‘Most people thought I was insane’ Meet the ex-cop who risked everything for his dog

When Buddha the rottweiler was diagnosed with hip dysplasia and given five years to live, his owner Adam Guest refused to take the news lying down.

The former police officer began looking into ways to manage his puppy’s diagnosis without the consistent use of medicine and invasive procedures.

The search led him to raw feeding, where pets are given a diet of predominantly raw meat and fresh vegetable diet. That then sparked a business idea that has grown into a pet food company worth over $10-million dollars.

“I don't think there was one defining moment where I thought, ‘This is definitely going to work.’ It was more a series of small wins and steady progress that gradually built confidence over time, while still understanding that nothing is ever guaranteed,” Adam said.

Today, Raw & Fresh operates out of three warehouses at Prospect in Western Sydney and delivers its meals across much of the country.

Before the success there was a lot of sacrifice and hard work.Raw & Fresh consisted of Adam and a mincer in his parents’ garage. It was a big chance from his work in the NSW Police Force’s Tactical Operations Unit.

“On paper it probably looks like one of the stranger career changes you could make, but I've always been someone who enjoys a challenge. After five years in tactical policing I felt like my time had come. I was ready to do something completely different, learn something new and test myself in a different environment,” he said.

“The funny thing is I didn't know anything about business, but what I did have was an unwavering belief that it would work if I committed everything I had to it.”

Determination and resilience defined Adam’s career in the Police Force and he says it was these qualities that guided him through the early stages of building his business.

His wife covered the family expenses for three years because Adam didn’t get a wage for three years.

“I think most people thought I was completely insane. We survived through a combination of support, sacrifice and backing ourselves,” he said.

“My wife was effectively supporting the family while I continued working without a wage. There was a huge amount of pressure because we’d invested so much emotionally, financially and personally into making it work.

“Failure wasn’t just a business not succeeding, it would have had a very real impact on our family.”

But Adam believed in Raw & Fresh, he saw first hand the impact that a dog's diet can have on its wellbeing. Buddha’s health improved so much she lived almost 11 years - double the expectation. 

“We knew pretty quickly that something had changed, within the first week we were already noticing differences,” Adam said.

“The biggest change was her overall demeanour. She seemed happier. She wanted to move around more, play fetch, chase a ball and do the sorts of things a young dog should be doing. She just seemed more comfortable in herself.

“Seeing those changes so quickly was what made us stop and think.”

For more info visit  https://rawandfresh.com.au/