Get Smarter Pet Nutrition with Genius Dog Food

By Paula Short

PledgeMe.Project

Food,



NZ $7,037 pledged


95 people pledged


Closed


NZ $5,000 minimum target


100 100% Complete

This campaign was successful and closed on 17/07/2018 at 9:00 PM.

Make a Pledge

About

Get Smarter Pet Nutrition With Genius Dog Food

Project 2017-07-21 13:52:05 +1200

As a veterinarian I’ve become really frustrated with constantly dealing with the effects of poor quality food on our pets. A diet of factory farmed chicken, bulked up with wheat and corn fillers and loaded with additives and preservatives, is not a recipe for good health. So I’ve founded Genius Pet Food to do something about it. 

With the help of NZ’s leading pet nutritionists I’ve spent the past 18 months working with a small, family owned pet food manufacturer to develop our unique Lamb and Possum adult dog food - to give you a healthier option for your pet. 

Funds raised from this campaign will be used for ingredients and packaging for the first commercial batch of our premium quality, delicious and nutritious, NZ made dog food. Thank you for your support!

 

The Smart Pet Nutrition Mission

My mission to create a better dog food option involved searching the length of New Zealand for the best ingredients our fine country could offer. Then two PhD qualified pet nutritionists formulated a unique Lamb and Possum recipe, our awesome manufacturers cooked it up for us and the Nutrition Lab at Massey University tested it thoroughly, to ensure it meets the internationally recognised AAFCO standard as a complete and balanced food for adult dogs of all breeds and all sizes.

I believe the key to great health for your pet is a balanced diet with plenty of good quality protein and lots of healthy essential omega fatty acids. I’ve personally chosen every ingredient specifically for its nutritional benefits for your pet. So you can be confident that you are feeding your dog the best pet nutrition New Zealand has to offer. 

 

Our Simple, Understandable Ingredient List

 

  • Our number one ingredient is grass fed NZ lamb meat, sourced from Mid Canterbury farms. Super high quality protein. 
  • We also use wild caught NZ possum – did you know that possum meat is really high in essential fatty acids? It's great for your dog’s skin and coat and also packs a flavour punch. 
  • With added NZ Lamb meal for extra protein, calcium and phosphorus, sourced from the Hawkes Bay.
  • Peas are a good source of protein and essential vitamins and minerals and potatoes offer a highly digestible carbohydrate source.
  • Flax meal is a great source of omega 3 fatty acids and hemp seed oil adds high amounts of the omega 6 linoleic acid, which is essential for a healthy skin and coat. 
  • You’ll note that its grain free, if that’s what you require for your dog.
  • There are no artificial colours and with so much real meat packed into it, it needs no added flavours. 

 

Guaranteed Analysis for Genius Pet Food

 

Great Nutrition Must Also Taste Good

Over the last 18 months I’ve done a large number of taste trials with a wide range of dogs of all breeds and sizes. The high meat component of our food has proven to be a real winner with over 95% of dogs who tasted it absolutely loving our food. And we didn’t just feed it to Labradors! 

I gave a sample to my plumber last week. Later in the day he sent me a text to say “my dog went berserk over your food!”. Naturally I love getting that kind of feedback. 

 

You can see more testimonials here.

 

 

Smurf eating Genius Pet Food

 

A More Sustainable Pet Food Solution 

Before starting Genius Pet Food I owned and ran two veterinary clinics in the Nelson region for 8 years. Sustainability was a core value of my clinics and we won several local and national sustainability awards for the changes we made within our business. I’ve carried this ethos with me into Genius Pet Food.

With the vast majority of pet food in New Zealand imported in bulky plastic bags, I see the key to making pet food more planet friendly as sourcing sustainably produced, locally grown ingredients and reducing the impacts of packaging waste. 

I know all the suppliers of our New Zealand grown, more sustainable ingredients. 

  • 99% of our ingredients are grown in New Zealand, only our vitamin and mineral mix and rosemary oil are imported.
  • As well as being incredibly nutritious, using possum meat has fantastic conservation outcomes for NZ. Every possum that goes into our pet food is one less possum damaging our native flora and fauna. 
  • I’ve used peas and hemp seed oil for their sustainable production methods, as well as their excellent nutrition profiles. 

I’ve worked with some awesome kiwi packaging suppliers, who really get sustainability, to cut our packaging to the bone! 

  • Our product will be shipped in a fully recyclable and compostable cardboard box, which has been designed to travel and store well, but uses the minimum amount of cardboard necessary. 
  • We still need a food grade plastic bag inner for food safety, but we’ve drastically cut the amount of plastic used compared with traditional pet food packaging and its 100% recyclable. 

 

Want a Smarter Way to Buy Dog Food?

Ironically, once I’d sold my vet clinics and was busy at home with two little kids, getting good quality pet food became one of my biggest headaches. I’d gone from simply picking up a bag of food on my way out the door after work to constantly running out of dog food – and always on a Saturday night!

I want pet owners nationwide to be able to access top quality food for their pets, so I’m offering you a smarter way to buy pet food. Once we’ve launched you can easily set up a regular, scheduled delivery, with free shipping - so you’ll never run out of dog food again. 

Simply log into our website and we’ll help you tailor a delivery schedule that suits your needs. There are no delivery fees and you can change, pause or cancel your delivery at any time. Let us fetch your food! 

 

Website Shot

 

 

I’m Even Giving Away a Super Exciting Reward

Apart from the joy of being one of the first dogs in New Zealand to get their paws on Genius Pet Food, I have another special treat lined up for your pet. Through the process of developing my first dog food product I’ve generated a bunch of other amazing product ideas. The next product I’ll launch is an awesome dog treat, again made using quality, natural ingredients. And it fits nicely with our ethos of sustainability. 

It’s currently under development and its top secret. But your pet can be one of the first in New Zealand to try this special treat. And of course, there will be no delivery fees for your food and your super-secret treat.

 

How does your pricing compare?

Genius is a premium quality dog food. Our 4.5 kg box costs $13.10 per kg of food. Our $9 kg box costs $11.55 per kg of food. This puts us in the same premium price bracket as well known imported brands such as Royal Canin, Hills Vet Essentials and Blackhawk Grain Free. But we're made here - and our nutrition is better!

 

Get in Behind Us

I believe I’ve created New Zealand’s most nutritious dry dog food. If you want a better quality food for your dog then help me get started by pledging your support. There are lots of ways you can help:

1.     Want smart pet nutrition for your dog? 

Pledge to buy a 4.5 kg or 9 kg box. We’ll deliver it to your door in August, with no delivery fees and with your special bonus treats.

2.     No pet? No problem!

I’ve created a special category for pet lovers to donate to our cause or better still to donate a box of dog food to their favourite pet charity. Once this crowdfunding campaign has closed I’ll get in touch with you to get the details of your chosen charity and I’ll send them a box of food and a special message from you. What a way to show them the value of their work in our community!

3.     Know someone who would love a better quality diet for their dog? 

Share our campaign with your friends and family and help spread the word, so they can support the smart pet nutrition mission too. 

I want to see pets in this country live longer, happier, healthier lives. This is your opportunity to help a small Kiwi pet food company create big changes in the New Zealand pet food industry. 

I hope you’ll get in behind us!

 

Dr Paula Short BVSc

Founder, Genius Pet Food 

Comments

Updates 2

Enter our first giveaway!

15/07/2018 at 7:42 PM

Hi everyone, 

We've only got 2 days left to go on our crowdfunding campaign and we've now well exceeded our funding goal of $5,000 and heading for $7,000. Thank you all so much for this incredible level of support. 

We thought we'd celebrate by doing our first ever giveaway over on our facebook page https://www.facebook.com/geniuspetfood/

So pop on over there and follow the instructions to enter the draw to win the first box off the production line, valued at $59. Tag in a dog loving friend and they can win the second box we make!

We'll be in touch again in a few days once our campaign has closed.

Many thanks,

Paula 

Thanks everyone - we've hit our funding goal!

10/07/2018 at 9:26 PM

Wow - we hit our funding goal over the weekend!

Thank you all so much for your support on our crowdfunding campaign. As you can imagine as a small start up pet food company, launching into a crowded market dominated by large multinationals, its a somewhat daunting thing putting your first product out there. We have been quite overwhelmed by all the kind messages of support from everyone with whom our mission resonates and we really appreciate your pledges.

Its not over yet though! We've still got 7 days to go and so we're aiming to sell even more of our nutritious and sustainable, NZ made pet food. You can help us spread the word further by jumping on our facebook page and sharing our posts. Also don't forget to have a look at our website - www.geniuspetfood.co.nz - and sign up for our newsletter. 

    Pledgers 95

    Catherine Cable
    06/07/2018 at 8:22pm

    "Yuss! You beauty!"

    Anonymous pledger
    06/07/2018 at 7:18pm
    Anonymous pledger
    04/07/2018 at 10:50pm

    "Great work we have been looking for a good dog food made in nz"

    Sheila Kennard
    04/07/2018 at 5:00pm

    "Lo"

    Paul Simpson
    04/07/2018 at 6:28am
    Ev
    03/07/2018 at 1:23pm

    "All the best - a LOT of dogs will thank you"

    Heather Marr
    03/07/2018 at 7:27am

    "Good luck Paula"

    Sue Lindsay
    02/07/2018 at 7:55pm

    "Well done! Looking forward to my dog trying it."

    Jilliene Beale
    02/07/2018 at 1:02pm
    Jeff McLaren
    02/07/2018 at 12:56pm
    alex
    02/07/2018 at 8:46am
    Louise Cryer
    02/07/2018 at 8:28am
    Carol Peychers
    02/07/2018 at 8:04am
    Christina Rock
    02/07/2018 at 6:11am
    Irma Jager
    01/07/2018 at 9:42pm

    "I've been passionate about human and animal health for many years. I hope to see many more healthy, slim dogs in my world!"

    Jacki Remihana
    01/07/2018 at 8:14pm
    Laura Harvey
    01/07/2018 at 5:02pm
    Lis Pedersen
    01/07/2018 at 4:01pm

    "brilliant idea. Just wish more of your can was possum :-) Looking forward to your cat food version."

    Heather Routley
    01/07/2018 at 3:19pm
    Jessica Mavromatis
    29/06/2018 at 6:54pm
    Trish Coleman
    29/06/2018 at 11:00am

    "I met you when you called at my business Mumma T Trading Lounge in Amberley, North Canterbury. All the very best :) Cheers, Trish"

    Sarah Madigan
    28/06/2018 at 5:29pm
    Tracey Mackay
    28/06/2018 at 1:49pm
    Nicki Atkinson
    27/06/2018 at 10:07pm
    Raewyn Findlay
    26/06/2018 at 4:52pm

    "Awesome initiative, go Paula!!"

    Lulu Purda
    25/06/2018 at 9:18pm

    "Well done Paula xx"

    Daniel
    25/06/2018 at 5:26pm
    Juliet Thomas
    25/06/2018 at 4:28pm

    "Well done Paula! I'm very excited about the new food - our dogs love it."

    Emma Bonnington
    25/06/2018 at 10:45am

    "My fussy dog loves this food, and I love that it is been designed by a vet and it's balanced for ultimate health. "

    phillipa jones
    25/06/2018 at 9:31am

    Followers 3

    Followers of Get Smarter Pet Nutrition with Genius Dog Food

    Get Smarter Pet Nutrition With Genius Dog Food

    Project 2017-07-21 13:52:05 +1200

    As a veterinarian I’ve become really frustrated with constantly dealing with the effects of poor quality food on our pets. A diet of factory farmed chicken, bulked up with wheat and corn fillers and loaded with additives and preservatives, is not a recipe for good health. So I’ve founded Genius Pet Food to do something about it. 

    With the help of NZ’s leading pet nutritionists I’ve spent the past 18 months working with a small, family owned pet food manufacturer to develop our unique Lamb and Possum adult dog food - to give you a healthier option for your pet. 

    Funds raised from this campaign will be used for ingredients and packaging for the first commercial batch of our premium quality, delicious and nutritious, NZ made dog food. Thank you for your support!

     

    The Smart Pet Nutrition Mission

    My mission to create a better dog food option involved searching the length of New Zealand for the best ingredients our fine country could offer. Then two PhD qualified pet nutritionists formulated a unique Lamb and Possum recipe, our awesome manufacturers cooked it up for us and the Nutrition Lab at Massey University tested it thoroughly, to ensure it meets the internationally recognised AAFCO standard as a complete and balanced food for adult dogs of all breeds and all sizes.

    I believe the key to great health for your pet is a balanced diet with plenty of good quality protein and lots of healthy essential omega fatty acids. I’ve personally chosen every ingredient specifically for its nutritional benefits for your pet. So you can be confident that you are feeding your dog the best pet nutrition New Zealand has to offer. 

     

    Our Simple, Understandable Ingredient List

     

    • Our number one ingredient is grass fed NZ lamb meat, sourced from Mid Canterbury farms. Super high quality protein. 
    • We also use wild caught NZ possum – did you know that possum meat is really high in essential fatty acids? It's great for your dog’s skin and coat and also packs a flavour punch. 
    • With added NZ Lamb meal for extra protein, calcium and phosphorus, sourced from the Hawkes Bay.
    • Peas are a good source of protein and essential vitamins and minerals and potatoes offer a highly digestible carbohydrate source.
    • Flax meal is a great source of omega 3 fatty acids and hemp seed oil adds high amounts of the omega 6 linoleic acid, which is essential for a healthy skin and coat. 
    • You’ll note that its grain free, if that’s what you require for your dog.
    • There are no artificial colours and with so much real meat packed into it, it needs no added flavours. 

     

    Guaranteed Analysis for Genius Pet Food

     

    Great Nutrition Must Also Taste Good

    Over the last 18 months I’ve done a large number of taste trials with a wide range of dogs of all breeds and sizes. The high meat component of our food has proven to be a real winner with over 95% of dogs who tasted it absolutely loving our food. And we didn’t just feed it to Labradors! 

    I gave a sample to my plumber last week. Later in the day he sent me a text to say “my dog went berserk over your food!”. Naturally I love getting that kind of feedback. 

     

    You can see more testimonials here.

     

     

    Smurf eating Genius Pet Food

     

    A More Sustainable Pet Food Solution 

    Before starting Genius Pet Food I owned and ran two veterinary clinics in the Nelson region for 8 years. Sustainability was a core value of my clinics and we won several local and national sustainability awards for the changes we made within our business. I’ve carried this ethos with me into Genius Pet Food.

    With the vast majority of pet food in New Zealand imported in bulky plastic bags, I see the key to making pet food more planet friendly as sourcing sustainably produced, locally grown ingredients and reducing the impacts of packaging waste. 

    I know all the suppliers of our New Zealand grown, more sustainable ingredients. 

    • 99% of our ingredients are grown in New Zealand, only our vitamin and mineral mix and rosemary oil are imported.
    • As well as being incredibly nutritious, using possum meat has fantastic conservation outcomes for NZ. Every possum that goes into our pet food is one less possum damaging our native flora and fauna. 
    • I’ve used peas and hemp seed oil for their sustainable production methods, as well as their excellent nutrition profiles. 

    I’ve worked with some awesome kiwi packaging suppliers, who really get sustainability, to cut our packaging to the bone! 

    • Our product will be shipped in a fully recyclable and compostable cardboard box, which has been designed to travel and store well, but uses the minimum amount of cardboard necessary. 
    • We still need a food grade plastic bag inner for food safety, but we’ve drastically cut the amount of plastic used compared with traditional pet food packaging and its 100% recyclable. 

     

    Want a Smarter Way to Buy Dog Food?

    Ironically, once I’d sold my vet clinics and was busy at home with two little kids, getting good quality pet food became one of my biggest headaches. I’d gone from simply picking up a bag of food on my way out the door after work to constantly running out of dog food – and always on a Saturday night!

    I want pet owners nationwide to be able to access top quality food for their pets, so I’m offering you a smarter way to buy pet food. Once we’ve launched you can easily set up a regular, scheduled delivery, with free shipping - so you’ll never run out of dog food again. 

    Simply log into our website and we’ll help you tailor a delivery schedule that suits your needs. There are no delivery fees and you can change, pause or cancel your delivery at any time. Let us fetch your food! 

     

    Website Shot

     

     

    I’m Even Giving Away a Super Exciting Reward

    Apart from the joy of being one of the first dogs in New Zealand to get their paws on Genius Pet Food, I have another special treat lined up for your pet. Through the process of developing my first dog food product I’ve generated a bunch of other amazing product ideas. The next product I’ll launch is an awesome dog treat, again made using quality, natural ingredients. And it fits nicely with our ethos of sustainability. 

    It’s currently under development and its top secret. But your pet can be one of the first in New Zealand to try this special treat. And of course, there will be no delivery fees for your food and your super-secret treat.

     

    How does your pricing compare?

    Genius is a premium quality dog food. Our 4.5 kg box costs $13.10 per kg of food. Our $9 kg box costs $11.55 per kg of food. This puts us in the same premium price bracket as well known imported brands such as Royal Canin, Hills Vet Essentials and Blackhawk Grain Free. But we're made here - and our nutrition is better!

     

    Get in Behind Us

    I believe I’ve created New Zealand’s most nutritious dry dog food. If you want a better quality food for your dog then help me get started by pledging your support. There are lots of ways you can help:

    1.     Want smart pet nutrition for your dog? 

    Pledge to buy a 4.5 kg or 9 kg box. We’ll deliver it to your door in August, with no delivery fees and with your special bonus treats.

    2.     No pet? No problem!

    I’ve created a special category for pet lovers to donate to our cause or better still to donate a box of dog food to their favourite pet charity. Once this crowdfunding campaign has closed I’ll get in touch with you to get the details of your chosen charity and I’ll send them a box of food and a special message from you. What a way to show them the value of their work in our community!

    3.     Know someone who would love a better quality diet for their dog? 

    Share our campaign with your friends and family and help spread the word, so they can support the smart pet nutrition mission too. 

    I want to see pets in this country live longer, happier, healthier lives. This is your opportunity to help a small Kiwi pet food company create big changes in the New Zealand pet food industry. 

    I hope you’ll get in behind us!

     

    Dr Paula Short BVSc

    Founder, Genius Pet Food 

    Comments

    Enter our first giveaway!

    15/07/2018 at 7:42 PM

    Hi everyone, 

    We've only got 2 days left to go on our crowdfunding campaign and we've now well exceeded our funding goal of $5,000 and heading for $7,000. Thank you all so much for this incredible level of support. 

    We thought we'd celebrate by doing our first ever giveaway over on our facebook page https://www.facebook.com/geniuspetfood/

    So pop on over there and follow the instructions to enter the draw to win the first box off the production line, valued at $59. Tag in a dog loving friend and they can win the second box we make!

    We'll be in touch again in a few days once our campaign has closed.

    Many thanks,

    Paula 

    Thanks everyone - we've hit our funding goal!

    10/07/2018 at 9:26 PM

    Wow - we hit our funding goal over the weekend!

    Thank you all so much for your support on our crowdfunding campaign. As you can imagine as a small start up pet food company, launching into a crowded market dominated by large multinationals, its a somewhat daunting thing putting your first product out there. We have been quite overwhelmed by all the kind messages of support from everyone with whom our mission resonates and we really appreciate your pledges.

    Its not over yet though! We've still got 7 days to go and so we're aiming to sell even more of our nutritious and sustainable, NZ made pet food. You can help us spread the word further by jumping on our facebook page and sharing our posts. Also don't forget to have a look at our website - www.geniuspetfood.co.nz - and sign up for our newsletter. 

      Catherine Cable
      06/07/2018 at 8:22pm

      "Yuss! You beauty!"

      Anonymous pledger
      06/07/2018 at 7:18pm
      Anonymous pledger
      04/07/2018 at 10:50pm

      "Great work we have been looking for a good dog food made in nz"

      Sheila Kennard
      04/07/2018 at 5:00pm

      "Lo"

      Paul Simpson
      04/07/2018 at 6:28am
      Ev
      03/07/2018 at 1:23pm

      "All the best - a LOT of dogs will thank you"

      Heather Marr
      03/07/2018 at 7:27am

      "Good luck Paula"

      Sue Lindsay
      02/07/2018 at 7:55pm

      "Well done! Looking forward to my dog trying it."

      Jilliene Beale
      02/07/2018 at 1:02pm
      Jeff McLaren
      02/07/2018 at 12:56pm
      alex
      02/07/2018 at 8:46am
      Louise Cryer
      02/07/2018 at 8:28am
      Carol Peychers
      02/07/2018 at 8:04am
      Christina Rock
      02/07/2018 at 6:11am
      Irma Jager
      01/07/2018 at 9:42pm

      "I've been passionate about human and animal health for many years. I hope to see many more healthy, slim dogs in my world!"

      Jacki Remihana
      01/07/2018 at 8:14pm
      Laura Harvey
      01/07/2018 at 5:02pm
      Lis Pedersen
      01/07/2018 at 4:01pm

      "brilliant idea. Just wish more of your can was possum :-) Looking forward to your cat food version."

      Heather Routley
      01/07/2018 at 3:19pm
      Jessica Mavromatis
      29/06/2018 at 6:54pm
      Trish Coleman
      29/06/2018 at 11:00am

      "I met you when you called at my business Mumma T Trading Lounge in Amberley, North Canterbury. All the very best :) Cheers, Trish"

      Sarah Madigan
      28/06/2018 at 5:29pm
      Tracey Mackay
      28/06/2018 at 1:49pm
      Nicki Atkinson
      27/06/2018 at 10:07pm
      Raewyn Findlay
      26/06/2018 at 4:52pm

      "Awesome initiative, go Paula!!"

      Lulu Purda
      25/06/2018 at 9:18pm

      "Well done Paula xx"

      Daniel
      25/06/2018 at 5:26pm
      Juliet Thomas
      25/06/2018 at 4:28pm

      "Well done Paula! I'm very excited about the new food - our dogs love it."

      Emma Bonnington
      25/06/2018 at 10:45am

      "My fussy dog loves this food, and I love that it is been designed by a vet and it's balanced for ultimate health. "

      phillipa jones
      25/06/2018 at 9:31am

      Followers of Get Smarter Pet Nutrition with Genius Dog Food

      This campaign was successful and got its funding on 17/07/2018 at 9:00 PM.