About Us

Hi! I’m Diana Laverdure-Dunetz, MS. I hold a Masters in Animal Science degree, have co-authored two ground-breaking dog health books and I’m also an ethical vegan! I am dedicated to raising healthy, THRIVING dogs while respecting the lives of ALL animals and this beautiful planet we all share. I hope you will join me!

HOW MY JOURNEY INTO CANINE NUTRITION BEGAN

You may wonder how someone decides to become a “canine nutritionist.” Well, I can assure you that it wasn’t on my career list when I was a child or even in college! I actually never thought much about what to feed dogs until I adopted my canine soulmate, Chase, back in January 2002. Even then, I thought, like many people do, that I could just “pour something into his bowl” and that was that. No big deal. Boy, was I ever wrong! Chase came to me from the shelter with a litany of health problems, including chronic diarrhea, dry, flaky skin and patchy fur that would easily fall out at the touch. Not to mention the fact that he was severely underweight.

So, like any good dog mom, I took Chase to the vet, who prescribed ongoing steroids and antibiotics to help “manage” his symptoms.

At that time, I was becoming more aware of the power of food and natural healing for myself, and I knew that a life of prescription drugs – with all of their potentially horrible side effects – was not the solution I wanted for my boy. But even though I knew what I didn’t want to do for Chase, I wasn’t sure what I should do.

So, I started reading nearly every research book I could that was authored by veterinarians who believed in the power of nutrition, most notably Dr. Richard Pitcairn. Before long, and with tons of trial and error experiences (trust me, it was a real learning process!), I’d strung together a healthy nutritional plan for Chase.

The results were astonishing. Within a couple of months his turn-around was miraculous. His skin cleared up, his fur grew in full and lush and I was able cut his daily diarrhea meds down to only occasional use in case of a flare-up.

Watching Chase heal through the power of proper nutrition completely changed the trajectory of my life. I returned to university and earned a Master’s in Animal Science degree, co-authored two books on dog health and nutrition with renowned holistic veterinarian Dr. Jean Dodds and began professionally formulating fresh food diets for dogs all over the world.

My beloved Chase passed away from old age on June 30, 2018. While I miss him terribly, I am comforted in the knowledge that fresh-food nutrition, not over-vaccinating and providing him with a nourishing, loving environment contributed to his long, healthy, joyful life.  And, Chase continues to live on in my heart as well as in the work that I do and my ever-evolving view on the topic of feeding thriving dogs.

But Chase’s ultimate gift to me far transcends understanding how to feed dogs for optimum health. Chase taught me to love and respect ALL animals.

MY EVOLUTION

As my canine nutrition business grew, so did my internal unrest. Because Chase was a rescue, he opened my eyes to the suffering of all species, not just those that we consider four-legged children. I became a vegetarian and then a vegan. Along with my evolving values and lifestyle came the discord of creating canine diets that included animal products.

I was contributing to the abuse and death of other intelligent, feeling animals in my business life while being staunchly against doing so in my personal life. Talk about internal conflict! So, I had to do something about it.

PLANT-POWERED DOG TO THE RESCUE!

This is how Plant-Powered Dog was born. Since dogs are omnivores (check out these facts!) and can thrive on well-planned plant-based diets, my new mission is to start a global, grassroots plant-based dog nutrition movement, providing the tools, resources and support for raising plant-powered pups.

I’d love to help you and other dog guardians worldwide raise healthy, thriving dogs through a compassionate lifestyle that positively impacts the well-being of all animals and the planet.

MY PLANT-BASED APPROACH

My approach is simple; the goal is to provide you with information, guidance and a safe space to take your dog’s health to a new level while aligning your compassion and respect for all animals and the planet.

While I would be elated to live in a world where every dog is fed a plant-based diet and animal suffering is exponentially reduced, I am also realistic and understand that this way of eating may not be right for all dogs or their caretakers at this time.

I am not asking for perfection – I am simply asking for progress. It is the same I ask of myself and my clients. I still have clients that insist on feeding their dogs meat. And, for now I still help these clients because the process enables me to make changes that reduce the animal products in the diet while still doing what is best for the dog. Even small reductions in meat can add up to massive savings of life.

If we can reduce the unnecessary suffering and death of all sentient, feeling animals while also raising healthy, happy, thriving dogs, I call that a win.

I welcome everyone and their dogs with open arms and hope that we can advance this movement together and be examples for others that not only can we as humans thrive on a compassionate lifestyle, but so can our beloved canine companions.

Visit my Why Feed Your Dog Plant-Based page for some shocking statistics and fascinating facts on the benefits of raising your canine companion plant-based. And, don’t forget to check out our Resources and FAQ pages, which we will continue to add to as our compassionate journey unfolds.

Thankfully, feeding healthy, thriving dogs while choosing life for ALL animals is not only possible — it is fun, exciting and energizing. After all, what could feel better than giving your beloved dog the best health and life possible while also reducing suffering and enabling other beautiful animals to live the lives they so desperately want to live. It’s a definite win-win!