Fresh pet food brand The Farmer's Dog has signed a multi-year partnership with U.S. women's tennis No. 1 Jess Pegula, directing resources toward A Lending Paw Foundation — a nonprofit Pegula co-founded that rescues dogs and trains them as service animals for people in need.
Under the agreement, The Farmer's Dog will provide its freshly cooked, human-grade meal plans to dogs currently in A Lending Paw's program while also backing the foundation's fundraising efforts to rescue, rehabilitate, train, and place service dogs. The partnership launches during the U.S. Open, making Pegula the brand's first tennis ambassador.
The Nutrition Angle
For The Farmer's Dog, the deal extends a brand narrative that has long linked high-quality pet nutrition to better health outcomes — a message that resonates well beyond the direct-to-consumer channel. The company's recipes are developed by board-certified veterinary nutritionists and PhD nutritionists, and every meal is made to human-grade safety standards. Supplying those meals to working service dogs in training puts the product's performance credentials in front of a new, mission-driven audience.
"Dogs have an incredible ability to make our lives better, and few things are more powerful than seeing a rescue dog get a second chance and go on to change someone's life," said Jonathan Regev, CEO and Co-Founder of The Farmer's Dog. "Jess shares our belief that dogs are worth caring for in the best way we can."
Beyond the Sponsorship
Pegula, who owns three rescue dogs, will also participate in Dog Comfort Days™, a community initiative from The Farmer's Dog that brings pet companionship to underserved communities. The brand plans exclusive giveaways on social media for fans in and outside New York City to coincide with the tournament launch.
The partnership reflects a broader trend in the premium pet food segment: brands aligning with high-profile athletes and cause-driven platforms to build credibility with health-conscious consumers who treat pets as family members. For operators in the hospitality and foodservice space tracking the human-grade pet food category, The Farmer's Dog continues to set the pace for how direct-to-consumer brands use athlete partnerships to amplify both mission and market reach. The move also signals continued investment in brand marketing at a moment when the food and beverage industry is watching premium pet nutrition as a bellwether for broader consumer spending on health and wellness.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
