When we dreamed of Onala, it was always more than a company—it was a vision for a way of living in rhythm with nature, in our own way and at our own pace. That vision has been quietly guiding us for years, something we were drawn to even before we could name it.
The courage to begin now came from Naia—our puppy, born on New Year’s Day, with a spirit that filled both our farm and our hearts. Our desire to care for her with greater clarity, organization, and consistency became the spark. Naia: the Meal Planner for Dogs was born from that need, and it gave us the momentum to make Onala official—so we could share it with others who are searching for a way to feed their dogs with more confidence, or who haven’t yet begun their journey into fresh feeding because it feels too overwhelming.
Naia gave shape and urgency to our larger purpose. Naia: the Meal Planner for Dogs is our first offering, and it’s no accident. It is both a reflection of our deepest values and the reason we are here today, opening Onala to the world.
The First Table
I grew up with food that was close to the earth. Summers meant gardens overflowing with vegetables, berries, and herbs. We ate what was in season, what we grew ourselves, or what came from farmers markets. Restaurants were rare—maybe a couple of times a year.
Our cats thrived on a mix that might sound unusual today: kibble, fresh dairy, human food leftovers, and fish fresh off the hook, still flipping on the ground. And on the rarest stroke of luck, a whole sausage link snatched from a neighbor’s table—if anyone was careless enough to leave it unattended.
For me, nothing tasted sweeter than climbing the old mulberry tree—its trunk wider than I could reach—and eating berries until my lips and hands were stained with summer purple. Feeding was not an industry. It was simply life.
For my husband, food began in the hush of dawn and the fading light of dusk. Since he could walk, he was alongside his father and grandfather—hunting deer in the woods and ducks in the marshes, casting lines for grouper and mahi in the deep ocean, diving for lobster among the reefs, and gathering crabs and scallops from the seagrass beds. His first table was set by land, sea, and sky.
That rhythm left an imprint: food should be simple, whole, and alive.
Ongoing Choices
As I grew, I held onto that love of whole food and cooking. Over time, I came to understand how modern food systems often drift far from those roots. Documentaries, books, the organic and regenerative movements, and my own curiosity pushed me to learn, to question, to choose.
The more I knew, the more I simplified. Whole over refined. Raw or gently preserved over processed. Fresh or grown by neighbors over packaged. Natural materials in the home—cotton, wool, glass, iron—over synthetics. Even water, I learned, is alive when treated with care.
It’s not about perfection. It’s about direction—leaning closer to the natural, the honest, the simple.
The Land Attracted the Pack
When my husband and I found our property, we dreamed of a small farm. Today we tend a garden, fruit and nut trees, watch fish ripple the pond, and move chickens across fresh grass.
A week after moving in, a stranger left us a terrified black cat. We named her Pantera (pahn-TEH-rah). She became our companion and sentinel of the land. Later came our dogs—first Naia (NAH-yah), born on New Year’s Day, and then Sadie (SAY-dee), an English shepherd adopted through family-to-family placement. Each animal has shaken our rhythm and reshaped our family anew — grounding us, challenging what we thought we knew, and opening doorways we never knew were there.
What Naia Gave Us, We Now Share
When Naia the puppy entered our lives, we immersed ourselves in learning: training, daily rhythms, and nutrition. Through holistic voices like Dr. Karen Becker, we discovered how food can transform not only pets, but entire families.
Along the way, we realized we weren’t alone. Many others want their companions to live healthier, fuller lives—longing to feed them better, yet often feeling overwhelmed and unsure if they could do it on their own. Media often fuel that doubt, spreading fear about feeding anything outside of commercial norms.
And beneath it all sit the simplest questions:
How do you feed your dog in a way that reflects your own values and means?
How do you make sure they’re getting the nutrition they need?
And—perhaps the hardest of all—how do you make it simple enough to do, day after day?
The last question is where Naia: Meal Planner for Dogs comes in. Not to tell you what to believe—but to make it easier to live out the values you hold and apply the nutritional guidance you choose, with clarity and confidence.
Sadie’s Transition, Through Naia
Whether you’re just beginning or already feeding fresh, Naia helps bring clarity and ease to every stage — from transition, to daily prep, to long-term planning.
In the coming days, we’ll share Sadie’s own transition to a new way of eating—not by showing calorie charts or nutritional formulas, but by showing how Naia supports the process itself.
We’ll use the app to plan and adapt gradually. You’ll see how Naia can assist a transition step by step, while letting you hold onto your own philosophy of nutrition.
Sadie has already tried sardines, fresh meats, bones, veggies, and fruits—and the tail wags speak for themselves.
Follow along with Naia and Sadie on Instagram as they share their journey—and see how we use Naia: Meal Planner for Dogs to make the transition simple.
Naia is coming soon. It’s not just an app—it’s an invitation. A step toward living as true as we can, and helping our companions thrive alongside us.
Stay tuned – we’ll be announcing the release date on Instagram—and launching—this October!
With love from the Onala pack — and plenty of tail wags — from Naia and Sadie.