Have you ever considered changing your dog’s diet to something more natural and fresh? If your answer is a resounding yes, then this article is perfect for you!
More dog owners have been seen switching their pups to a primarily fresh meal diet. And it’s no wonder, given that there’s a host of benefits associated with doing so, such as healthier skin, smoother coats and less trips to the vet.
We had the exciting opportunity to have a chat with the founders of The Grateful Dog (TGD), Rachel and Sandee. The Grateful Dog is a company that specialises in fresh meals for dogs of all kinds. Read along as they share their motivations, challenges, and opinions when it comes to feeding your dogs fresh meals.
Q: Tell us a little bit more about The Grateful Dog!
TGD: We’re a fresh food company for dogs in Singapore that focuses on providing great tasting, highly nutritious, and easy-to-serve meals that are suitable for dogs of all shapes and sizes—created with busy, modern-day dog owners in mind.
Q: What’s the motivation and reason for starting The Grateful Dog? Did you self learn when it comes to feeding fresh meals?
TGD: The Grateful Dog was born out of our passion and huge love for dogs. My co-founder, Rachel Pereira and I found ourselves at a cross roads at the same time in our career; it was a question of whether to move on to another ‘conventional’ job within our respective industries, or to embark on a brand-new adventure that could potentially help lots of dogs? The answer then (and till today) was very clear to us.
At the initial stage, we spent a long-time brainstorming on impactful ways we would be able to serve the local dog community in Singapore while making a living, and with most Singaporeans, our thoughts veered to food!
As dog owners ourselves, we also understand that people take their role of being their pet’s guardian very seriously. That’s why we know that empathy, transparency and attention to details are things that dog owners will care about, and these values are what The Grateful Dog is built on.
Together with the help of experts in the fields of nutrition and veterinary care, we poured through industry journals, articles, in-depth interviews, and tweaks along the way.
In 2017, we launched our clean label, human-grade, lean animal protein meals with the intention to help dog owners cut through the clutter and jargon of commercial dog food. In addition, we wanted to give them peace of mind, knowing that their best friend are enjoying the best quality of food for them to thrive.
Q: How does a typical day look like for you at The Grateful Dog?
TGD: I would say that we spend a large majority of time advising dog owners who are either entirely new to fresh food, or want to find out about our products (especially if their dog has specific dietary restrictions due to a health condition). We also share advice about the proper combination of food and supplements, and other knowledge resources that could help a dog owner who might feel at loss of how to manage their dog’s health and wellbeing.
We also devote time during the day to dig into trends on dog nutrition or research in detail about certain ingredients. Of course, there’s our guilty pleasure of scrolling through IG for a mid-day break to catch up on our favourite dogs online.
Q: What is one of the top challenge when it comes to running a business in Singapore? (E.g. delivery, securing fresh ingredients)
Staying relevant and making sure that we’re providing the right product/service at a competitive price for our customer is our priority. We know that schools of thought can adapt and change, which is why being nimble and open to feedback is important to us.
Good feedback motivates us and constructive feedback helps us improve! That’s why we always encourage dog owners not to be afraid to share their thoughts with us.
Q: What are your thoughts about the different available diets (Kibbles, Freeze-Dried, Raw) available out there for dogs?
TGD: There’s no right or wrong diet for a dog. The age, biology and genes of the dog have a role to play on deciding which diet works better for a dog during that specific time point in its life whether it’s freeze-dried, dehydrated, raw, or gently cooked.
Q: What has been your proudest The Grateful Dog moment so far?
TGD: In June this year, we celebrated our third-year anniversary. And this year has been an exceptionally challenging one for everyone which is why I’m truly appreciative of all the amazing support our dog owners have given us, and we’re proud to be serving more dog owners all over Singapore as we move into 2021.
Q: What is your ultimate vision and goal for The Grateful Dog?
TGD: Our vision is for The Grateful Dog to fit into every pet owner’s lifestyle. 2021 will see us evolving as a brand to provide more high quality, fresh meal options to pet owners, as we continue to develop innovative and thoughtful products.
Check The Grateful Dog’s website, Facebook and Instagram pages to keep up with their journey!
Enjoying our feature stories? Let us know who else you’d like us to interview in the comments below!