Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in pet care but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Marisa Hoskins, co-founder of Puppy Gang Fresh Foods LTD., located in Toronto, ON, Canada.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

Our company is called Puppy Gang Food. We are a team of passionate dog moms who have worked with holistic veterinarians and animal nutritionists to develop our premium human-grade dog food meals that include only whole proteins, fruits, vegetables, and organic supplements. We are a direct-to-consumer business and offer free delivery across Ontario.

Our meals are gently cooked (steamed) to the minimum possible temperature to kill the bacteria and preserve the nutrients. They are vacuum-sealed and frozen and do not have any additives or preservatives. Our customers love their dogs and see them as part of the family. We help our customers provide their pups with only the top quality in nutrition to help them live longer and healthier lives.

Tell us about yourself

Puppy Gang Fresh Foods was started as a result of my miniature Schnauzer Kalinda's health journey. She was a breeder dog at a puppy mill and had several different health problems, and was so overweight she could barely walk. I spoke to multiple vets who recommended a variety of premium brands of kibble for her that did nothing for her. I became convinced it was her diet..we know as humans eating processed food every day would be terrible for our health, so why wouldn't the same be true for dogs? I started researching the pet food industry and found it isn't regulated, along with some shocking statistics. Dogs are living HALF as long as they did in the 1970s, over 50 percent of dogs in North America are obese, and 1 in 3 dogs will develop cancer in their lifetime...and these issues can all be linked to processed food. I started working with a holistic veterinarian who recommended switching her to a whole food diet.

Within three months of doing so, she lost half her body weight, never needed knee surgery, and started running and jumping like a puppy. Best of all, four years later, she continues to age backward. Kalinda's transformation sparked a passion for improving the length and quality of life of all dogs through whole foods.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

My biggest accomplishment as a business owner is the rewarding feeling we get when a customer reaches out and tells us how their pups' health has been transformed by switching to our meals.

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

One of our biggest challenges is many dog owners are unaware that commercial pet food is slowly killing our dogs. Additionally, getting customers to make the switch to whole foods can be challenging as it is more expensive than commercial food...but customers will save money in terms of saving on vet bills and can opt to use our food as a nutritious topper for cost savings. Research shows dogs fed a whole foods diet live on average 3.1 years longer than dogs fed a processed diet. Even adding whole foods to your dog's diet can have a significant impact on their health!

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

  1. Know your "why"-running a business is wrought with many challenges...having a clear reason "why" can help you push through the difficult periods.
  2. Speak to your prospective customers: hear from them, learn from them, understand their pain points.
  3. Don't expect success to happen overnight. Building a business takes persistence and patience!

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

You can find us at www.puppygangfreshfoods.com, and we offer 40 percent off your first seven packs for new customers to try using the code 7NEW

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://puppygangfreshfoods.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/puppygangfreshfoods
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/puppygangfreshfoods/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/puppy-gang-fresh-foods/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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