THE founder of local pet food startup UndaDog says the Hunter is an ideal base to build a regional pet food business given its wealth of producers.
Luke Wagland has launched the "natural and fresh" raw dog food brand after two years of research.
"I was reading lots of forums and asking questions to friends and family and watching global markets and I noticed the raw feeding category was gaining in popularity," he says. "Being a relatively new product meant it still had plenty of ways it could be improved."
The Australian pet food market is worth $2.2 billion in Australia, with dog food sales accounting for 52.3%, and dominated by the corporate giants Mars, Nestle and VIP Topco.
Urging people to watch the Netflix documentary Pet Fooled, an expose on the inner workings of the commercial pet food industry, Mr Wagland says many types of unsuitable ingredients have been added to pet food since its commercialisation.
"An industry-wide lack of regulation has resulted in owners becoming sceptical of the brands they once supported," he says.
Mr Wagland says the ingredient suitability of dog food depends on a dog's age, gene, breed, activity level, lifestyle and health: "Check in with your vet, take time to do your own research, understand the ingredients listed on the label and your dog's daily energy requirement," he says.
Mr Wagland, who studied marketing at the University of Newcastle and has worked for Stone & Wood, says almost everything in the human-grade UndaDog is sourced locally. Made with guidance from a veterinary nutritionist and manufactured at Hunter Valley Premium Meats in Mayfield, it contains poultry and livestock from the Valley, fruit and vegetables from a Newcastle supplier, and is served in BPA-free plastic bottles from a local supplier. "We make easy, safe and reliable raw feeding options. We've got nothing to hide in our products," he says.
UndaDog is taking pre-sale orders online and for every 1kg ordered, it will donate the equivalent amount to Dog Rescue Newcastle.
