When my partner Michael and I rescued our two little dogs Alfy and Mondoe over 14 years ago, we began a journey of care for the rest of their lives. They lived to the ages of 21 and 22. 

We were heartbroken when they had to leave this world, but we were happy we'd made their lives happy for so many years. 

From a dog that flinched when you touched him (Mondoe) to a dog that was so anxious he couldn't get enough of you (Alfy), they became happy little guys who had so much character and resilience. They gave us so much joy as well.

I know that if you're reading this, the chances are you feel the same depth of love and responsibility for your fur kids. 

Throughout our years of pet parenting, we were always looking for what else we could do to help Alfy and Mondoe have great lives. As foodies ourselves, my partner and I didn't want to feed them kibble...and so we began to feed them meat.

But we realised that this didn't give Alfy and Mondoe all they needed, so I went hunting for a simple way to make complete and balanced meals...at home. (Alfy and Mondoe wrinkled up their noses at all that prepared bought stuff!)

I had trouble finding something that really fit the bill, so hello Bestie....

I left my decades-long career in marketing to start Bestie, and we began with one of the first true balancers in the market...

But we could also see that dogs and cats were getting older, with all the things that go with that - creaky joints, less energy and cognitive decline, not to mention modern issues like skin complaints, anxiety and bad breath. With dogs as old as Alfy and Mondoe, we were going through a lot of that first hand!

I started an R&D project to make nutraceutical chews to target these conditions. With the help of the CSIRO KickStart Research Program, Food Innovation Australia, Jobs for NSW, and the Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre, we developed a cold extrusion processing method for our chew range, and our own manufacturing facility in Newcastle.

Amanda Falconer, founder.