Brooklynite Makes People Food For Your Pup

Megan Montgomery was, apparently, the city's first personal chef for dogs (though were sure there are more than enough now). Preparing her meals in Downtown Brooklyn and using her dogs as guinea pigs, she's brought Dean & Deluca-esque dining to the doghouse.

Her company is called Zen Chien Personal Chef Service for Dogs, and her menu choices sound like "people food": Mediterranean ground lamb, with whole wheat couscous, blueberries and fresh-grated squash; beefy macaroni with ground sirloin, sweet peas, sardines, and organic tomato sauce; Caribbean chicken, with shredded, free-range meat, jasmine brown rice, finely chopped mango and grated zucchini.

The chef herself even tastes the canine cuisine as she's cooking, adding calcium-rich ground bone-meal, omega-6 and -3, vitamin B-12, and multivitamins to help power your pup. Is the food healthy? Montgomery states, "I kept a close eye (and still do) on Milo’s coat, muscle definition, weight, stool and teeth. I even sent in a blood sample to test his calcium level.” Having your dog dine gourmet-style is going to cost, of course. Depending on the size of the dog, the service runs between $8 and $18 a day.

The Brooklyn Paper reports that "Montgomery concocted the idea for Zen Chien after Milo was diagnosed with a lip tumor in 2005. When I asked my vet if there was anything I could do, he didn’t have many answers. I did an investigation … and I started cooking for Milo in January, 2006. He’s had no tumor re-growth since then.'"

If you're looking for a new way to pamper your pup, well...the article, and Google, seem to have nothing on how to contact Zen Chien. If you simply must add the fancy to Fido's food you can always try an online outlet like Chef K9's Doggy Bistro and Bakery. After the ongoing pet food recalls, it's not a bad idea.

UPDATE: Owner Megan Montgomery tells us you can find more info at her website, ZenChienPets.com.

Photo, titled Noble Dog Life, via Komissarov_A's Flickr.