Halo

A Cat Named Spot and the Birth of "Human-Grade" Pet Food

In 1986, Andi Brown's cat Spot was falling apart — chronic diarrhea, skin infections, excessive shedding, kidney issues. Five different veterinarians prescribed premium foods and drugs, and three told her to put him to sleep. Then she met Voyko Marx, a chef and nutrition specialist who suggested something radical: throw away the prescription kibble and feed Spot a homemade chicken stew with fresh vegetables. Within a week, Spot's symptoms began clearing. That stew became "Spot's Stew," the first product under a new company Andi called Halo, Purely for Pets. It was manufactured in a USDA-inspected kitchen — a first for any pet food — and Andi personally coined the term "human-grade" to differentiate her ingredients from the rendered by-products dominating the industry. The term has since become one of the most used marketing phrases in premium pet food, but Halo was where it started.

Ellen, Investors, and the Corporate Shuffle

Halo's ownership history is a story of ambition, celebrity, and turbulence. Andi Brown ran the company for two decades before selling to investors in 2006, openly stating that the new owners changed her original formulas and moved production out of the USDA facility. In 2008, Ellen DeGeneres purchased a 15% stake and became co-owner, bringing massive visibility to the brand — her endorsement helped Halo reach mainstream retailers like Petco and Whole Foods. But the corporate carousel continued. In 2019, Better Choice Company (now SRx Health Solutions, Inc.) acquired Halo and added it to a portfolio that included TruDog and other direct-to-consumer pet brands. In 2022, the company relaunched Halo with a new marketing campaign targeting millennials and Gen Z under the tagline that pets are "the best kids." Through all the ownership changes, the core promise has remained: whole animal proteins, no rendered meat meals, no artificial anything.

What Makes Halo Different From Other "Natural" Brands

The pet food aisle is full of brands claiming to be natural, but Halo backs its claims with a few genuinely distinctive commitments:

• Whole meat, never meat meal – Halo uses whole chicken, turkey, salmon, or whitefish as its protein source, not rendered or dehydrated "meals." The brand argues this is easier to digest and more nutrient-dense, though it also means higher moisture content in the raw ingredient.
• Responsibly sourced animal proteins – Holistic line meats and poultry carry Global Animal Partnership or Marine Stewardship Council certification, meaning welfare and sustainability standards are third-party verified.
• Non-GMO fruits and vegetables – produce is sourced largely from Europe, where GMO regulations are stricter, to support the brand's non-GMO commitment.
• Prebiotics, probiotics, and postbiotics – Halo claims to be the only pet food brand incorporating all three biotics in its Holistic line, targeting digestive and immune health.

On the flip side, some Halo recipes still include garlic powder — an ingredient that remains controversial in pet nutrition. Over 200 pet owners once petitioned Halo to remove it, but the company has maintained that the amounts used are safe. Buyers who are cautious about garlic should check individual labels before purchasing.

The Honest Trade-Offs

Halo is not cheap. Pricing sits firmly in the premium tier, and the combination of whole meat sourcing and certified sustainability drives costs higher than comparable "natural" competitors like Wellness or Merrick. The brand's recall history is minimal — a 2013 salmonella-related recall for some Spot's Stew dog food lots, and a 2015 voluntary recall of a single cat food recipe for potential mould. Neither incident was widespread. The bigger concern for some buyers is the revolving door of ownership and the gap between Andi Brown's original vision and the corporate-managed brand Halo has become. The formulas today are good — above-average protein, no by-products, no artificial additives, strong sustainability credentials — but they are not the same recipes Andi hand-developed in a USDA kitchen in the 1980s. For pet owners who want whole-meat-based, responsibly sourced nutrition and are willing to pay for it, Halo delivers. Just know that you are buying a legacy brand that has been reinvented multiple times, and check whether the specific formula you are considering lives up to the brand's best promises.