DOGGEESNAXX Ltd was founded in 2009 by Susanne Engel, a German national and Isabelle Lamusse, a Mauritian animal rights’ campaigner as a charity project for animal welfare.
​
We had the idea to sell dog biscuits at a fundraiser, especially since there was nothing available commercially in Mauritius at the time.
Options of importing dog biscuits from overseas were investigated but we discovered that most commercially produced treats are virtually free of nutrition and any ‘real’ ingredients – beef flavour usually means exactly that – artificial flavour, not real beef.
After extensive trials we put the first products on the shelves in 2010, handmade with real beef, chicken, liver, vegetables, cheese and eggs, free of chemicals, preservatives and non-food-grade fillers.
At the end of 2011, after having produced 2700 packets of biscuits in Susannes kitchen, it became clear that we had to either go big or stop – the project virtually had taken over her house.
At the end of 2012 Susanne was granted an investor permit for the plan to produce ‘real’ human food grade pet food for Mauritius and beyond and we moved into the premises of the old Heritage Museum in the tiny hamlet Petite Riviere Noire on the west coast.
From the most common pet food production methods of extrusion and pelleting, Susanne selected pelleting, assuming that it would support our vision of a pet food with visible/identifiable ingredients in human food quality.
Once production had started we realised very quickly that it was not possible to achieve Susannes vision with this method. What we needed was a production process that allowed for fresh products to be processed without pre-drying, rendering or pulverisation.
At the time Susanne had already developed a little process on the side to produce a new type of treats called ‘health stixx’. The product was becoming extremely popular on the shelfs, smelled good and looked the part.
On that basis we started to do a 12-months trial run with different production approaches for a full food concept. When the trial phase was over, Doggeesnaxx had created an entirely new type of pet food, not wet, not dry or semi-moist.
We call it SofDry because it is dry enough for acceptable shelf life but flexible and chewy at the same time and does not need any powdery components to support its production process.
The product visually reflects the ingredients and has very aromatic natural smell. As a result we don’t need any pallatability enhancers at all!
In 2014 we were ISO 22000 certified for the first time (re-certification was done in 2017 including SofDry). That makes us (to our knowledge) the only fully ISO 22000 certified pet food producer in the southern hemisphere!
Animal Lovers Choice
The Story
OUR MISSION AND VISION
Vision
Animal Lovers’ Choice (’ALC”) seeks to become an innovative leader in the development, production and distribution of human-grade health pet food.
We seek to become the preferred supplier in the super-premium pet food market for Mauritius, the Indian Ocean region and Africa and make our products available through a franchising network globally.
Mission
Promoting healthy, nutritious pet food by offering a wide range of human-food-grade, carefully manufactured products of the highest quality standard at competitive prices;
Always respect our motto ‘ANIMAL WELFARE COMES FIRST’, constantly striving to improve and develop our health food line for pets both locally and internationally.
The Team
SUSANNE
CEO - Founder
Susanne Engel – animal lover, entrepreneur, mad inventor, bullhead – all at once, all 150%.
Motto: if you can dream it you can do it! Invented the SofDry product and method, keeps looking for new horizons, can’t – and won’t - see dogs starve. Plans to feed the dogs of the world, will get there for sure!
SAMANTHA
Production
Samanta Sibchurn - production general!
Commands the best little production army in the southern hemisphere (official self-assessment, proven every day) She went through the same learning-by-doing process as all of the team and came out on the other side as THE SofDry production expert – also responsible for training and quality control. No fooling her…
PEGGY
Customer Care/Sales
Peggy Burkhard, the sorceress of Petite Riviere Noire (does not report to the Ministry of Magic just to Susanne..)
Handles all orders. Co-ordinates special requests. Answers all questions. Delivers everywhere on time.
Moves her wand and makes things happen (miracles take slightly longer)
OTTO
Logistics
‘Scotty beam it up’ Otto Engel contributes his 50 years of experience in transport and logistics to ensure all our food gets to the dog in time.
Manages all deliveries as well as imports and export logistics.
Fights his way through the treacherous permit jungles for us – we would not know what to do without him.
