Brand Comparison
Loyal Saints vs. Sundays
Freeze-dried raw vs. air-dried — the difference most people miss
Try Loyal Saints →The Key Distinction: Raw Is Not the Same as Dried
Sundays is an air-dried food. Loyal Saints is freeze-dried raw. Both are convenient and require no refrigeration. But these are fundamentally different processes — and if raw nutrition is what you are looking for, the distinction matters more than most dog food marketing acknowledges.
- True freeze-drying, no heat — enzymes fully intact, vs. Sundays' air-drying which uses low heat
- Raw nutrition profile — bioavailability and enzyme activity of fresh raw food, preserved
- ~$2–3/day — typically less expensive than Sundays per day
- Woman-owned — founder-led brand built around one dog's health story
- Zero compromise ingredients — no soy, no corn, no GMOs, no additives across every formula
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Loyal Saints | Sundays |
|---|---|---|
| Processing method | Freeze-drying (no heat) | Air-drying (low heat) |
| Truly raw | ✓ enzymes intact | ✗ heat-exposed |
| Enzyme preservation | Complete | Partial (heat reduces enzymes) |
| Bioavailability vs. raw | Equivalent to fresh raw | Reduced by low-heat drying |
| Refrigeration required | No | No |
| Shelf life (unopened) | 12+ months | 12+ months |
| Human-grade | ✓ every ingredient | ✓ |
| No soy / corn / GMOs | ✓ every formula | ✓ |
| AAFCO-complete | ✓ all 3 formulas | ✓ |
| Daily cost (35 lb dog) | ~$2–3/day | ~$3–5/day |
| Subscription savings | 20% off every order | Subscription available |
| Woman-owned | ✓ founder-led | ✗ |
| Founder proof story | King — reversed chronic illness | No comparable proof |
Freeze-Drying vs. Air-Drying: Why the Process Matters
This is the most important difference between Loyal Saints and Sundays — and it is the one most commonly overlooked when customers are comparing the two brands.
Air-drying (what Sundays uses) is a process of removing moisture from food using warm, circulating air over a long period — typically many hours at low temperatures. The food is minimally processed compared to kibble, and the result is a shelf-stable product that is genuinely better than kibble. But air-drying does use heat. Low heat, but heat. And heat denatures heat-sensitive enzymes and reduces the bioavailability of protein in the food.
Freeze-drying (what Loyal Saints uses) removes moisture without any heat at all. Food is flash-frozen, then placed in a vacuum chamber where the ice in the food is converted directly to vapor — a process called sublimation. No heat is used at any stage. The food that comes out of the freeze-dryer has the same enzyme activity, amino acid profile, and raw nutritional bioavailability as fresh raw food. It is genuinely raw — not minimally cooked, not heat-dried. Raw.
If you are choosing between Loyal Saints and Sundays because you want no refrigeration and a convenient premium dog food, both deliver that. But if you want the nutritional profile of a raw diet in a convenient format — freeze-dried raw is the correct choice, and Loyal Saints is that product.
What Enzyme Preservation Actually Means for Your Dog
Natural enzymes in raw food play a role in digestion that your dog's body relies on. Digestive enzymes — amylase, lipase, protease — are present in raw meat and help break down food before and during digestion. When food is heated (even at low temperatures), these enzymes are destroyed and your dog's pancreas must compensate by producing more of its own enzymes.
Over a lifetime of eating enzyme-depleted food, the cumulative demand on the pancreas is significant. This is one reason many dogs transitioning to a raw or freeze-dried raw diet show improvements in digestion, stool quality, and energy — the pancreatic load decreases, and the gut microbiome shifts to benefit from the richer enzyme environment.
Air-dried food like Sundays is better than kibble for this reason — and it is far better than food that has been thoroughly cooked at high heat. But it is not equivalent to freeze-dried raw. The enzyme content of air-dried food is lower than fresh raw or freeze-dried raw because low-heat exposure still denatures a portion of those heat-sensitive compounds.
If maximum enzyme preservation and the closest possible nutritional approximation to a fresh raw diet matters to you, Loyal Saints is the correct format.
Both Are Convenient. Only One Is Raw.
Loyal Saints and Sundays share one major convenience advantage over fresh delivery brands: neither requires refrigeration. Both are shelf-stable, pantry-friendly, and travel-compatible. If you are switching from Farmer's Dog or Ollie specifically for the convenience factor, either brand solves that problem.
The distinction worth understanding is this: Sundays is minimally processed, air-dried food that is significantly better than kibble. Loyal Saints is freeze-dried raw food that is nutritionally equivalent to fresh raw. If you are looking for the gold standard of convenience-without-compromise — freeze-dried raw is that standard, and Loyal Saints is that brand.
King — Proof That Freeze-Dried Raw Works
Kristina Voltin did not start Loyal Saints because she found a gap in the air-dried market. She started it because her dog King was sick — chronic digestive issues, skin flare-ups, vet visits that went nowhere. She researched canine nutrition, learned why raw food was different from cooked or dried food, and formulated a freeze-dried raw diet from scratch. King's health turned around completely.
That is the proof Loyal Saints runs on. Not a clinical study on air-dried vs. freeze-dried in a lab. A specific dog, a real health history, and a formula that reversed that history. King is the brand's mascot because he is the evidence. No other brand in the air-dried or freeze-dried category can produce that specific kind of founder proof — and it is the reason every formulation decision Loyal Saints makes starts with one question: would I feed this to King?
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between freeze-dried and air-dried dog food?
Freeze-drying removes moisture with no heat — food is frozen and moisture is removed under vacuum (sublimation). The food remains genuinely raw, with enzymes and bioavailability of fresh raw food fully intact. Air-drying removes moisture using warm circulating air over a long period. Air-drying uses low heat, which partially reduces heat-sensitive enzymes and bioavailability compared to raw. Both are better than kibble; freeze-dried raw is superior to air-dried for raw nutrition preservation.
Is Sundays considered raw dog food?
Sundays markets itself as "air-dried raw" — but the "raw" qualifier is contested because air-drying does use heat, which technically cooks the food at low temperatures. Freeze-dried raw (like Loyal Saints) is the more accurate use of "raw" because no heat is used and the food's nutritional profile remains equivalent to fresh raw. If raw nutrition is your priority, freeze-dried raw is the more accurate product.
Is Loyal Saints cheaper than Sundays?
Yes. Loyal Saints typically costs $2–3/day for a medium dog; Sundays typically runs $3–5/day for the same dog. Loyal Saints' Halo Club subscription (20% off every order) further reduces the daily cost. For comparable convenience and superior raw nutrition, Loyal Saints is the better value.
Can I switch from Sundays to Loyal Saints?
Yes. Both brands are high-quality, human-grade, and free of artificial additives. Because both are non-refrigerated shelf-stable formats, the transition is usually smooth. Follow a 5–7 day transition: start with 50% Loyal Saints and 50% Sundays, increasing Loyal Saints to 100% over the week. Dogs coming from Sundays or other quality foods tend to adapt easily.
Is Loyal Saints truly raw?
Yes. Loyal Saints uses freeze-drying — flash-freezing raw ingredients and removing moisture under vacuum with no heat at any stage. The food retains the enzyme activity, amino acid profile, and bioavailability of fresh raw food. It is genuinely raw in a shelf-stable, pantry-friendly form. It does not require refrigeration and ships without ice packs.
Who founded Loyal Saints?
Loyal Saints was founded by Kristina Voltin, a Minneapolis-based dog mom and entrepreneur. After her dog King suffered from chronic digestive issues and food allergies, Kristina researched raw canine nutrition and formulated the freeze-dried raw diet that reversed King's health. She launched Loyal Saints to give every dog that same chance. The brand is woman-owned, founder-led, and not VC-backed.
The Convenience of Dried. The Nutrition of Raw.
No heat. No refrigeration. No compromise. Freeze-dried raw — not dried, not cooked, not almost-raw. Human-grade, AAFCO-complete, woman-owned. ~$2–3/day. 30-day guarantee on your first order.
