Steve is an early hemp entrepreneur with over a decade of experience in cannabis extraction, formulation, and product development. He has won awards as an extractor, has a patent pending processing methodology, and has long supported the development of the U.S. CBD industry. He also happens to be a huge dog lover! He’s the biggest reason why we developed our pet line – both the Chill Bites hemp treats and the Chill Sauce drops.
Tell us a little bit about yourself and your dogs.
I love animals. I rescue and foster as much as possible. I call my house the island of misfit toys. I have five dogs at the moment: Rocco 13, Ecco 8, Peanut 3, Lucy 3, and Tori 16. Rocco, Peanut, and Lucy are all bully breed types, Ecco and Tori are two little deaf jack russells. Tori is the oldest and smallest at 12lbs and runs the house. She’s always glued to my side. She will also bite you, so watch out! Each dog came from a unique rescue type scenario, some happy, some sad. We’re a goofy pack of all shapes and sizes now. We had a 6th – Dutchess, but she was able to go back with one of her original owners recently.
How did you start rescuing animals?
My first dog was named Bella. Unfortunately, she passed away too young from cancer. Since her passing, I have made it a point to help as many animals as possible. A few years ago, a pair of dogs went viral on social media for their unfortunate living situation. I commented on that post, and, for some reason, the owner messaged willing to surrender the dogs to me. I worked with a few national rescues to coordinate their pick up and placements. I ended up fostering them for a few weeks while they transitioned to life off the chain. Since then, I’ve become an active rescuer and transporter.
How did this project come about?
My dogs take the same products that I take. Every day more people and animal owners are becoming aware that this is an option for them – that they may not have to always go the pharmaceutical route. This is a natural and kind of holistic approach. This is the lifestyle that we practice, and feel our pets should practice it too!
How has hemp helped your dogs?
I personally have a pair of deaf dogs, so I deal with high anxiety and separation anxiety issues. We think hemp and hemp products are really beneficial for that. With older dogs, you see a lot of great relief with joint and just general aging pains. Hemp is also really high in omega fatty acids, so the coats on animals are generally much nicer. Everyone always comments about how soft they feel.
Why are you so passionate about this project?
This is going to sound weird, but I’ve never eaten as many dog treats in my life as I have in the last few months. Our pets eat them, so we wanted to make them the right way – farm to bowl. I’m really looking forward to sharing my knowledge and experience of these products with other pet owners. Everyone is really new to this space, so a lot of people are looking for direction and guidance on how to use these products with their pets. It’s important to me personally, and I think it’s going to help a ton of pets in the long run!