Premium fresh dog food subscription service Different Dog has raised £10m to accelerate its mission to change dogs’ lives with real food.
With pet ownership on the rise, 3.2m UK households welcomed a new pet during the pandemic, increasing the total number of dogs to 13m.
The Shropshire-based firm is now expanding its operations to meet a growing demand from owners prioritising premium nutrition and wellbeing.
The funding will enable the company to move to a new state-of-the-art facility in Telford, the ‘dog capital of the UK’, expanding its capacity to serve thousands more dogs with its hand-cooked, human-grade meals.
The company is also investing in marketing to grow its customer base and hiring top talent to accelerate growth.
Founded in 2017 by husband-and-wife duo Charlie & Alex Thurstan, Different Dog was born out of frustration with the mass-produced, highly processed nature of pet food.
Determined to prove that fresh, nutritious meals are the key to canine health and happiness, the couple started by cooking meals for their own dog.
Since then, the company has grown exponentially, now feeding over 18,000 dogs and employing over 100 people.
This latest investment follows five consecutive years of revenue doubling year-on-year.
“More and more owners are seeking healthier options for their dogs, and seeing clear benefits from feeding hand-cooked fresh food,” said Alex Thurstan.
“We’re delighted that this investment will help us take things to the next level and change even more dogs’ lives.”
James Connelly, founder of Charlie Oscar Group, a major shareholder and board director for Different Dog, added: “Different Dog is leading the way in pet nutrition, offering a fresh high-quality alternative to traditional pet food.
“With the growing demand for higher quality, more nutritious options for pets, we’re excited to support the team as they scale their operations and bring their innovative approach to even more dog owners.”