Good Company

Evanger's and Against the Grain Bet on VSI to Win the West Through Independent Retail

A 90 year old family owned pet food maker is expanding west of the Rockies not through a big box deal, but through a distributor built for independent stores.

By Good Company Editorial Desk

Evanger's Dog and Cat Food logo, red and gold badge reading Food for Dogs and Cats, Since 1935, on a white background

The News

Evanger's Dog & Cat Food Company and Against the Grain Pet Food have signed a new distribution partnership with Veterinary Service, Inc. (VSI), a distributor that serves independent pet retailers across the western United States. The deal was announced on October 14 and reported the same day by Pet Age, PetfoodIndustry, and PETS+.

Through VSI, western retailers will be able to order hundreds of wet and dry foods, treats, and toppers for dogs and cats across both brands. The announcement specifically named four recent launches that will move through the new channel: Evanger's EVx Jerky Treats, Evanger's EVx Functional Dog Food Recipes, Against the Grain Happy Cakes for Dogs & Cats, and Against the Grain Slow Cooked Meaty Shreds Kibble Toppers.

Owner Holly Sher framed the choice as a partnership decision rather than a logistics decision, saying the goal was securing a true partner committed to driving brand expansion alongside the company at retail. In the announcement, the company credited VSI with deep independent retailer relationships, a seasoned field team, and support that includes targeted marketing, active sales, education, and merchandising.

Retailers that want to carry either brand through the new arrangement were directed to contact their VSI representative for ordering and availability. No financial terms for the partnership were disclosed in the announcement.

Why It Matters

Distribution is the quiet growth lever in pet food. A brand can launch a strong new recipe and still stall if independent retailers cannot order it easily, keep it in stock, or explain it to a customer standing in the aisle. This deal puts two established brands into a distributor whose whole pitch is field support for independents, not just warehouse movement.

That matters more in the current retail climate. Good Company reported earlier this month that independent pet retailers have seen transactions fall sharply since 2024, and that services and stronger in store support are among the ways independents are fighting back. A distributor that brings marketing, education, and merchandising help along with cases of food gives a small store more to work with than a price list.

There is also a positioning point. Evanger's describes itself as a privately held, family owned company that has made pet food in the United States since 1935, and the announcement leaned on quality, transparency, and family values. Selling that story through independent retailers, where staff recommendations carry weight, is a natural fit. The channel and the brand message point in the same direction.

The Numbers

  • More than 2,500 retail stores sit in VSI's distribution network west of the Rocky Mountains, according to the announcement.
  • Hundreds of products across the two brands, spanning wet and dry foods, treats, and toppers for dogs and cats, become available to those retailers through VSI.
  • Four recent launches were named in the announcement: two under Evanger's EVx line and two under Against the Grain.
  • Evanger's was founded in 1935, which makes the company more than 90 years old, and it says it partners with independent pet retailers nationwide.
  • VSI was founded in 1960, according to the distributor's own partnership announcements earlier this year, and its western territory in those announcements covered states including California, Oregon, Washington, Nevada, Arizona, Utah, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, New Mexico, and Hawaii.
  • Financial terms of the Evanger's and Against the Grain partnership were not disclosed.

Those numbers describe reach, not yet results. The announcement did not state how many of the 2,500 plus stores already carry either brand, how many are expected to add them, or what sales target the partners have set for the western region.

What It Means For You

If you run a brand selling through independents, treat this as a reminder to audit what your distributor actually does beyond delivery. Ask, in writing, what field coverage, staff education, merchandising visits, and local marketing support come with the agreement. Sher's stated criteria are a useful checklist to borrow when you renegotiate your own deal.

If you run an independent store in the West, the practical move is simple: ask your VSI representative what changes for ordering, pricing, and support on these two brands, and whether the four named launches come with introductory terms or staff training. New distribution often opens a short window of attention from the brand. Use it to negotiate the education and merchandising help while the partnership is still new.

If you compete with Evanger's or Against the Grain in western independents, expect a harder fight for shelf space and staff mindshare in the coming quarters. A field team actively selling in a competitor line is different from that line simply being available in a catalog. Plan your own rep visits and retailer support accordingly.

If you are a founder watching from outside pet food, the lesson travels: in a crowded category, channel partners who help sell the product can be worth more than a marginally cheaper route to a warehouse.

What To Watch

Watch whether western independents actually broaden their assortment from the two brands, starting with the four launches named in the announcement, or whether availability changes without much change in what stores stock.

Watch for follow on moves from Evanger's, including further regional distribution deals outside the West or new products built specifically for the independent channel. One regional partnership is a step. A pattern of them would signal a deliberate independent first growth strategy.

Watch VSI as well. The distributor signed an exclusive partnership with pet wellness brand Rooted Owl earlier this year covering the same western territory, so it is actively adding companion animal brands. More signings would confirm that VSI is building a broader pet specialty portfolio, which raises both the opportunity and the competition for attention inside its catalog.

Finally, watch for any disclosed results. If either company later shares door counts, regional sales growth, or repeat order data tied to this partnership, that will show whether field led distribution is still a growth engine for legacy brands, or simply table stakes.

Sources

  • PetfoodIndustry, Evanger's, Against the Grain sign VSI distribution deal, October 2026: https://www.petfoodindustry.com/news-newsletters/pet-food-news/news/15837531/evangers-against-the-grain-sign-vsi-distribution-deal
  • Pet Age, Evanger's, Against the Grain Partner with VSI to Expand Distribution Across the Western US, October 14, 2026: https://www.petage.com/evangers-against-the-grain-partner-with-vsi-to-expand-distribution-across-the-western-us/
  • PETS+, Evanger's and Against the Grain Partner with VSI to Expand Distribution Across Western U.S.: https://petsplusmag.com/evangers-and-against-the-grain-partner-with-vsi-to-expand-distribution-across-western-u-s/
  • Rooted Owl distribution announcement (VSI founded in 1960 and its western territory), June 2026: https://markets.financialcontent.com/chroniclejournal/article/acnnewswire-2026-6-12-rooted-owlr-expands-us-distribution-through-exclusive-partnership-with-veterinary-service-inc-vsi