A 60 kg Newfoundland dog the inspiration behind thriving Albury pet store

Owning a pet store has lots of perks, particularly if you own a 60 kg Newfoundland dog called Teddie.

For Stephanie Neal and Nathaniel Johnston, the owners of Todd’s Tasty Treats in Lavington (near Albury), their “big, cute and cuddly teddie bear” is both the inspiration behind and for what they do.

You’ll see Teddie’s big, furry head on their business logo, shop signage and food packaging. But her arresting features are not only a highlight of their marketing material; she’s a drawcard for customers too.

“Some people call ahead of their visit to check if Teddie is in,” laughs Stephanie.

Teddie is also about to turn nine and there’ll be a special in-store party on 14 September with lots of fun for humans and their canine companions.

Stephanie and Nathaniel purchased Todd’s Tasty Treats in 2022 and turned to making the already successful pet food business even more prosperous. They have revamped the store, quadrupled the floor space and expanded the fresh meat, bone and dried treat lines to epic proportions.

And here’s their favourite part – it’s all-natural, wholesome, preservative-free food made predominantly with human-grade meat and most of it is made in store, by them.

“I just love to do as much in house as we can, so we can ensure we are using the best quality ingredients and say we made it here and we know exactly what is in it,” said Stephanie.

“That’s what this is all about; helping people feed their pets a species-appropriate diet so that the animal’s body will function properly, they will feel a lot better and be able to live their best life.

“Our own dog Teddie wasn’t always on this diet, but she’s now about to turn nine years old and thriving on her expansive diet of fresh food with a shiny, healthy coat to boot.

“She used to have skin issues, flaky skin and constant ear infections until we changed her over to just the fresh, natural food, and we’ve had no more of these problems since. It’s made a massive difference for Teddie and for us, too.

“All the fillers and carbs that are in a lot of the dog foods on the market really make dogs’ bodies work so much harder and that causes things to not function properly.

“Just like humans, there are so many different ways to feed yourself and it’s the same with the dog world; dogs don’t have to have just dry dog food, they don’t have to have dry food at all.”

From obesity to food allergies, they advocate a raw diet can improve your dog’s nutrition to treat symptoms from the gut.

Since taking over, Stephanie has worked closely with dog nutritionists and can wax lyrical about biologically appropriate raw food, probiotics, digestive processes, nutrients and supplements.

It could be considered serendipitous that the pair ended up the new owners of Todd’s.

They had both been working long hours in their respective industries and Nathan’s shift work meant they were often like ships passing in the night. The arrival of their son Leo magnified their lifestyle and they knew something had to give.

“I first knew about this store after winning a $50 voucher when our dogs won their class at a show held in Albury’s QEII square in 2020,” said Stephanie.

“We already really liked the business and were already advocates for what the business stood for and we had seen the changes in our dogs after moving from processed food to fresh food, so it was really something we could get behind and felt passionate about.

“When we saw it was for sale, we thought, ‘That’s it.'”

While they don’t shy away from selling some dry dog food brands, they say you should know what’s in the product and be prepared to pay a little extra.

“I would go to a pet store and look at a bag of dry food and think, ‘Oh, it’s expensive, it looks good, so it must be good’.

“Now I read everything and understand more; just because it costs more doesn’t necessarily mean it’s good food.

“Some people have said I can get a 20 kg bag for $50 but, you get what you pay for.

“If you get a good quality, nutrient-dense dry food, you might find you are saving money because you don’t have to feed as much of it. Your dog will absorb more of the nutrients, and you won’t end up with those large yukky poos – and you may have fewer reasons to visit the vet,” said Stephanie.

The pair have taken to their new careers like ducks to water. It’s a team effort and both have their areas of expertise. Customers are coming from as far as Corryong, Holbrook, Wagga Wagga and Bright to stock up on the good stuff.

“We are meeting new customers all the time and it reinforces what we are doing when we hear their stories about how the food has helped their dogs,” said Nathaniel.

“We hear about skin itches going away, rashes disappearing and vet bills declining. Some of our customers have said just adding things like a probiotic has made a significant change to their dog’s health.”

They encourage people to switch their dogs onto a healthier diet in line with what they can afford.

“If you can just get a bit of raw meat into your dog’s diet to start with, just a small amount, anything is better than nothing, our pets enjoy the variety and get a nutritional boost,” said Nathaniel.

They have recently introduced ‘complete meals’ that are packed with meat, fruit, vegetables as well as all the nutrients essential to your pet’s health and will soon offer their own cooked range of meals which might suit older dogs, ones recovering from illness or those with compromised immune systems.

Another item they make on-site, and Nathaniel’s favourite treat for dogs, is a ‘Hairy Hide’.

“We don’t think you can find these anywhere else. They are a dehydrated cowhide, rolled up,” he said.

“Not only do they provide a chew that satisfies a dog’s instincts, they actually help to clean out the digestive tract. Because a dog’s digestive system can’t break down the hair it acts somewhat like a brush as it makes its way through, collecting things … and then out it goes,” he laughs.

In store you’ll find plenty of other items for both cats and dogs from toys and treats to beds, collars, coats and leads. They’ve installed a DIY dog wash and there are other developments in the wind.

“Actually, it’s hard to put a stopper on Stephanie sometimes, there are always things she’s dreaming up,” said Nathaniel.

“I’m out the back here looking at the list of all the meals I am preparing for the week and Steph comes in and says, ‘I’ve had another idea for a meal’ and I’m like, ‘Hang on, let’s just get these ones out on the shelves first!'”

Todd’s Tasty Treats is located at 354 Urana Road, Lavington. They’re open from 8:30 am until 5:30 pm Monday to Wednesday, from 8:30 am until 6 pm on Thursday, from 8:30 until 5 pm Friday and from 8:30 until 4 pm on Saturday. You can find out more about the pop-up party and follow Todd’s Tasty Treats on Facebook.