December 2025 News

Ursula Landsrath Grant Award    

We are thrilled to share that Serenity Farm Virginia has been awarded a $1,000 grant to support improvements to one of our original animal structures! With this generous funding, we were able to replace the panel box, upgrade electrical wiring, and install outdoor lighting, all critical upgrades to help keep our animal residents safe and warm this winter.

We are deeply grateful to The Ursula Landsrath Animal Rescue Fund and the Community Foundation for Loudoun and Northern Fauquier Counties for their support and investment in the well-being of our sanctuary animals.  

Animal Medical Care Update

At Serenity Farm Virginia, every animal who comes to us stays with us for life, and we are devoted to providing the best possible care—from initial rehabilitation for those who arrive fragile, to loving hospice care as they grow older. We celebrate and honor them at every stage of life.

Providing compassionate, high-quality medical care comes at a cost. So far this year, our medical expenses have reached $12,400, representing a 50% increase over last year’s total due to the growing needs of our residents.

If you are able to help us continue offering the care these animals need and deserve, please consider making a donation to the Medical Fund. Every contribution, no matter the size, makes a meaningful difference. Thank you.

Dog & Cat Food Ingredients — What the Labels Really Mean  

Feeding our pets well is something we all care deeply about. Pet food is a massive industry, with Americans projected to spend more than $67.8 billion on dog and cat food and treats in 2025. Buzzwords and colorful images of fresh meat and vegetables often suggest we’re buying the same quality of food we choose for our human families. But do those pictures of fresh food really tell us what’s inside the bag or can? Does “Chicken as the #1 Ingredient” mean the food is mostly chicken? Probably not.

Let’s break down some common terms you might see on labels:
Natural and Holistic – There is no official FDA definition of these terms for pet food.
Cage-Free and Free Range – Without independent certification this has no real meaning.
Humanely Raised – Unless there is a certification such as Certified Humane or American Humane Certified this has no real meaning.
Human Grade – To legitimately use this claim, the product must meet strict standards showing that every ingredient and the finished product was handled, processed, and stored according to human food safety rules. This is a voluntary and rarely met standard.
Farm Raised – There is no defined regulatory standards in pet food labeling for this claim.  

How Ingredient Lists Work

When reading an ingredient list, it’s common to think the first item is the main ingredient. But pet food ingredients are listed by weight before cooking, and raw meat can be up to 75% water. That means a product advertising “Chicken as the #1 Ingredient” could actually have more grain than chicken.  

In this example from a popular dog kibble, there is actually more corn and by-product meal than chicken: “Chicken, Whole Grain Corn, Chicken By-Product Meal, Barley, Whole Grain Wheat, Soybean Hulls, Rice, Corn Protein Meal…” When I was the proprietor of a health food store for people and pets, customers frequently came in seeking help for their dogs’ skin conditions. This brand was the food most often being fed, and switching to a higher-quality diet usually resolved the issue.

One ingredient I recommend avoiding whenever possible is by-products. Choosing foods made with clearly identified meat ingredients rather than by-products is often a better option. The AAFCO description of Meat By-Products is “The non-rendered, clean parts, other than meat, derived from slaughtered mammals. It includes, but is not limited to, lungs, spleen, kidneys, brain, livers, blood, bone, partially de-fatted low temperature fatty tissue and stomachs and intestines freed of their contents. It does not include hair, horns, teeth and hoofs. It shall be suitable for use in animal feed. If it bears a name descriptive of its kind, it must correspond thereto.”

A Veterinarian’s Wise Words

Back in the 1990s, I hosted natural pet care seminars, and one of our speakers was holistic veterinarian Dr. Christina Chambreau. She encouraged us to feed our dogs and cats a meat-based diet of fresh food rather than highly processed kibble. But understanding that isn’t possible for every pet parent, she shared a visual that has stayed with me all these years. Standing beside a chair, she reached toward the floor and said, “This in grocery store kibble.” Then she stepped onto the chair and said, “This is high-quality kibble.” Finally, while standing on the chair she reached toward the ceiling, and said, “This is a balanced fresh-food diet.”  She then told each of us to feed the best quality we could.  

At SFV, we encourage fresh, unprocessed foods for pets whenever possible. We also understand that not every family can make this a daily reality. What matters most is the care and love you give your animals. Even small steps, like adding a bit of fresh food to their usual meals, make a meaningful difference.  

For a deeper dive into pet food ingredients and what they really mean, I recommend exploring Truth About Pet Food.    

Don’t miss our January newsletter: Healthy, homemade pet food made simple!

Wishing you serenity and peace,
Jo Bighouse