1 EXHIBIT 9.6 FIFTH AMENDMENT TO FIRST AMENDED AND RESTATED INVESTORS' AGREEMENT This Fifth Amendment to the First Amended and Restated Investors' Agreement (this "AGREEMENT") dated as of February 24, 2000 is entered into by and among Doane Pet Care Enterprises, Inc., formerly known as DPC Acquisition Corp. (the "COMPANY"), Doane Pet Care Company, formerly known as Doane Products Company ("DOANE"), and the other Persons that have executed this Agreement as indicated on the signature pages hereto. W I T N E S S E T H : WHEREAS, certain stockholders and warrantholders of the Company are parties to or bound by that certain First Amended and Restated Investors' Agreement dated as of August 3, 1998, as amended to date (the "ORIGINAL AGREEMENT"); WHEREAS, the undersigned, constituting the holders of more than 75% of the shares of Common Stock of the Company (including the Warrants on an "as-if exercised" basis) desire to amend the Original Agreement on the terms of this Agreement and, except as amended by this Agreement, ratify the terms of the Original Agreement. NOW, THEREFORE, for good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, and in exchange for the mutual covenants herein, the parties hereto agree as follows: AGREEMENTS 1. Defined Terms. Capitalized terms used in this Agreement that are not defined herein shall have the meanings given to them in the Original Agreement. 2. Amendments. The Original Agreement is hereby amended so that the sale by Walid and Laura Mansur of the shares of Class A Common Stock on Exhibit A to the Doane employees listed on Exhibit A shall not trigger any rights of first offer under Section 4.1 or any tag-along rights under Section 4.2 of the Original Agreement. The undersigned agree that such Doane employees will not become parties to the Original Agreement, as amended, but instead shall enter into a form of employee stockholder agreement similar to that entered into by other Doane employees upon their acquisition of common stock from the Company. 3. Ratification. Except as expressly set forth herein, the terms and provisions of the Original Agreement, as amended prior to the date hereof, are hereby ratified and confirmed. -1- 2 4. Miscellaneous. This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original, but all of which shall constitute one and the same agreement. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be duly executed by their respective authorized officers as of the day and year first above written. DOANE PET CARE ENTERPRISES, INC. By: /s/ THOMAS R. HEIDENTHAL ------------------------------------- Thomas R. Heidenthal Senior Vice President & CFO DOANE PET CARE COMPANY By: /s/ THOMAS R. HEIDENTHAL ------------------------------------- Thomas R. Heidenthal Senior Vice President & CFO SUMMIT CAPITAL INC. By: /s/ GEORGE B. KELLY ---------------------------------- George B. Kelly Chairman CHASE MANHATTAN INVESTMENT HOLDINGS, INC. By: /s/ JEFFREY C. WALKER ---------------------------------- Name: Jeffrey C. Walker -------------------------------- Title: CEO ------------------------------- BASEBALL PARTNERS By: /s/ CHRIS BEHRENS ---------------------------------- Name: Chris Behrens -------------------------------- Title: General Partner ------------------------------- -2- 3 SUMMIT/DPC PARTNERS, L.P. BY: SUMMIT CAPITAL, INC., its General Partner By: /s/ GEORGE B. KELLY ---------------------------------- George B. Kelly Chairman DLJ MERCHANT BANKING PARTNERS, L.P., a Delaware Limited Partnership BY: DLJ MERCHANT BANKING, INC. Managing General Partner By: /s/ PETER GRAUER ---------------------------------- Name: Peter Grauer -------------------------------- Title: Managing Director ------------------------------- DLJ INTERNATIONAL PARTNERS, C.V. BY: DLJ MERCHANT BANKING, INC. Advisory General Partner By: /s/ PETER GRAUER ---------------------------------- Name: Peter Grauer -------------------------------- Title: Managing Director ------------------------------- DLJ OFFSHORE PARTNERS, C.V. BY: DLJ MERCHANT BANKING, INC. Advisory General Partner By: /s/ PETER GRAUER ---------------------------------- Name: Peter Grauer -------------------------------- Title: Managing Director ------------------------------- DLJ FIRST ESC, L.L.C. By: /s/ PETER GRAUER ---------------------------------- Name: Peter Grauer -------------------------------- Title: Managing Director ------------------------------- -3- 4 DLJ MERCHANT BANKING FUNDING, INC. By: /s/ PETER GRAUER ---------------------------------- Name: Peter Grauer -------------------------------- Title: Managing Director ------------------------------- THE ROSENTHAL 1989 TRUST By: ---------------------------------- Name: -------------------------------- Title: ------------------------------- By: ------------------------------------- Dick H. Weber By: ------------------------------------- Terry W. Bechtel By: /s/ BOB L. ROBINSON ------------------------------------- Bob L. Robinson ROBINSON MANAGEMENT L.P. By: /s/ BOB L. ROBINSON ---------------------------------- Name: Bob L. Robinson -------------------------------- Title: Managing Partner ------------------------------- BOB L. ROBINSON GRANTOR RETAINED ANNUITY TRUST By: /s/ BOB L. ROBINSON ---------------------------------- Name: Bob L. Robinson -------------------------------- Title: Trustee ------------------------------- JEANINE L. ROBINSON GRANTOR RETAINED ANNUITY TRUST By: /s/ BOB L. ROBINSON ---------------------------------- Name: Bob L. Robinson -------------------------------- Title: Trustee ------------------------------- By: ------------------------------------- Jeanine L. Robinson -4- 5 By: ------------------------------------- Roy E. Hess By: ------------------------------------- Earl R. Clements By: ------------------------------------- J. David Heaney By: ------------------------------------- Laura Hawkins Mansur By: /s/ WALID MANSUR ------------------------------------- Walid Mansur THE KAREEM ROBERT MANSUR TRUST By: /s/ WALID MANSUR ------------------------------------- Walid Mansur, Trustee THE SARA SELMA MANSUR TRUST By: /s/ WALID MANSUR ------------------------------------- Walid Mansur, Trustee THE LEILA MARIAM MANSUR TRUST By: /s/ WALID MANSUR ------------------------------------- Walid Mansur, Trustee By: ------------------------------------- Gary L. Rosenthal By: ------------------------------------- Lee H. Rosenthal By: ------------------------------------- Ferd A. Rosenthal -5- 6 The following signatories are the "WINDY HILL INVESTORS." Each of the Windy Hill Investors and IBJ Whitehall Bank & Trust Company ("IBJ") are parties to an escrow and pledge agreement dated August 3, 1998 pursuant to which IBJ, as escrow and collateral agent, is the record holder of all shares of Common Stock beneficially owned by the Windy Hill Investors. Each of the undersigned Windy Hill Investors, as evidenced by its signature below, hereby directs IBJ to enter into this Agreement. DARTFORD PARTNERSHIP, L.L.C. By: /s/ RAY CHUNG ---------------------------------- Name: Ray Chung -------------------------------- Title: Partner ------------------------------- BRUCKMANN, ROSSER, SHERRILL & CO., L.P. By: /s/ STEPHEN SHERRILL --------------------------------- Name: Stephen Sherrill -------------------------------- Title: Managing Director ------------------------------- PNC CAPITAL CORP By: ---------------------------------- Name: -------------------------------- Title: ------------------------------- WINDY HILL PET FOOD COMPANY L.L.C. By: /s/ RAY CHUNG ---------------------------------- Name: Ray Chung -------------------------------- Title: Vice President ------------------------------- ------------------------------------- Robert V. Dale ------------------------------------- F. Donald Cowan, Jr. ------------------------------------- Donald L. Gadd -6- 7 ------------------------------------- Henry G. Hurd, Jr. ------------------------------------- Ben W. McCrory ------------------------------------- Vaughn R. Oakley ------------------------------------- Charles Dunleavy BCB PARTNERSHIP, BRUCE C. BRUCKMANN, DONALD J. BRUCKMANN, PAUL D. KAMINSKI, NAZ PARTNERSHIP, HAROLD O. ROSSER, H. VIRGIL SHERRILL, STEPHEN C. SHERRILL, NANCY A. ZWENG, ELIZABETH MCSHANE, BEVERLY PLACE, BY THE FOLLOWING PERSONS: By: /s/ STEPHEN C. SHERRILL ------------------------------------- Stephen C. Sherrill, Attorney-in-Fact /s/ STEPHEN C. SHERRILL ------------------------------------- Stephen C. Sherrill, Individually The undersigned joins in this Agreement only if required under the terms of the escrow and pledge agreement among the undersigned financial institution and the Windy Hill Investors, as amended from time to time. BANK OF NEW YORK (formerly IBJ Whitehall Bank & Trust Company), as escrow and collateral agent and record holder for the shares of Common Stock beneficially owned by the Windy Hill Investors set forth above. By: ------------------------------------- Name: ----------------------------------- Title: ---------------------------------- -7- 8 The undersigned, being the duly elected Secretary of Doane and the Company, hereby executes this Agreement to evidence the fact that this Agreement has been approved by the respective Boards of Directors of Doane and the Company at meetings duly convened on February 24, 2000. /s/ THOMAS R. HEIDENTHAL ------------------------------------- Thomas R. Heidenthal, Secretary -8- 9 EXHIBIT A TO FIFTH AMENDMENT TO FIRST AMENDED AND RESTATED INVESTORS' AGREEMENT EXECUTIVE OFFICER NUMBER OF SHARES ----------------- ---------------- Rick Hannasch 1000 Dave Horton 10,000 Debbie Shecterle 5,000 Scott Viebranz 10,000 Phil Woodlief 5,000