Do you have trouble getting your dog to eat? Is your dog a bit fussy with biscuits and kibble? The founder of The Fussy Dog Co, Anthony Gardiner, had exactly this problem with not one, but two of his dogs. He got to work and researched a tasty solution. Learn more about why Anthony founded The Fussy Dog Co and what all the fuss is about with these Instant Powdered Gravy for dogs.
Meet the Maker: The Fussy Dog Co | Anthony Gardiner
Posted by PetDirect on 1st Oct 2022
The Fussy Dog Co was started in 2020 by founder Anthony Gardiner’s as a solution to a problem that was driving him to despair. Having lost his job in the travel industry due to Covid-19, Anthony and his fiancee could no longer afford the fancy dog food that their three little pals (Cashew, Astrid, and Chewie) had grown accustomed to.
Unfortunately, Cashew and Astrid refused to eat the more accessible brands when it was given to them and after a week had lost a worrying amount of weight. Not Chewie though – he was eating all three bowls and had quite the opposite problem!
Out of desperation, Anthony mixed up some human gravy powder and poured it over the dogs’ food and finally had all three eating again. Unfortunately, human gravy powders are full of stuff which is quite bad for dogs, including onion and garlic powder and excessive amounts of salt.
Back to square one, Anthony jumped online to try buy some powdered gravy for dogs. Having searched all New Zealand outlets, then internationally, it became apparent that powdered gravy for dogs did not exist. So he started researching and making his own. Having just completed a Master's degree, he had access to the world's largest online repository of peer-reviewed scientific papers, which helped to work out the very best ingredients to use – ingredients that were healthy, sustainable, and most importantly delicious.
Once his dog-owning friends found out about the product, many were quick to ask for a jar. It turned out that stressful mealtimes were a very common issue for many dog owners. With great reviews from early taste testers, a company was formed and an application for Ministry of Primary Industries registration was completed.
Anthony made the first full batch of gravy and placed it for sale online, hoping to sell enough jars to afford petrol in his car and drive to his Master's graduation 400km away. The first batch of gravy (a whopping 36 jars!) sold out in three days. The second batch sold out in three hours, and the Christmas holidays were cancelled so that production could keep up with demand.
Just two months later, in February 2021, retailers reached out to The Fussy Dog Co hoping to stock the products, which now included two additional flavours. At this point, it was definitely time to move the operation out of the home kitchen and a small commercial production kitchen was leased.
Over the next year, The Fussy Dog Co gravies were selling in over 140 stores nationwide and had already outgrown their first commercial space. Now they are based in a 3500 square foot production kitchen with a seven-strong team. As they contine to grow, they are now producing thousands of jars per week and gearing up for exporting to take this strange wee company global.