Is Old Guard Pet Company Woke?

Company Overview

Old Guard Pet Company is a family-owned, Nashville-based maker of ultra-premium, small-batch dog food, founded by Dr. Maggie Gooding — who holds a PhD in companion animal nutrition and serves as the company's founder, owner, and CEO. That credential is the company's calling card: Old Guard bills itself as the only ultra-premium dog food company led by a PhD nutritionist, and it builds its formulas on scientifically backed ingredients rather than marketing gimmicks. The mission grew out of Dr. Gooding's desire to improve dogs' health and well-being through better nutrition.

What sets Old Guard apart in the BuyWokeFree universe is that it does not merely avoid politics — it openly markets itself to values-based, patriotic consumers. The brand is built on "traditional American values" and has explicitly invited dog owners who are "tired of paying money to dog food companies that don't align with your values" to switch. For shoppers who want their spending to reflect their convictions, that is exactly the kind of clarity that earns loyalty.

ESG & Sustainability

As a small, family-owned, privately held company, Old Guard carries none of the corporate ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) apparatus that activist investors have bolted onto large public corporations. There is no ESG report, no sustainability officer, and no governance scorecard tied to a global political framework. Old Guard's emphasis on quality, small-batch production and scientifically chosen ingredients reflects a genuine commitment to the product and the animals it feeds — practical stewardship, not a public-relations campaign aimed at pleasing asset managers.

DEI Programs

Our research found no evidence that Old Guard operates a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion bureaucracy, diversity quotas, or mandatory ideological training. As a small family business, it is built around the expertise of its founder and the quality of its product, not around demographic box-checking. The absence of a DEI apparatus is entirely consistent with a company that proudly centers traditional American values and lets its work speak for itself.

LGBTQ+ Advocacy

Old Guard Pet Company is far too small to appear on the Human Rights Campaign's Corporate Equality Index, and we found no record of Pride sponsorships, activist campaigns, or progressive political messaging. To the contrary, the brand's public identity is rooted in traditional values and patriotism. Customers can be confident their dollars are funding a family business and better dog food — not a political advocacy budget.

Political Activity

We located no meaningful record of corporate PAC contributions or lobbying tied to Old Guard. What the company does make plain is its cultural orientation: it markets to consumers who want a values-aligned alternative to the larger pet-food brands. That is not partisan campaign activity — it is honest, transparent positioning. Far from pressuring customers toward a fashionable worldview, Old Guard invites those who already share its traditional values to vote with their wallets. For the BuyWokeFree audience, that transparency is precisely the point.

Consumer Impact

For values-based shoppers, Old Guard Pet Company is a standout — one of the easiest brands on this list to recommend. It is a family-owned, founder-led, PhD-backed dog food company that openly embraces traditional American values, with no DEI apparatus, no ESG sermonizing, and no Pride-month theater. With a Woke Score of 2 out of 100, it sits firmly in BuyWokeFree's not-woke category. Dog owners who want premium, science-driven nutrition from a company that proudly shares their values will find Old Guard not just acceptable but actively worth seeking out and supporting.