{"id":31093,"date":"2018-09-20T17:48:05","date_gmt":"2018-09-20T15:48:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.faithful-to-nature.co.za\/blog\/?p=31093"},"modified":"2018-10-16T11:45:06","modified_gmt":"2018-10-16T09:45:06","slug":"pets-vondis-interview","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.faithful-to-nature.co.za\/blog\/pets-vondis-interview\/","title":{"rendered":"Pets are People \u2013 Catching up with Vondi\u2019s Owner, Paul Jacobson"},"content":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s 10:30 on a Monday morning and the <\/span>Vondi\u2019s Holistic Pet Nutrition<\/span><\/a> shop in Sea Point is bustling. Beyond all the doggie treats and cat toys that greet you upon entering, an impressive food production line is in progress to my left and, to my right, large boxes are being prepared for delivery in Joburg. <\/span><\/p>\n

Behind the production line, large gas stoves groan under the weight of simmering pots and the scents of wholesome meals and freshly-baked biscuits fill the shop. I watch as countless pairs of industrious hands work efficiently to prepare and package sachets of freshly-cooked veggies, grains and meat. On the other side, someone\u2019s rolling out bright green, Spirulina-infused dough and pressing out <\/span>flower-shaped biscuits<\/span><\/a>. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe most important thing about our shop is that it\u2019s open and transparent. The pet food industry has a bad reputation of hiding stuff. You don\u2019t know what goes into your pet\u2019s food. So, we want people to see exactly what goes into the Vondi\u2019s food they\u2019re buying for their beloved animals,\u201d explains owner, Paul Jacobson, as he gives me a whirlwind tour. \u201cNothing is hidden behind walls or doors. We display the work being done on a TV above the till counter.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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Apart from the fact that they prize honesty with their clients, Paul and his team also aim to keep their carbon footprint as small as possible.
\n<\/span>They use gas, instead of electric stoves, for meal-prep and, furthermore, they transfer the food into Wonderbags<\/a> under the counter to complete the cooking process, rather than letting the gas burn for extended periods of time. This also assists in making the grains they use in their pet food recipes more digestible.<\/p>\n

They do currently still use plastic for their packaging, as biodegradable materials are unfortunately just too expensive for most clients\u2019 pockets at this stage. Fortunately, the plastic they use is high micron and can be reused.
\n<\/span>Curious about Paul\u2019s passion for pet nutrition and wellness, we sat down for a coffee to discuss what they\u2019re doing with Vondi\u2019s in more detail:<\/p>\n

WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO START THE BUSINESS?<\/b><\/h2>\n

Well, actually, I didn\u2019t start it. A small little homeopath was producing this type of diet about 20 years ago. My dog, Chester, was struggling with skin disorders, so we eventually heard about a lady named Eleanor, who was making food from home and selling it to a couple of locals here. \u00a0That\u2019s how I came to support her.
\n<\/span>Chester sadly just died of eating nachos – one got lodged in his throat. If it wasn\u2019t for that, he would probably have gone on for a lot longer.
\nAnyway, Eleanor was a small operator who had a couple of beautiful pet food recipes. I had always been in restaurants \u2013 as a chef \u2013 and liked the idea of getting away from working with humans. So, eventually we decided that I\u2019d take the business over from her.
\nFrom a small operator with just a few staff members, we\u2019ve grown into a recognisable brand that employs many people.<\/p>\n

WHERE DOES THE NAME \u201cVONDI\u2019S\u201d COME FROM?<\/b><\/h2>\n

Vondi was the name of the previous owner\u2019s Belgian Shephard. The reason why Eleanor\u2019s pet food started becoming so popular, was because everyone was seeing how well Vondi performed and how healthy he looked.<\/span><\/p>\n

WHAT PRODUCTS DID YOU START WITH? <\/b><\/h2>\n

We started with food first \u2013 the recipe Eleanor had been making \u2013 and one range of biscuits. We haven\u2019t done anything different with the food. We\u2019ve still got six lines. The biscuits, we expand all the time to include different ingredients, like coconut oil (which is one of our biggest sellers now). <\/span><\/p>\n

Then our remedies \u2013 at one stage we only had a vitamin mix. But now we do a whole range of items now, including spirulina, fish oil and rooibos. This part of the business has grown quite a bit because we feel it completes holistically the nutritional side. <\/span><\/p>\n

WHERE DO YOU SOURCE YOUR INGREDIENTS FROM? <\/b><\/h2>\n

It\u2019s very important for us to make sure that everyt<\/span>hing is natural and ethical. So, with the meat, we pay a premium, buying it from a certified supplier who is registered themselves as a pet food supplier. Then, we get our wholegrains from Sasko and we\u2019ve confirmed that they are not genetically modified. Our vegetables are bought through a fresh trading supplier here. And our olive oil is all South African-produced.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\nSO, A LOT OF THOUGHT\u00a0<\/b>GOES INTO EVERY SINGLE INGREDIENT, BASICALLY?<\/b><\/h2>\n

Oh yes! Nutrition is all about performance and if you aren\u2019t seeing results, something must be lacking in the ingredients.
\nWe make a strong claim in healing skin and other ailments, so we have to be absolutely vigilant. Also, we rely on the palatability of those ingredients. There are so many shortcuts in the pet food industry: you get manufacturers using tomato source with sugar or even digestives.
\nFor us, the nutritional value of our food is more important than the taste. Of course, it is tasty, but that\u2019s not our number one priority.<\/p>\n

WHEN DID YOU FIRST OPEN THE SEA POINT SHOP? <\/b><\/h2>\n

It must be about 15 years ago. Eleanor ran it for a bit and then we\u2019ve taken over for about 14 years. She actually started in a tiny shop, but then we got the opportunity to move over to the larger premises. We were reluctant at first, but now we\u2019re really grateful. The size was obviously what we needed. It\u2019s even too small now!<\/span><\/p>\n

DO YOU HAVE ANY SHOP ELSEWHERE? <\/b><\/h2>\n

We have about 200 stockists, but no other shops yet. <\/span><\/p>\n

WHAT ARE YOUR MOST POPULAR PRODUCTS? <\/b><\/h2>\n

Our main sellers, which represent about 70% of our business, is still food. But that takes a lot of work, explaining to people the nutritional values. So, once you\u2019ve imparted that information and people become enlightened, they understand why.
\n<\/span>But, then, the \u2018quick fixes\u2019 like biscuits and treats are also very popular, but definitely a smaller part of our business.
\nI guess, we focus more on aligning ourselves with the human industry, which is huge in South Africa, especially Cape Town, which boasts some of the most amazing nutritionists in the world. We are a step ahead of most countries.<\/p>\n

SO, OBVIOUSLY, THE MESSAGE YOU\u2019RE TRYING TO SEND OUT IS THAT THE IMPORTANCE OF GOOD NUTRITION EXTENDS BEYOND THE HUMANS IN YOUR FAMILY? <\/b><\/h2>\n

Yes, it\u2019s just common sense!
\n<\/span>I just don\u2019t understand how people can say, \u201cPreservatives are bad, chemicals are bad\u201d and then, without a second thought, apply anti-flea medication to a dog. That stuff is poison! It\u2019s always strange to me when they\u2019re so vigilant with their own homes and bodies, but don\u2019t extend the same courtesy to their companion animals.
\nIf preservatives are bad, they\u2019re bad. For everyone. So, we want to help people understand that there are healthier meal options for their pets as well.<\/p>\n

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CAN YOU EXPLAIN WHAT PEOPLE SHOULD BE AWARE OF WHEN BUYING COMMERCIAL PET FOOD? <\/b><\/h2>\n

Well, firstly, there are the two types: wet food and dry food.
\n<\/span>Wet food is a lot better for your pet, because it typically requires fewer preservatives as canning itself serves to preserve the food to a great extent. It\u2019s also high in moisture, which is a good thing.
\nWhat we commonly know as dry commercial food is actually horrendous, because the cooking process it goes through actually ends up destroying a lot of the important nutrients. So, they end up having to supplement further with pharmaceutical vitamins. But, vitamins are best in their natural form.
\nIn other words, dry food is basically just cardboard with a multi-vitamin.
\nAll dry food also has to be preserved to be able to sit on the shelf for 24 months and is pretty much devoid of moisture. That\u2019s how omnivores and carnivores metabolise liquid \u2013 through their food. Cats are now drinking copious amounts of water, because they\u2019re dehydrated. All our animals are in a constant state of dehydration. If they eat proper, whole food, they don\u2019t need to drink as much.<\/p>\n

DO YOU THINK THERE\u2019S ALSO A SOCAL ASPECT TO SERVING HEALTHIER FOOD TO YOUR PETS \u2013 TO INTEGRATE THEM INTO THE FAMILY IN A WAY? <\/b><\/h2>\n

Yes, it\u2019s quite interesting actually. In terms of behaviour, our animals disrespect us now. In the olden days, we used to make food with love and put it down on a plate for them. It was all done with love and you built a bond with your animal.
\n<\/span>Now, we just heap a bowl of dry food and put it down without even really looking at our animal. No wonder they\u2019re not always keen to do what we ask them to.<\/p>\n

SPEAKING ABOUT BEHAVIOUR, YOU GUYS ALSO RUN A DOGGY DAY CARE AT VONDI\u2019S. WHY IS IT IMPORTANT FOR DOGS TO SOCIALISE IN THIS WAY? <\/b><\/h2>\n

We have about 40 dogs attending our Doggy Day Care and they love it!
\n<\/span>Just the same as children, dogs need to interact with humans and other dogs. If you leave a child on their own all the time, they\u2019ll develop all sorts of psychological inadequacies. The same is true with dogs! They need interaction, they need to be entertained. They\u2019re such sociable animals and to leave your doggie at home alone for a whole day is simply cruel.<\/p>\n

VONDI\u2019S DO A LOT OF COMMUNITY AND CHARITY WORK. CAN YOU SHARE? <\/b><\/h2>\n

Yes, I feel that we have a responsibility to assist animal welfare as much as possible. We\u2019re very proud of the fact that we support a number of shelters and clinics and also offer a variety of ways in which clients can do the same.\u00a0<\/span>One of the fun things we did earlier this year was the Paws on the Promenade doggy walk with Mdzananda Animal Clinic<\/a> in Khayelitsha to raise funds for them. We had about 500 dogs and humans walking.\u00a0We\u2019re also very involved with DARG<\/a> in Hout Bay, when there was the fire, we raised R40\u00a0000 worth of food.\u00a0On our website, we have an option of buying food<\/a> for your preferred animal welfare. We supported the SPCA going up to Mount Kilimanjaro \u2013 we\u2019ve even got a Vondi\u2019s flag flying on the summit!<\/p>\n

FINALLY, YOU ALSO HAVE REGULAR RADIO SLOTS WHERE YOU TALK ABOUT PET HEALTH AND WELLNESS. WHERE CAN PEOPLE TUNE IN? <\/b><\/h2>\n

Every Saturday morning \u2013 sometime between 09:15 and 10:15 – I have my own show on Smile FM. It\u2019s called Pet Pals and we cover everything on there \u2013 from the godliness of our dogs to remedies for ailments, the beauty of our animals, questions-and-answers.
\n<\/span>From time to time, I also talk on Voice of the Cape.
\nThen, apart from that, we\u2019re also quite big on social media and I write a lot of blog posts<\/a>, which can be found on our site.<\/p>\n

The Vondi\u2019s website: <\/span>www.vondis.co.za<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

\"Vondi's\"<\/p>\n

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Natural Pet Care Tips for Winter<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n