A frustrated businessman whose beloved dogs suddenly fell ill and died decided to fight back against the “unregulated” pet food industry, and his own dog food brand has now raised more than $10 million.
Mike Halligan has quit his job in the fashion industry to start a business Crab dog food in 2018, a subscription-based business that provides high-quality healthy kibble to thousands of Australian dogs.
The idea came about after Mike discovered that dog food manufacturers in Australia are not subject to any regulations and are not required to inform customers about exactly what goes into their products.
Before starting Scratch, Mike began researching the pet food industry to improve the health of his two ailing dogs and was shocked by what he found.
“I really started looking at what they ate…it turned out most of the food was junk. I looked around and it was just a mess,” the Melbourne businessman told FEMAIL.
Five years ago, Mike Halligan (pictured) quit his job in the fashion industry to launch Scratch Dog Food, a subscription-based brand that provides healthy kibble to thousands of Aussie dogs
Since then, Scratch has sold more than $10 million worth of dog food to thousands of dogs across the country
“Both passed away in a short period of time and in that last period I learned that the dog food industry was unregulated and that really shocked me.”
The loss of his dogs and his new knowledge “planted the seed” to start his own “honest” and healthier pet food brand.
“I was so committed to making dog food — your dog eats the same food day in and day out, so if your food isn’t good, it’s going to do a lot of damage to their health, which may not be apparent at first,” he said.
Through a mutual connection, Mike met Doug Spiegelhauer, who had been working in the pet food industry for eight years at the time.
“He was one of the top dog food developers in the country and was actually about to quit his job,” the co-founder said.
“He was so tired of having good intentions in making the food, but in the end the brands he worked for would choose price over health.”
Before starting Scratch, Mike began researching the pet food industry to improve the health of his two ailing dogs and was shocked by what he found
The pair set out to find a healthy dog food and informed dog owners exactly what goes into their pet’s dinner.
Mike said dog owners are often misinformed about what supermarkets and even premium foods contain, with many using “meat scraps.”
“Most foods swap out meat and ingredients based on what’s cheap at the time. They make the package look exactly the same, but one month it could be lamb, the next month beef, and the next month chicken
“It’s the same dog food, but it’s just swapped based on cost all the time.”
Dog food packages can also use sneaky marketing ploys to trick customers into believing that their dog is getting more protein than they actually are.
“Brands might say there’s over 80 percent protein from meat sources, but the proportion of meat sources will be really, really small,” explained Mike.
“Many people will think their dog food is 80 percent protein or 80 percent meat, but that’s just not the case. See what the big claim on the package actually says.’
He also said to look out for foods containing high amounts of starch, such as potatoes and tapioca, which offer little nutritional value.
“There is a lot of confusion because there are so many options. They all say they’re the healthiest and they have vet approval, but people just want to be able to see what’s in the food,” Mike said.
“The labeling is so vague and there are no laws around it, so it’s really the wild west when you try to see what’s healthy or not on a package because it can be disguised so often.”
Mike said dog owners are often misinformed about what supermarkets and even premium foods contain” (pictured with his Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever puppy Mello)
With no physical stores, instead of spending on rent, the company can invest more money back into sourcing quality ingredients
Together, Mike and Doug created Scratch, which delivers healthy kibble to pet owners’ doorsteps on an online subscription basis and is completely transparent about the ingredients they use.
“We’re the only brand in the country that discloses how much of each ingredient we use and we’re never going to change that,” said Mike.
“People can see ‘okay, my dog has a problem with chicken, I want to be able to see that there is no chicken in the dog food’.”
With no physical stores, instead of spending on rent, the company can invest more money into sourcing quality ingredients.
With the help of two certified pet nutritionists, Doug develops healthy recipes and sources Australian-sourced ingredients.
Mike said this year, as the brand turns five, he hopes to turn over $15 million and hit their 40,000 Scratch-fed dogs
Dog parents can tailor their furry friend’s diet, be it an adult, senior or puppy, to their specific needs and get foods that help with joint, skin and stomach issues
“A lot of the dog food you buy at the store is made in bulk a few times a year. We make monthly food at times when our dogs need it,” added Mike.
“Eventually, they get food that we may have made over the last week straight to their front door.”
Dog parents can even tailor their furry friend’s diet, whether they’re an adult, senior or puppy, to their specific needs and get foods that help with joint, skin and stomach issues.
At the beginning of Scratch five years ago, Mike said the company got off the ground after word of the brand spread to an online community of French Bulldog owners.
“Some of those early people who were looking for transparency in the dog food industry had French people who struggled with these skin issues all their lives,” he said.
At the time, Scratch sold only one recipe containing kangaroo meat that many bulldog owners said solved their dog’s skin problems.
During the brand’s inception, Scratch sold only one kangaroo meat recipe that many bulldog owners say solved their dog’s skin problems
“We got shared around all these Facebook groups for Frenchies and suddenly half of the customers we had were for French Bulldogs and it really took off from there,” said Mike.
“Once you start helping dogs’ health, people just talk about it.”
Since then, Scratch has sold more than $10 million worth of dog food to thousands of dogs across the country.
Mike said this year, as the brand turns five, he hopes to turn in $15 million and hit their 40,000 scratch-fed dogs.
He also hopes Scratch will break new ground for the dog food industry and show owners how important it is what they feed their furry friends.