Philip Steir, Category Manager for Alternative Protein
Started with Earth Animal: July 2018
What is your role, and why is it important to Earth Animal’s success?
In my role as category manager for Alternative Protein, I’m currently focusing on plant-based treats, chews, and food. Earth Animal’s foray into alternative animal protein products represents a massive component of doing things Another Way and is part of the brand’s mission to create a better, humane, and sustainable world for all animals.
Generally speaking, the plant-based diet and plant-based products a fast-growing category in the market driven by consumer’s interest in the health benefits, animal welfare, and sustainability. And recently, we’ve seen an increase in pet parents looking for protein alternatives, such as a plant-based foods and treats, or recipes which take a more reducetarian approach to animal meat.
What do you love most about your job? What brings you the most satisfaction?
What I love most about my job is that I can work for a company in the pet industry that genuinely cares about doing business as a force for good in the world. Earth Animal is a company committed to having an ethical foundation in everything it does, whether it’s about growth, animal welfare, or sustainability. The mission and our “why” is always about giving back, having integrity, putting employees first, and creating happy, healthy lives for animals worldwide.
What gives me the most satisfaction is being involved with creating the best products that can replace farmed animals in our supply chain. That is my passion. My job allows me to make a positive impact on the production of pet food and treats in a way that aligns with my own values. It’s also highly satisfying to provide pet parents with healthy, delicious alternatives to animal products for their pups. One of those products happens to be a meatless version of the most iconic alternative dog chew ever! All in all, it’s a dream come true.
What do you love most about Earth Animal as a brand?
I love so many aspects of the Earth Animal brand, but first and foremost is the primary inspiration that the company was founded on and still drives it forward today. That purpose is to preserve and enhance the quality of life for all animals, the people, and the Earth. For me, those three subjects are the only things that matter.
What is your favorite Earth Animal product and why?
Our new No-Meat No-Hide® Chews! These new meatless No-Hides represent a great analogy to all of the exciting things taking place in the human food space, where traditional, familiar products made from farmed animals are now being replaced specifically with plant-based alternatives. With enough perseverance, patience, and strategy, in the same way the original No-Hides did, these new No Hides can lead the way to a better and healthier pet food industry.
Tell us about an animal you love
In January of 2009, I lived in Los Angeles. For my birthday that year, I decided to rescue a handful of dogs from a high kill shelter in South Central LA. Following the economic crash of 2008, the shelters were overcrowded with dogs and cats, many of which were to be euthanized. I planned to place these dogs with a local rescue group and help find them homes. After taking in about six dogs and one handsome cat (who I kept,) I noticed a terrified little red puppy shivering in a holding cell. I asked a staff member why this little puppy was listed as “unadoptable.” He said she was too afraid of people and seemed almost feral. I took her out of there immediately. She was the most frightened dog I’d ever met, and it took me nearly 7 months to get her ready for adoption. No one seemed good enough by that time, and she became my furry daughter.
Chili turns 14 in July 2022. My little red wolf and I have had an amazing, love-filled decade and a half together.
