About Critter Chef Lindsey
For more than fourteen years, Critter Chef Lindsey has transformed the landscape of fresh pet nutrition with a rare combination of culinary mastery, intuitive animal understanding, and science-driven formulation. What began in 2011 as a one-woman mission to nourish her own dog has grown into Shinto’s Pet Food—a beloved, community-rooted brand trusted by thousands of pet parents across California and beyond.
Lindsey’s approach is unlike anything in the industry. She doesn’t simply “make pet food.”
She crafts meals with intention—meals that detox, repair, strengthen, and sustain. Meals built from the marrow and muscle of whole foods. Meals that follow the seasons, honor the animal, and support the body the way nature intended.
Her recipes blend:
- Fresh, ethically sourced meats from responsible farms
- Organ meats chosen for functional benefit and vitality
- Bone broths and stocks extracted to perfection for joint and gut health
- Superfoods, mushrooms, and therapeutic ingredients backed by research
Across thousands of pets served, Lindsey has earned a reputation for her uncanny ability to read an animal’s nutritional story—understanding the subtle signs, sensitivities, and patterns that reveal what a pet truly needs. This intuitive gift, paired with deep nutritional knowledge, allows her to formulate meals that change lives, often when nothing else has worked.
But her journey runs deeper than the food.
Lindsey built Shinto’s from scratch—with no investors, no safety net, no inherited capital—just grit, instinct, and a relentless belief that pets deserve better. Every dollar she earned in the early years went right back into the business. Every mistake became a lesson. Every success, a step in a much bigger mission.
Her path mirrors the animals she serves:
resilient, adaptive, instinct-driven, and always moving toward healing.
Today, as founder and nutrition consultant, Lindsey continues to guide pet parents through the often overwhelming world of pet health—bringing clarity, compassion, and grounded science to every consultation. She teaches owners how food can become medicine, how rotational diets strengthen the body, and how simple changes can radically improve a pet’s life.
At the heart of her work is a single promise:
to help pets live longer, happier, healthier lives—one intentionally crafted meal at a time.