Stella & Chewy's

Who Makes It

Stella & Chewy's is a Wisconsin-based pet food company known for freeze-dried raw and frozen raw dog and cat food, raw-coated kibble, and toppers such as Meal Mixers and Marie's Magical Dinner Dust. Jay Thompson became CEO in June 2025, succeeding founder Marie Moody, who had served as interim CEO in 2024. ^{1, 2}

Where It Is Made

The company runs its own manufacturing facility in Oak Creek, Wisconsin, which also houses its warehouse and headquarters. Its freeze-dried raw coated kibble is produced by a co-packer, North Freeze Dry in Little Falls, Minnesota, according to a May 2026 industry profile. ^{3, 1}

History

Marie Moody founded the company in 2003 after her rescue dog Chewy's health improved on a raw diet, and she first sold raw food to independent pet stores in New York City. Growth equity firms Stripes and Convergent Capital Partners invested in 2013, and the company later moved to Oak Creek, Wisconsin. After years of selling mostly through independent pet stores, it added Petco in 2023 and then PetSmart, Target and grocery chains in 2025. ^{4, 5, 1}

Worth Knowing

In July 2015 the company recalled a number of freeze-dried and frozen dog and cat products for possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination, and it said no illnesses had been reported. The company says it uses high-pressure pasteurization on its raw products, and its Oak Creek plant is SQF Level 2 certified. ^{6, 1}

1. foodchainmagazine.com/stella-chewys-turns-rescue-dog-devotion-into-a-global-benchmark-for-pet-food-safety
2. prnewswire.com/news-releases/stella--chewys-appoints-jay-thompson-as-new-ceo-302494161.html
3. lcnpartners.com/stella-and-chewys
4. urbanmilwaukee.com/pressrelease/stella-chewys-expands-operations-in-oak-creek
5. stripes.co/investments/stella-chewys
6. ohiovma.org/news/?p=1374

Researched from the sources above. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.