FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions
Q:Why are there minimum orders?
A: Your Pet’s Butcher purchases directly from meat packers, who in turn sell in bulk. When ordering we have minimums so we can justify purchasing the quantities mandated by meat wholesalers in a given week. Since we operate as a single entity, unlike a grocer we don’t have the means to break up our orders among a number of retail outlets, nor can we have fresh product on display for days…we simply don’t have the foot traffic associated with a brick-and-mortar storefront.
Once products are received at Canine University, they are first portioned and labeled for those who have pre-ordered, with any remainder weighed and packaged for retail sale; all are then placed in our chest freezer. Whether you are picking up an order, or haven’t ordered anything but need food, you can purchase from what’s available, as much or little as you’d like.
In a nutshell: however you purchase food from us, you are getting meat and raw bones in a fresher, pre-packaged state…and as we have incorporated a retail presence into an existing business we don’t have the same overhead, which translates into considerable savings for you.
Q: Do you have samples for me to try?
A: We don’t have any meat or bones set aside for sampling. Over time we plan on putting together some combination packages involving different types of meat and raw bones.
Q: Where do you obtain your products?
A: We purchase products from a variety of USDA-inspected meat packers and distributors, whenever possible we also purchase product from farms based in New England. It all depends on what we are buying, as many specialize in a single type of meat; many of the people we deal with are located in Boston. I will say that the suppliers we use- based on our own experience- consistently supply us with top quality human grade products. We would expect no less considering that their core business is supplying the hospitality industry (ranging from finer hotels and restaurants to sandwich shops and butchers) throughout New England.
Q: Do you ship or deliver locally?
A: At this time all orders must be picked up at Canine University on the days and hours specified. We’re not set up for shipping and do not offer a delivery service, BUT some cab companies offer package service and so long as you let us know that you’ll be doing that it shouldn’t be a problem. Friends can pick up your order too; if someone other than you will be coming print them a map and make sure they have your receipt.
Q: What happens if I place an order, then are unable to pick up my order during your hours?
A: Hasn’t happened, ever! If you don’t think you can come while we are open, in short you shouldn’t order. If you order and find out later you can’t make it, send me an email and if I get it in time I can take it off our order. We presently have one large freezer, but need to ensure that there is room for the coming week’s orders as well as anything we purchase specifically for resale. Though frozen, products will lose some of their nutritive value the longer they remain frozen, and as we absolutely won’t sell old meat etc we cannot offer any refunds nor credits toward future orders, on food which isn’t picked up. Orders which aren’t picked up during the week are either donated or disposed of.
Q: What does it mean when you say your products are sold as ‘not for human consumption’?
A: Our products are completely human-grade and sourced from USDA-inspected facilities, but since there is no refrigeration if you tell us that you are making chicken neck tacos Your Pet’s Butcher can’t sell you chicken necks.
Q: Do you charge sales tax?
A: Since you can buy meat and raw bones in some form at your local grocer, there is no sales tax.
Q: Can I order more than the minimum order?
A: Absolutely; you can increase the quantity of shares you are purchasing on any item, and update your cart for a new total before checkout. As we are owned by many dogs I can tell you it’s a hell of a lot easier for us to buy in bulk/ freeze than searching for things to feed them on a daily or weekly basis. So long as they do not become completely defrosted you can refreeze meat and raw bones that you are feeding companion animals, in fact when dealing with a frozen item (such as lamb liver, which my preferred supplier sells in a 10-pound frozen block) you need to let it defrost a bit in order to carve portions for your pet’s needs.
Q. Can groups or individuals split large orders?
A: If you are looking to order in bulk there is a 10% discount on case units when part of one order. The percentage jumps to 15% for orders over 5 cases.
If you are just looking to split a 10lb order your best bet is to pick up the order yourself and in the meantime find a friend who feeds raw- post notices at your vet or somewhere where people walk their dogs, or try finding someone to split the order with on craigslist or other social networking sites. If you do order a case with someone and plan on picking up your shares separately, let me know this so I can package your order with this in mind.
Q: Can you do custom orders not on the website?
A: If you are looking for something not listed contact me and I can see if I can get some for you.
Q: I don’t see an answer to my question here, what can I do?
A: Ask! If it’s something that could be asked by more than yourself I’ll even post it here!
