It all started with Zack, a golden retriever who liked to steal shoes and get into the laundry. Zack was sweet as can be, but plagued with allergies from a young age. “He broke out in rashes and scratched until his skin tore,” says Addiction co-founder Jerel Kwek. “We would take him to the vet and they’d give him steroids, which helped at first, but then caused their own set of side effects.” The Search for a Cure Jerel was determined to find a remedy to his dog’s problems. He turned to the leading holistic veterinarian at the time. It was discovered that the painful skin and gastrointestinal problems Zack was experiencing and a lack of nutrition in his diet was due to the unhealthy combinations of fats, grains, and additives in most pet foods that were fed to him. A lightbulb went off for Jerel: He needed to help develop a pet food without artificial ingredients and preservatives to alleviate not only his four-legged friend’s bumpy, itchy skin and lack of energy—but others’, too. No distance would be too far, no location would be too remote. He’d go further for his pet to find a cure. The Discovery Jerel found himself in New Zealand, the “Land of the Long White Cloud” as it’s known. Aside from being free of diseases such as mad cow and foot-and-mouth, New Zealand also offers a wide selection of free range and cage-free meat sources free from artificial hormones and steroids. The country also boasts an abundance of fresh and natural ingredients, making it an ideal home for pet food manufacturing. They began to develop easy-to-digest recipes centered around premium proteins and high-quality wild game meats that were much richer in nutrients and hypoallergenic. They also added vegetables, fruits, herbs, nuts and seeds to intensify the wholesomeness resulting in a flavor that was, in a word, well, addictive. Pet patients devoured the new food and begged for more, whilst showing significant improvements in their skin and coat health. With that, Addiction Foods was born. Addiction Today With a manufacturing plant along New Zealand’s Western Bay of Plenty, Addiction is now the biggest and most technologically advanced dry pet food plant in New Zealand, producing highly sought-after ultra-premium pet food in the market today. Addiction Foods now operates globally in close to 15 countries, including USA, Australia, China, Japan, Singapore and New Zealand.