Why Neil Patrick Harris Went From Get Joy Customer to Co-Owner

Updated: July 2026 · Reviewed by the Get Joy expert panel

Neil Patrick Harris became a co-owner and investor in Get Joy in 2026, after roughly three years of feeding his four dogs the food as a customer. The short version: he believed in the brand's gut-first mission enough to move from ordering the food to owning a piece of the company. This is the story of how that happened, and what it says about where dog nutrition is heading.

From customer to co-owner

Most brand partnerships start with a pitch. This one started with a food bowl. Neil Patrick Harris first came to Get Joy the same way most of our customers do, as a dog parent looking for something better to feed his dogs. That was back in 2023. For about three years, Gidget, Spike, Chunk, and Bianca ate Get Joy as part of their everyday routine, long before there was any conversation about ownership.

In 2026, that relationship changed. Rather than simply continuing to reorder, Neil Patrick Harris decided to invest and become a co-owner of the company. It is a rare and telling kind of endorsement: not a name attached to a product he had just met, but a commitment made after years of feeding it to his own dogs. You can read the full details on our Neil Patrick Harris announcement page.

"Our dogs have been devouring Get Joy for the past three years. So, rather than just continuing to order the food, I decided to invest and become an owner. I'm putting my money where their paws are." · Neil Patrick Harris

What convinced him

The honest answer is that the food came first, and the belief followed. When you feed something to your dogs every day for three years, you are not reacting to a marketing claim. You are watching how they show up at the bowl, and how they feel in real life.

Beyond that everyday experience, a few things about how Get Joy is built tend to resonate with dog parents who dig into the details:

• A gut-first philosophy. Get Joy starts from the belief that gut health supports whole-body health, so the food is designed around that idea rather than around a format or a trend.
• Belly Biotics built into the food. Our proprietary blend of prebiotics, probiotics, and postbiotics is a structural part of the Freeze Dried Raw Meals, not a powder you sprinkle on top and hope for the best.
• Real whole-food ingredients, made to fit real life. The meals are complete and balanced for all life stages, shelf-stable, and scoop-and-serve, so better nutrition does not have to mean more work.
• Serious nutrition credentials. Recipes were developed with a PhD animal nutritionist, Dr. George C. Fahey, Jr., alongside a veterinary and nutrition expert panel.

Put simply, what convinced him is the same thing many Get Joy dog parents describe: a food that feels genuinely thoughtful, fits into a busy life, and is built around an outcome rather than a buzzword.

What gut-first nutrition actually means

Gut-first is not a slogan for us. It is the starting point for how we think about nutrition. The idea is simple: gut health is whole-body health. When the gut is supported, a lot of the systems dog parents care about are better positioned to do their jobs.

That single fact is a big reason we lead with the gut. If so much of the immune system is associated with gut tissue, then supporting the gut is one of the most sensible places to start. That is why Belly Biotics is built directly into our Freeze Dried Raw Meals, combining prebiotics to feed beneficial bacteria, probiotics to add them, and postbiotics as part of the picture, all within real whole-food recipes.

If you want the deeper explanation of why the gut matters and how it connects to the rest of the body, our Gut Health 101 guide walks through it in plain language. You can also learn more about why we exist on our Our Story page.

Try what convinced him

The nice part of this story is that there is no velvet rope. The exact meals Neil Patrick Harris feeds his dogs are the same ones any dog parent can order. Get Joy Freeze Dried Raw Meals use real whole-food ingredients with Belly Biotics built in, with no HPP and a natural, FDA-approved kill step at a maximum of 125°F. They are complete and balanced for all life stages, shelf-stable, and ready to scoop and serve.

Frequently asked questions

Why did Neil Patrick Harris invest in Get Joy?

After about three years of feeding his four dogs Get Joy as a customer, Neil Patrick Harris believed in the brand's gut-first mission and decided to invest and become a co-owner rather than simply continuing to reorder the food.

Is Neil Patrick Harris an owner of Get Joy?

Yes. Neil Patrick Harris is a co-owner and investor in Get Joy, in addition to being a longtime customer.

How long has Neil Patrick Harris used Get Joy?

He has been a Get Joy customer since 2023, which is about three years of feeding his dogs the food before he invested in 2026.

What is Get Joy's gut-first approach?

Gut-first means we start from the belief that gut health supports whole-body health. Around ~70% of a dog's immune system is associated with gut tissue, so our Freeze Dried Raw Meals are built around gut health, with Belly Biotics, a blend of prebiotics, probiotics, and postbiotics, built directly into the food.

This article is for education, not veterinary advice. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, or replace guidance from your veterinarian. Product details and offers are current as of publication; please confirm the latest details on each brand's site where relevant.