Customer Spotlight: Four Decades Dedicated to Dogs
Few people can say they have spent a lifetime dedicated to the wellbeing of dogs, but for this month's customer spotlight Chris Clark, that's exactly the case.
With more than forty years of experience training, grooming, breeding, showing, and boarding dogs, Chris has devoted her life to understanding what helps dogs thrive. From running puppy classes and luxury boarding kennels in Auckland to raising award-winning Afghan Hounds and caring for a household full of dogs and cats in Oamaru, her passion for canine health has never wavered.
Raw feeding became a key part of that journey more than 25 years ago, transforming the health of one rescue dog and ultimately shaping the way she has fed every dog since. Today, she remains a passionate advocate for natural nutrition and has been a loyal New Zealand Petfoods customer since relocating to Oamaru a decade ago.
We sat down with her to talk about her journey with dogs, how she discovered raw feeding, and the benefits she has seen first-hand over decades of experience.
Tell us a little bit about yourself and your dogs
For forty years I think I could say that my business has been the wellbeing of dogs.
As ‘Puppy Love’, I trained puppies from 8 weeks, had group training classes for the socialisation and offered remedial training for problem dogs. I groomed all shapes and sizes of dogs.
I had exclusive luxury boarding kennels in Auckland for twenty years and averaged 80 animals a night for 20 years. A labour of love and labour intensive.
How did you first discover raw feeding?
It is a brave person who asks me about feeding puppies and dogs. Have you got half an hour?
Raw feeding had always intrigued me. Back in the 1980’s I soaked up all I could find about raw feeding. There had to be a healthy, easy alternative to biscuits. My personal fetish was poodles and then afghan hounds for breeding and showing. I took into my family a rescue afghan hound.
However, no matter what I tried, he would not eat enough biscuits to put on much-needed weight or have acceptable poops. Can you imagine porridge poos with a big fluffy afghan bum every day. That was when I decided, let’s do it, what do I have to lose?
Biscuits one day, then RAW FOOD the next. He never looked back. He put on weight, never had another sloppy poop, and was relaxed and happy. That was at least 25 years ago.
Dr Lyn Thomson, a veterinarian in Auckland, made raw feeding a consumer-friendly option. I was exceptionally privileged to have many conversations with Dr Thomson about raw feeding. She also became well acquainted with NZ Petfoods creators.
How long have you been feeding raw, and what made you stick with it?
My current pack of pups have never eaten biscuits. They are the longest living dogs I have ever raised. My oldest is currently 17 and still very active. I am attributing this to raw feeding. No additives or extras – all natural – what they would find in the paddock. A number of my recent grooming clients, with different issues for their dogs, have been very happy with their change to raw feeding.
What benefits have you noticed since raw feeding your dogs?
Because this method had become an easy way to feed, I continued to feed all my personal dogs with only raw food. I had top quality, show-winning afghan hound dogs. I could not have had that success if my dogs’ condition was not exceptional. My puppies ate raw food from weaning.
I did have pooches that came to stay at the kennels, which I believed would benefit from raw food. One long story short, a dog whose horrendous skin condition had been given up on by others. With the human’s consent for me to try this, the dog left me after three weeks of raw food feeding, with healthy skin but requiring grooming for his coat growth for his ongoing days. Another, who had epilepsy, reduced his medication considerably after being fed only raw food.
Dogs became more relaxed and easier to live with. Poops are NON SMELLY and small, dry pellets because they are absorbing all the goodness out of the raw food. Dogs enjoy this food and it is very difficult to make a dog fat with this regime. They are what they eat.
How did you first find New Zealand Petfoods?
When I moved from Auckland to Oamaru ten years ago I was concerned that I would have difficulty continuing my raw food regime. I was delighted to find the wonderful owners and staff of NZ Petfoods who could cope with this crazy lady and her obsessions about the wellbeing of her dogs. I admit to feeding the same food every day and having extremely happy, healthy dogs. They all do exceptionally well on this so why change.
Talk to the wonderful folk at New Zealand Petfoods for assistance and advice on feeding your pooch.
What advice would you give to other dog owners considering raw feeding?
I always recommended starting with chicken medallions (which, because it is the minced entire chicken, has all the vitamins and minerals needed) and green tripe. This allows dogs to settle into an easy routine first. Green tripe contains wonderful probiotics for good gut health. Can be a bit wiffy. I have a sister who is a dairy farmer and has trouble dealing with the smell. BUT, good old clickclack containers – in with the frozen then just tip it out into the dog bowl when it is defrosted.
Which dog is the boss of the household?
I am happy to say that I am the top bitch in my very happy household - six dogs and four cats, sorry five cats, because someone dumped a kitten in my sheep paddock. My pack are world famous in Oamaru and are very happy to talk to anyone who needs to pat a puppy, meet an Afghan or just have a chat.
