Entrepreneur is barking up the right tree with business

Jan 9 2008 by Alex Turner, Liverpool Daily Post

Alex Turner meets LISA HORNE, owner of Healthy Paws

THE first thing you notice in the warehouse of Crosby-based Healthy Paws is not the pallets of dog food piled high along one wall – it’s the two dogs bounding towards you as you head towards the office.

Abby, a golden retriever, and Cleo, the Weimaraner (a bit like a greyhound), are a big part of the company, featuring on the product’s artwork and being the main reason their owner gets out of bed each day.

Their owner is Lisa Horne, a 37-year-old entrepreneur and dog lover from Formby, who is also the owner of Healthy Paws, a producer of holistic dog food.

“I grew up with a dog,” she said. “They give you love and affection and don’t judge you.”

Horne clearly feels that she is indebted to her dogs, who helped her through her parents’ divorce and the death of her father.

“You get so much from dogs, it is unbelievable. They get me up every morning.

“I go out with the dogs for about 40 minutes, then again after work, no matter how cold and late it is.

“I find it is therapeutic. Dogs are my life.”

Abby and Cleo are joined by two more – Simba the shepherd dog and Rico, a Yorkshire terrier – who live under the desks in the unit at Bellair Estate. I got the impression they were the voice of the canine market place, making sure that the interests of dogs everywhere are well-represented at the company.

It is that thought – what is best for the dogs – that guides and motivates Horne. Her love of animals developed into an interest in animal nutrition while working as an animal care assistant at the RSPCA rescue centre in Southport.

She went on to train as a veterinary nurse, where she observed illnesses and ailments which she believed were a result of poor diet, and in particular unsuitable ingredients in pet food.

This focus on the ingredients that go into Healthy Paws’ two product lines, treats and complete food, has been the driving force behind the company in the four years since Horne first started baking dog treats in her oven at home.

“Doing the treats at home was where I gained the experience, for example about legal requirements like labelling on bags,” she said.

“The treats started doing so well, but when I baked them at home the shelf life wasn’t long enough.Once I was doing the complete food, I had to go to the manufacturers, as I needed the machinery.”

And the cost of a range oven was dwarfed by the initial investment of going full-time, which was in excess of £50,000.

“The minimum run in manufacturing is three tonnes, so I spent £15,000 on the treats alone,” said Horne.

“And the treat bags were done in Italy, with a minimum run of 40,000.

“Obviously when you are dealing with food there is a shelf life, and our products do not have any preservatives.”

Healthy Paws produces natural, nutritious dog food and treats, free of preservatives, additives, flavourings, added salt or sugar.

The products are dairy free with no wheat or wheat gluten and they are approved by the British Association of Holistic Nutrition and Medicine.

Horne said: “We only use the best quality grain, brown rice and oats.

“I didn’t want to skimp on any of the ingredients.

“We are what we eat, and that applies to our dogs as well.”

Healthy Paws has been trading as a limited company for a year, and already has seen turnover increase from £1,200 in the first month to more than £7,000.