Vital Pet Life was founded in 2017 by Donie Yamamoto on a simple idea: pet parents deserve products built on transparency and trust. A childhood passion for rescuing animals grew into a purpose-driven wellness company, and Donie continues to partner with local nonprofits advancing animal welfare and outreach.
The brand takes a focused approach: science-backed formulations, third-party testing, and independent verification, spanning premium omega-3, probiotic, joint health, and grooming products for dogs and cats.
Today, Vital Pet Life is sold through Walmart, Amazon, Chewy, Petco, and direct-to-consumer. It is WBENC-certified woman-owned and committed to sustainability, animal advocacy, and raising the standard for trust in pet wellness.

Donie Yamamoto didn't set out to build a pet wellness company. After rescuing her dog Tuxedo, he had extremely dry, itchy skin. She tried big-name products with ingredients she couldn't pronounce, but nothing worked. Being chemical-sensitive herself, she began researching clean, sustainable alternatives, leading to her hero Salmon Oil product and a breakthrough for Tuxedo. This planted the seed for Vital Pet Life.

After founding Vital Pet Life in 2017, Donie learned that building a business takes more than a good product — it requires resilience, curiosity, and the courage to make hard calls when the easier path isn't right.

Her entrepreneurial journey was shaped in part by being a Tory Burch Foundation Fellow. With few female founders in the pet industry, brainstorming and collaborating with others was life-changing and shaped her growth as a founder and leader.

Under Donie's leadership, Vital Pet Life has grown from a small family business into a nationally recognized brand, earning a spot on the Inc. 5000 list for six consecutive years. She continues to build the company around the principles that started it all: helping pets, doing business responsibly, and earning the trust of the people who care for them.