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A business idea sometimes blooms out of a solution to a problem.
When that problem involves your beloved dog, finding a solution can feel like the only option. That’s what it felt like for Trisha MacDonald.
“It started with one of my dogs,” said the owner and operator of The RAW Edge Pet Health.
MacDonald has been around dogs her whole life. When one of her own, a labradoodle Rylee, received a hip dysplasia diagnosis as an 8-week-old puppy, it set MacDonald down a new and unexpected path.
“The vet took the X-ray and showed me how severe it was,” she said. Rylee was put on various medications to help with pain, though the veterinarian was not positive about Rylee’s outlook, advising Trisha and her family that her care would likely become costly. “That put me on the road of pet health and nutrition,” said MacDonald.
She began searching for anything she could do to help improve Rylee’s health, when she heard about raw food from a colleague.
After extensively researching the composition, benefits, and studies around feeding a raw diet, she felt prepared to make the switch and produce her own for Rylee.
She saw positive changes in Rylee’s health, continuing on a path of natural and raw food. Friends and fellow pet owners heard about the raw diets she was making and asked about ordering some for their own dogs. From there, MacDonald began making raw meals for other dogs from her home in August 2020.
“That’s where the idea started from,” she said.
By April 2021, MacDonald decided to leave her prior career as an executive assistant to take on RAW Edge Pet Health full-time. She moved the business to her first storefront location in Westville, and by August 2023, RAW Edge Pet Health found a new home in downtown New Glasgow.
“I went from a very secure job to being completely on my own,” she shared. “It was exciting, and scary. But I believe in this so much that I’m more confident than not that we’ll get there.” Though entrepreneurship had never crossed her mind before, the idea of being her own boss had always been desirable.
You walk out of The RAW Edge Pet Health knowing more than when you stepped in, thanks to MacDonald. She offers uniquely tailored service depending on your dogs needs, dedicating time to each customer to ensure their concerns are being heard.
She noticed just how hard it was for pet owners to access the information they were after, regarding their pet’s nutrition. She dedicated herself to helping others find that information, maintaining her goal that everyone would leave her shop knowing more than when they entered.
“I try to give that one-on-one for people,” she said. MacDonald holds a canine nutrition certificate from the Companion Animal Sciences Institute and is a certified pet first aid and CPCR trainer.
“I just want the animals to feel better,” she said. When a client’s issue goes beyond MacDonalds realm, she always directs them to someone who can offer further help.
On top of raw diets, you will also find various pet products at the shop, including CBD products, natural tick and flea collars, and most recently, pet urns handmade right here in Pictou County. RAW Edge Pet Health, however, is not a typical pet shop. While they do sell limited accessories and other pet products, the shop’s primary focus remains on natural options.
“If it’s not made in Nova Scotia, then it’s made in Canada,” she said, describing the stores products.
The RAW Edge Pet Health recently brought a groomer onto the team, adding a great service to the storefront location. “Ashley mentioned she was looking for a space, so I said, ‘why don’t you come here,’” said MacDonald.
Though her journey from executive assistant to full-time entrepreneur has not been easy, her passion for the work has only grown deeper. As she continues to grow, she envisions offering nutritional crash courses to help others build their knowledge. Currently, MacDonald offers a pet first aid certification course once a month.
Helping others help their precious furry family members continues to push MacDonald forward. Originally from Alberta, she says she doesn’t regret raising her family here in Pictou County one bit. Although the pull of the place where she grew up will always be there for her, she enjoys the life and business she has built here.
“In a couple years, I hope we’re busy doing courses,” she said. “I hope we have the trust of the county.”
There is no better person to help you with your animals than someone who shares a love for them. The RAW Edge Pet Health is built on love for animals. At the core of the business is MacDonald’s desire to help others improve their pet’s nutrition and set them up with the best life possible.
Published March 2024