The history of Hamilton-based natural pet food manufacturer Dopaw stems back to the time when founder Lou Anne Lowry discovered she enjoyed researching animal nutrition and formulating food while completing her studies at Massey University.
“I specialised in nutrition and metabolism and chose to go down the research path, and one night when I was talking with my Mum about the pet industry, we both saw big potential to fill in gaps in what was available for pet owners to buy. That was the start-up moment and the beginning of lots of thinking and planning,” Lou Anne says.
And having a household that is home to two dogs and three cats just gave Lou Anne even more desire to set up something that would provide pet lovers with a real alternative to the existing offerings.
“We select ingredients for a reason, and they’re all chosen because they are good for animals.”
With help from her husband, Sam, Lou Anne operates Dopaw, which produces only raw, grain-free pet food. Drawing on an academic background proving the value of food ingredients, Lou Anne says everything contained in Dopaw’s array of products is there for a purpose.
“We select ingredients for a reason, and they’re all chosen because they are good for animals. All our treats contain New Zealand green-lipped mussel oil. They’re abundant in omega-3s, over 30 essential fatty acids and extracted using CO2 right here in New Zealand. This omega oil is the only oil proving to contain ETA as well as both DHA and EPA.”
Other ingredients across the Dopaw range include premium beef, kidney and heart, lamb kidney and heart, chicken and chicken heart, egg whites, venison trachea and collagen casings. All products are sent to a lab at Massey University’s animal nutrition unit for testing before being released on the market.
“We were originally online only, but we’re now available at all Pet Direct stores.” While the current selection of raw pet food offerings is designed for dogs, Lou Anne says the next step, currently in planning and testing, is to develop feline food options. “Our pup pates are suitable for cats as well, but we will be releasing more options.”
For her product packaging, Lou Anne, who unashamedly loves pink, wanted it to really convey a sophisticated look. “I wanted something to be very pink and more glamorous. Often, pet food can look a bit unappealing, and I wanted a product that would look great in a photo and catch the eye of customers. I was fortunate to find a fabulous designer who turned my imagination into the branding we have today.”
The business is now located in an industrial growth area out by Hamilton’s airport. The move to the new factory took place last year and signals a real intent to grow in scale and market share. Although Lou Anne knows from feedback to date and her own academic understanding that Dopaw products offer unique, proven benefits, it’s just a case of making them accessible to a market wanting to provide their pets with optimum nutrition.
“We’re just a small team at the moment, and Sam comes in and helps on his days off, along with Dad and Mum, who are right behind what we’re doing. My father-in-law is a home-kill butcher as well.”
Lou Anne says the process of founding and growing the business has been an exciting and challenging learning curve. She’s very proud of what has been achieved to date. “Now we’re located where we are, I have lots of ideas bubbling away, and it’s exciting to think what the future holds.”
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