CARE launches Soul Phood pet food brand with Critter Fixers

Companions and Animals for Reform and Equity launched Soul Phood, a pet food brand co-founded with veterinarians and TV stars Dr. Vernard Hodges and Dr. Terrence Ferguson. The nonprofit says the brand is meant to widen access, representation and economic opportunity in a $147 billion pet industry while funding workforce development and community programs.

Why it matters: - CARE is using a pet food brand as a social enterprise to push into an industry where businesses owned by people of color represent only a small share of revenue. - The launch is designed to create jobs, support supplier diversity and channel profits back into nonprofit programs. - CARE is also aiming to build a manufacturing and workforce development hub in Camden, New Jersey.

What happened: - Companions and Animals for Reform and Equity announced the official launch of Soul Phood on June 25, 2026, in Baltimore. - Soul Phood is co-founded with Dr. Vernard Hodges and Dr. Terrence Ferguson, the veterinarians behind Nat Geo's Critter Fixers: Country Vets. - CARE positioned the brand as a community-centered pet food company with a focus on access, representation and economic opportunity.

The details: - CARE said Soul Phood operates under its social enterprise model. - The brand is meant to provide affordable, high-quality pet nutrition. - Veterinary and nutritional oversight comes from the Critter Fixers team. - CARE's research found that businesses owned by people of color make up only a small fraction of total pet industry revenue, with even fewer in pet food. - CARE said the brand will reinvest profits into its nonprofit programs. - The organization also plans to pursue impact investment to help scale Soul Phood over time. - James Evans, CARE's chief executive officer, said the launch represents a new model for community impact and business innovation.

Between the lines: - CARE is pairing a consumer brand with workforce development to turn mission-driven activity into a revenue stream. - The involvement of the Critter Fixers gives Soul Phood built-in national recognition and veterinary credibility. - The strategy points to a broader effort to make pet care more inclusive while also building economic pathways in underserved communities. - The Critter Fixers' television series has run for six seasons, treated more than 20,000 animal patients and received a Critics Choice Real TV Award plus an NAACP Image Award nomination. - Their mentorship program, Vet for a Day, has expanded into a national multi-city effort serving more than 1,000 students interested in veterinary medicine and animal care careers.

What's next: - CARE plans to grow Soul Phood through supplier diversity, workforce development and future impact investment. - The organization says future profits will help sustain its mission-driven programs long term. - CARE also plans to use the brand to advance equity, representation and inclusion across the pet industry. - More information is available through CARE's social channels, including its LinkedIn page, Instagram account and Facebook page.

The bottom line: - Soul Phood is CARE's attempt to turn pet food into both a business and a workforce pipeline, with the Critter Fixers providing visibility and expertise.