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Dogs lap up meaty water
13/07/2006 13:22 - (SA)
Sydney - Cool bottled water in three delicious flavours -- beef, chicken and bacon. Not tempted? Your dog will be.
An Australian man has taken pooch-pampering to the next level with the launch of Aqua Dog.
With one canine for every five Australians, the country has one of the world's highest dog ownership rates and a pet food industry worth A$1.2bn a year.
For Andrew Larkey, that made the country the perfect place to start offering bottled water for dogs.
"Most people think 'how ridiculous'. The irony is that this is 100% serious," Larkey told AFP. "It's like a sports drink for dogs."
Larkey came up with the idea while working as the new products manager for an international beverage company.
On his trips to the supermarket two things, he said, became clear. The fastest growing markets were bottled water for humans and high-value pet treats. Larkey simply wanted to marry the two together.
"Bottled water for dogs...I just had to follow through with it," Larkey said.
When the multinational didn't believe in the idea, Larkey left his secure corporate job and went in alone.
Selling for nearly A$3.0 per bottle, the canine drink is more expensive than mineral water for humans. But in a nation of dog lovers, it is flying off the shelves.
Available in supermarkets around the country, over one thousand 600ml bottles are sold a week and Larkey says he is struggling to keep up with demand.
He's also launched Aqua Dog in the United States, Taiwan, Singapore and is testing the product in Japan.
Larkey insists the bottled water has important health benefits.
"Dogs, like people, only drink when they're dehydrated. But unlike us they're unable to say to themselves, 'I'm off for a run, I better have a drink before I start off,'" he said.
"The flavour encourages the dog to drink and prepares the body against damaging fluid loss, and overheating during competition, traveling, training or hot days.
"It's packed with electrolytes and vitamins. I mean, we could drink it."
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