Grandpa Bert
Our history
There once was a driven dog breeder, known for his colorful personality and his inimitable passion for dogs. However, his talent for breeding wasn’t just what made this man so special. With a whiff of magic in his hands, he possessed the gift of transferring his energy to man and animal. He healed dogs with his homeopathic treatments and granted them a healthy life, free of pain. He was like a superhero to them, one of a kind. We’re talking about none other than our own grandfather. Grandpa Bert, the ancestor of Kivo.
Grandpa Bert aimed for the general wellbeing of dogs in his village and far beyond. He didn’t just want dogs to be healthy and free of pain, but also provide them true happiness. According to Grandpa Bert, good food was essential to his approach. Food that connects well to the digestive system of dogs. He believed food could be your medicine and the other way around. When he couldn’t find what he was looking for, Grandpa Bert chose to take charge. He constructed a recipe in his own kitchen, making use of the tastiest and healthiest ingredients that Mother Nature had to offer. He was so tremendously pleased with the result, that one day he decided to up his culinary game. He moved to a new premises, taking his ingredients and recipes with him. The professional production space and freezer confirmed Grandpa Bert’s gut feeling: he had come across his destiny. Proud as he was of his new property, he decorated the facade with huge characters: KIVO. Now, you may think this was some kind of chic, French name, but no. KIVO stood for KIp van de VOrst (Chicken van der Vorst in English), based on his own surname. In his new kitchen, Grandpa Bert mixed, cooked and baked as if his life depended on it. He became a true master of his craft! It didn’t take long for Kivo to become local public knowledge. The news about his tasty creations spread like a wildfire and made Grandpa Bert more and more known and loved. But as he turned older, Grandpa Bert wished to have more time for his grandchildren and the good life besides his business. He hesitated to retire, but didn’t want the beautiful concept of Kivo to become long lost glory. So in 1990, Grandpa Bert passed the baton to his son in law, Cor van Loon, who had just as much of a passion for dogs and their food as him. This way, a new chapter in the book of Kivo started. For years and years after, Cor (our father) kept Kivo alive and gave the company room to flourish.
“Dogs remain the healthiest if the food they get is designed for their bodies. Inspired by prey animals of wolves, as nature once intended.”
Now, 50 years later, the third generation is in charge of Kivo and dogs from all over the world enjoy the tasty and healthy dog food of Grandpa Bert. Because why would you want to wait until you’re sick, to become better? Start giving your dog the food that’s designed for their digestive system and prevent any further issues. We’re still cherishing the honesty and handicraft that was so dear to Grandpa Bert while forging his products. To this day, these two ingredients are on top of the list of our recipes.
