Remembering Mingo...

Mingo was a little Chinese Crested dog that had been dropped off at the "Mutt Matchers' Animal Rescues" booth at a pet food convention in 1993. On his back was a little sign: "My name is Mingo and my owner died and I need a home". Lynnda Herrick, who was working the Natural Balance booth, happened to visit Mutt Matchers and fell in love with him right away.

She and her husband, Joey Herrick, Dick Van Patten's partner and president of Natural Balance Pet Foods, took Mingo home. Joey and Mingo have been inseparable ever since. Pet food store owners and distributors from the early days of Natural Balance remember Mingo riding in the delivery truck with Joey; he was always at Joey's side. Any visitors to the Natural Balance main office always met Mingo - sometimes at the front lobby window waiting for Joey to return, or sleeping on the comfy checkered couch in his office.

Mingo has been a very special part of Natural Balance Pet Foods and loved to test all the new foods we have added since his arrival. He lived to the ripe old age of 19.