Vetted help
Every claim is checked against FDA, AAFCO, AVMA, EFSA, and NIH guidance. Never blogs or hearsay.
Peer-reviewed dog content
I read the research, legislation, and history so you don't have to.
I'm Alexandra, the data driven dog mom. Every week I break down what the studies actually say about dog health, welfare, and policy, in plain English, with citations.
Free. One email a week. No spam.
- 90+ peer-reviewed studies cited
- 0 brands have paid Kona
- Updated every week
Recent issues
A taste of what lands in your inbox.
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Research
Do dogs really need grain-free food?
What the FDA's ongoing DCM investigation actually says, and what it doesn't. Where the evidence stands as of 2026.
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Policy
Breed-specific legislation, decoded.
A tour through the cities and countries that tried BSL and quietly walked it back, plus what the peer-reviewed data actually shows about bite risk.
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History
How “working line” got weaponized.
The century-long path from utility to spectacle to marketing copy, and why breed-standard extremes keep showing up in vet bills.
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Nutrition
The raw diet paper trail.
I read the 47 studies most often cited by raw advocates. Here's what they actually found, and what they didn't measure.
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Companion tools
Tools that cut through the noise.
The newsletter is the deep dive. For quick lookups, I built a set of free tools right here: same voice, same standards, same $0.
Just launched
Map
Veterinary Care Deserts
County-by-county veterinary access scores across the US. See where care is scarce, how it overlaps with human medical shortage areas, and what the socioeconomic picture looks like.
Open the map →Interactive tool
The Breeder Ethics Gap
Walk through the questions that separate an ethical breeder from a backyard operation. An interactive flow that shows where the real gaps are.
Start the walkthrough →Tracker
Animal Welfare Law Tracker
Follow animal-welfare and pet-related legislation as it moves. What's changing, where it's happening, and what it could mean for you and your dog.
Open the tracker →Research
What Does the Research Say
Plain-language summaries of common dog-world claims. See how settled the science really is, and read the studies yourself.
See the research →Picks
Products We Love
The gear, enrichment, home things, and books we actually use with Kona. Handpicked and honest. Some links earn a small commission, never a paid placement.
See our picks → NewFact-check
Is This Fear Mongering?
The viral dog food and dog care claims you keep seeing on Instagram and TikTok, cross-checked against real research. Some are nonsense. A few are actually solid. Let's sort it out.
Check the claims →Directory
Resources for Dog Parents
A searchable directory of real help: low-cost vet care, spay and neuter, food pantries, crisis support, and training. Nationwide, no ads, no fluff.
Find help near you →The person, and the dog, behind it
Hi, I'm Alexandra. And this is Kona.
I spend my life reading peer-reviewed papers on dog health, welfare law, and breed history, and getting quietly furious at how much of it never reaches the people who actually live with dogs.
Kona is a foster fail who became family. She's the reason this exists, and the reason I fact-check every claim before it goes in your inbox.
This newsletter is my attempt to close the gap between what the science says and what dog parents actually hear. Just careful reading, done in public.
Alexandra & Kona
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Short takes on Instagram.
The 60-second version of the newsletter. Same standards, less time. But if you want the full write-up with citations, that's what the inbox is for.
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One last thing
I read the research, legislation, and history so you don't have to.
Free. Weekly. Unsubscribe anytime.