Celebrating 78 Years of Bil-Jac: A Legacy Built on Nutrition

On Jan. 8, 2025, Bil-Jac celebrates 78 years of doing what we love most – helping dogs live their happiest, healthiest lives through exceptional nutrition and ultimate taste. What began as a humble dream in Medina, Ohio, has grown into a thriving business, driven by a passion for making a meaningful difference in the lives of dogs and their families.

“People care so much for their pets – their four-footed family members,” says Bil-Jac President Bob Kelly, son of founder Bill Kelly. “We want to continue to meet the needs of dogs and their pet parents with our high-quality food that delivers on the taste dogs love.”

Since the beginning, Bil-Jac has always been about dogs and the people who love them. That commitment began with a pair of brothers, a tradition of nutrition, and a dedication to helping dogs thrive.

A History of Supporting Animal Nutrition

Long before Bil-Jac was founded, the Kelly family’s passion for animal nutrition began at home. Brothers Bill and Jack Kelly grew up on a farm in Ohio, taking care of hundreds of animals. It was there that Bill and Jack experienced how quality ingredients and proper preparation impacted the overall health of their animals.

The brothers’ passion didn’t end when World War II intervened. Bill was drafted into the Army in June of 1944, sending the young farmer to Fort Benjamin Harrison for boot camp. The base was home to a large kennel of bomb sniffing German Shepherds.

When Bill saw the dogs, he knew he could help them nutritionally and with their shelter, so he spoke to his superior. With his commanding officer’s approval, Bill called home for supplies. Shortly thereafter, Bill completely dug out the dog’s old shelter and rebuilt a new kennel with bedding, proper drainage, and the high-quality food that Bill formulated. It wasn’t long before the German Shepherds were thriving under their new care.

Bill Heads Back Home

After returning home, Bill and his new wife, Ruth, faced a tough reality. The family farm couldn’t sustain them and they had only $38 in Army severance pay. Bill had job offers in electronics, but his passion for helping animals pulled him in a different direction. He remembered how his homemade food helped those military dogs thrive. With Ruth’s blessing and his brother Jack’s support, Bill set out to create a better dog food.

On Jan. 8, 1947, Bil-Jac Foods was born. They produced small batches of fresh, meat-based dog food and delivered the food door-to-door in Medina. From the beginning, Bil-Jac was different: the focus was on nutritional excellence, fresh ingredients, and a cooking method that would set a new standard in pet nutrition.

The Start of a New Family Tradition

On the first day of sales, 11 customers bought 75 pounds of Bil-Jac for $11.27. Friends and neighbors quickly bought in, and the brothers grew their brand the old-fashioned way – by going house to house and knocking on doors.

After making a new batch of food each morning, Bill would visit new homes and invite them to try the Two Bowl Challenge. The homeowners would place two bowls next to each other and fill one with their current dog food and the other with Bil-Jac. Being so fresh and delicious, the dogs always chose Bil-Jac.

Between word of mouth and sales calls, more dogs and their pet parents sought out Bil-Jac. Bill also stopped by boarding kennels in northern Ohio to talk to local pet professionals and trainers. The specialists were quickly hooked on the benefits of a premium dog food, and kennel customers soon learned how much their dogs loved Bil-Jac when they refused to eat their usual food at home.

What started with $38 in severance pay and a passion for animal nutrition slowly grew into a burgeoning business with loyal customers. Bill also discovered that because of its unique formulation and manufacturing process, Bil-Jac was eligible for a patent. After an application process, in 1951 Bil-Jac became the first dog food to ever be granted a patent in the U.S.

New Ideas, Same Values

After a couple of decades, Bil-Jac continued to grow in popularity among families, breeders, trainers, and anyone else who wanted to feed their furry four-legged friends top-quality food. Customers loved the frozen dog food, but more and more people asked if the company would ever make dry dog food.

It wasn’t that Bill wasn’t interested in the idea. The problem was that Bil-Jac would not sell a dry food unless it adhered to the same level of uncompromising quality and nutrition as the frozen formula. While competitors were content to sell shelf-stable kibble, Bill spent several decades working on a method to produce a premium dry dog food.

After more than 30 years of work, Bill’s efforts paid off in the ‘80s with the Nutri-Lock cooking method. Bill had devised a way to slow cook small batches of dog food before gently drying the kibble at half the typical temperatures used by other companies. This new method allowed Bil-Jac to focus on four key differences to set it apart from the competition.

• More fresh chicken than anyone with 25 pounds of chicken used to make a 30-pound bag of dry dog food.
• Low-temperature, vacuum drying to protect the all-important key nutrients.
• More highly digestible carbohydrates so that dogs can fully utilize ingredients.
• No added fat, unlike other dog foods that rely on sprayed-on flavor to make up for lost nutrition and flavor.

In addition to dry food, Bil-Jac also began making treats in the ‘80s. Between the new dry food and various lines of treats, Bil-Jac could start shipping products to stores across the nation and introduce even more dogs and their pet parents to Bil-Jac.

Giving Back to the Canine Community

Beyond nutrition, Bil-Jac has always sought to make a difference in the broader canine community. Through our partnership with America’s VetDogs, we’ve donated more than $2 million to support the training and placement of service dogs for disabled veterans and first responders. It’s just one way we honor the bond between people and their pets.

“We’re not just a company that makes dog food – we’re a family that cares deeply about dogs and the people who love them,” says Bob Kelly. “That’s why giving back is such an important part of what we do.”

From Humble Beginnings to A Lasting Commitment

While a great deal has changed since Jan. 8, 1947, the company is still very much the same as it was 78 years ago – now a thriving and trusted brand from Medina, Ohio that believes in doing things the right way with its products, consumers, retailers, and employees.

“I’m proud to say that after 78 years, we’re still focused on the principles that Dad and Uncle Jack built the company on – making the best food we can to support the health and happiness of dogs,” Bob Kelly says. “Dad always said that the goal was never to be the biggest pet food company – it was to be the one that made a difference in the lives of dogs and their pet parents. I’m pretty sure he’s looking down and smiling.”

Bill’s passion for supporting animals laid the groundwork for Bil-Jac, but its ongoing success is the result of a dedicated team and the support of those who believed in his dream.

“We would like to say thank you to everyone who has been a Bil-Jac customer,” Bob says. “We are very grateful to be here 78 years later, and we thank all of our pet parents, retail partners, and amazing employees for all their support over the years. We wouldn’t be here without you!”

Supporting Dogs from Ohio to the World

Everything you need to know about Bil-Jac was founded in those early years through the determination of Bill and Jack Kelly to do things a better way. Since 1947, Bil-Jac has fed thousands of champions and famous movie star dogs. It has been the choice of winning breeders and trainers, alike, and has won countless taste tests conducted with dogs around the world.

After all these years, what we’re the proudest of is helping you and your dogs thrive. We’ve developed loyal customers and made a difference in the lives of millions of beloved pets – and we’re excited to continue helping our extended furry family in the years to come.

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