When Andrew Pennington and Sam Wells began making all-natural, healthy food for their dogs ‘Bailey’ the Staffy and ‘Oliver’ the Miniature Dachshund, they never imagined it could potentially mean big business.
“Both of us had been dog owners our entire lives,” says Andrew. “We’d witnessed things like skin allergies, weight gain, poor temperaments and terrible teeth problems. It took a lot of research, but we finally put it down to their diets. Being quite careful with what we put in our own bodies, we studied what we should be putting in theirs and set about making it.”
Within a matter of weeks the change in their dogs’ health was enough for family and friends to notice and come asking for portions for their pets.
“There was no doubt the dogs were healthier. They loved the food, but they were happier, calmer, rash-free, and had a shinier coat and better teeth. And no bad breath! The difference within a month of feeding our food was incredible.”
Realising they were onto a winner, Andrew and Sam launched Healthy Pet Chefs and began supplying their all-natural, preservative free, raw dog food to households across Canberra. The portions are made from 70% chicken, beef, lamb or kangaroo and 30% fresh fruit and vegetables. They also throw in a balanced collection of special additions such as kelp powder, fish oils and probiotics to name a few. Where possible, every ingredient is sourced from local producers.
In tune with their target market’s needs, they also decided to avoid shops and set up a “recurring” online ordering system. Customers choose the portion size based on their dog’s weight, as well as the type of meat and whether they want a raw bone to go with it. After that, the order is sent out to the house each and every week. Perhaps most impressive is that the deliveries are prepacked into daily portions – so customers don’t even need to work out how much to feed the dog each day.
Healthy Pet Chefs offers free delivery throughout Canberra, and recurring orders can be cancelled anytime.
“It’s a great system,” says Andrew. “It takes the worry and stress out of how much to feed from a can, and you don’t need to go out and buy dog food every week.
The benefit of fresh, preservative-free pet food over many supermarket brands is well documented. In fact, just as the human population is becoming obsessive with label-checking, pet owners are now realising the levels of salt, sugar and preservatives in their pet’s food. And these additions can cause health problems which then cost a lot in vet bills.
Our food contains everything a dog needs to stay balanced and healthy, with the addition of a raw meat bone – which we also supply – to clean their teeth, work and develop their neck and jaw muscles, release endorphins, bust boredom and prepare their stomach for incoming food.”
So far Healthy Pet Chefs have only released a dog food range, but have been refining their cat recipe, which should be available in the New Year. Interested cat owners can register their email on the website to ensure notification when it’s ready.
For more information, or to order for your dog, visit Healthy Pet Chefs.
This is a sponsored article, though all opinions are the author’s own. For more information on paid content, see our sponsored content policy.
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