement), manganese (supplement), ferrous sulfate (iron supplement), vitamin D3 (supplement).

Kilocalories per ounce: 46

Detailed percentages: 54% beef, 30% turkey, and 14% vegetables. Bone and Offal Total: 10% bone, 7% kidney, 3% liver.

Guaranteed Analysis: Protein 15% Fat 11% Moisture 71% Fiber 1%

Is it Complete and Balanced? Rebel Raws meals are complete, balanced, and formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles for growth/all life stages, including the growth of large-size dogs (70 lbs or more as an adult). While it is AAFCO Complete and Balanced, if you look into their detailed percentages, it isn't entirely, as I tend to like meals with 5% liver and less fat (under 10%), but it's not a dealbreaker ... it a 2% liver difference and 1% fat over which is minimal. In regards to the liver, it's typical to find single-ingredient liver treats, so being under the range may work out better for your dog since overfeeding liver to your dog can cause Vitamin A toxicity.

One other thing to note: AAFCO labeling doesn't mean a thing; AAFCO is a private nonprofit with voluntary members. These advisors and committee members include representatives from major feed manufacturers and ingredient suppliers such as Nestle Purina and Hills Pet Nutrition. AAFCO provides "guidelines" letting you know that the food is "complete and balanced" for a particular life stage. They do not regulate pet products; the FDA does. Remember that the FDA's priority is human-grade safety. AAFCO provides "guidelines" letting you know that the food is "complete and balanced" for a particular life stage.

So please don't let a "certification" be why you miss out on a fantastic local product! In this case, I like Rebel Raws products; I can assure you most small businesses go out of their way to ensure the best product for your pet...

Weight and packaging of the product: All their meals come in multiple sizes; we tried a variety of 8-ounce bags, and they weigh a little over 8.5 ounces consistently. I envy Rebel Raws' packaging; it accentuates the look of the meat, is easy to pour (we received the exact portion for our dog's meals), and its feel and re-usage ability is solid. It never leaked, and I highly recommend it for travel (more below).

Visuals of the meat: This meat looks top quality; you see no signs of oxidation, and you can see and recognize the whole food ingredients listed on the packaging. Rebel Raws grinds, so far, are our favorite from the businesses we have tried. Even after traveling with the meat, it barely oxidized. We know their proteins are restaurant-quality, meaning the meat is labeled as either prime, choice, or select. And looking at the fat percentage, it may be a mix since the prime quality is rich in marbling (meaning its fat content) versus a select cut which is more uniform and leaner.

I don't mean to brag some more, but Rebel Raw is my favorite of the raw meals we have tried because of the meat quality (it's self-evident through the packaging) and its convenience. However, convenience does not mean "best." At first look, it is a fantastic option (especially for travel: you don't need to bring anything additional for these meals) but, if you know me..I avoid unnecessary supplements that can be acquired thru a fresh food source. Most of their complete meals include supplements such as calcium and phosphorous, zinc polysaccharides, vitamins D3 and E, manganese, and iron. It's a bit disappointing, but I understand that adding anything else may affect or manipulate the look of the meat. And that is important!

Taste: Yenko ate all the meals except for the Duck, which we mixed with beef, but that is expected..he is not a fan of white meat.

We tasted the Perfectly Pork. It was tasty; you could taste bone, offal, and veggies.

Poop: Our dog, Yenko's poop, was perfect; his stool remained small and firm. The color varied depending on the protein given. No issues!

Price: Depending on the protein and weight, their 8-ounce meals start at $4.75.

Delivery: Ordering from their website is easy, and picking up at their Atlanta storefront is seamless; it's self-pickup from one of their lobby's freezers. We ordered and picked up from Atlanta twice (same fantastic service and Tina did her best to accommodate us while getting to know us..I love that!) We traveled with our second order, which took a while because our flights got canceled and rescheduled, but that meat was perfect when we arrived home. And we recently ordered, and it came with the same quality meat. Talk about consistency!

Other things to Note: Rebel Raw's website is a fantastic source of information regarding their food. Each recipe has a breakdown of the ingredients, nutrient breakdown, and exact ratios percentages per grind. Talk about sharing everything!