Business View Oceania | Volume 3, Issue 12

77 78 BUSINESS VIEW OCEANIA VOLUME 3, ISSUE 12 BUSINESS VIEW OCEANIA VOLUME 3, ISSUE 12 freeze-dried and heated meat and organs, two- thirds oven-baked meat and vegetable bites. SuperBlend50 Meal is a 50% raw blend that consists of half free-dried and heated meat and superfoods, half oven-baked meat and vegetable bites that are coated with beneficial probiotics. Animals Like Us’ Raw Protein Boost Meal Mixer is a 100% raw meat product designed to be added to RawBlend33 or SuperBlend50 Meals. Raw Protein Boost contains real chunks of freeze- dried meat and organs, combined with natural superfoods including green-lipped mussels, blueberries, kelp, and flaxseeds. Good Dog Treats are also 100% raw and are a great healthy alternative for training rewards or snacks. All Animals Like Us products come in three recipes for variety: Grass-Fed Beef and Wagyu Beef Heart, Cage-Free Chicken and King Salmon, and Grass-Fed Lamb and Venison. Cofounder and CEO Rob Achten shares the Animals Like Us story. “Animals Like Us began with my fascination surrounding global pet Bay. The passionate team of 10 is spread between the company’s head office, which covers product development, manufacturing, and operations, and a sales and marketing office in Auckland. Staff at Animals Like Us value sustainability, transparency, and positivity, and seek to introduce pet owners to the benefits of natural dog food products. Mr. Achten explains, “We look to nature for the answers in choosing natural, and we take pride in building up what is a relatively new category of food for your pet- high nutrition, great value, natural, and sustainably sourced. So, it’s good for you, your pet, and the planet.” In their commitment to sustainability, Animals Like Us employs a strict selection process when sourcing their meats and vegetable, only working with ethical farms that meet their high standards. The company is also a member of New Zealand’s Soft Plastic Recycling scheme, which works to reduce landfill and promote Making a real di erence in pet food. ANIMALS L I KE US adoption trends. I saw a younger demographic emerging that was really interested in a healthy lifestyle for their pet and looking for new brands that provided them with a fun, healthy alternative to more traditional pet foods. I decided to create a brand that not only supplied New Zealand pet owners and their pets with high nutrition, but also captured the sense of partnership and joy that comes with having a pet. We spent the first few years researching and developing the idea, and since our launch in 2020, we have found great success. Part of that success has been due to the even further increase in pet adoption thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic; people are spending more time at home with their animals. Of course, the flipside of the pandemic is disruptions to our global supply chain, so that has been a little tricky to navigate. But overall, we are incredibly pleased with our initial introduction to the market.” Animals Like us is headquartered in Hawkes