This animal lover wants to give all pets a healthier life - one loving meal at a time

It takes a dedicated animal activist to understand what pet owners want for their furry companions.

Led by Mr Chan Chow Wah, Animal Human Alliance (AHA) - a business social enterprise established in 2013 that also sells pet food and products - was born out of his keen interest in animal welfare.

After adopting his first rescue cats in 2005, the 48-year-old anthropologist started sponsoring food for feeders and animal shelters, and helped pay for the veterinarian bills of community cats. He also began providing palliative care for those that were diagnosed with cancer, kidney failure, heart disease, feline leukaemia virus disease (FeLV) and feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV).

Caring for FeLV- and FIV-positive cat Rahula led Mr Chan to realise that feeding him nutritious home-cooked food helped improve his appetite. From there, Mr Chan began experimenting with recipes for his animal patients, which inspired the development of AHA's two house brands: Gold-D and AHA.

The Gold-D range came about as a result of Mr Chan's experience with his own FIV-positive cat, the eponymous Gold-D. He explains: "At one point, Gold-D's appetite was very bad due to his condition. We wanted to be sure that whatever he was willing to eat contained the best nutrients possible."

Gold-D's pet food is free from carrageenan (an ingredient that reportedly increases cancer risk), meat by-products, artificial colourings, flavours and preservatives, and contains probiotics for better gut health.

AHA's emphasis on providing a healthier lifestyle for pets extends to the home as well, with the AHA Collection of pet-safe household products launched in 2017.

"Because many of our palliative care patients had cancer, we can help prevent the illness from developing in other animals by eliminating as many risks as possible, such as the usage of household chemicals that may be harmful to our pets.

"By promoting animal-centric products, we hope to communicate our values of treating animals as fellow beings and also create an opportunity for building a global network of animal lovers."

AHA won a Distinction in the Brands For Good 2020 awards, under the Business For Good category.

Outreach efforts

Besides continuing to provide palliative care for ill cats and offering a sanctuary for those with FeLV, AHA also hopes to promote a dialogue on pet ownership.

Unlike pet food manufacturers that use pedigree pets to promote their products, AHA features images of rescue animals on its packaging to create more visibility for them.

"The cats and dogs featured were in very bad shape when we first rescued them. After much care and recuperation, they blossomed into healthy and happy animals. So instead of buying a cute pet, try adopting a rescue as the impact on their lives is more meaningful," says Mr Chan.

Sales of its products not only allow AHA to continue supporting rescue work, but also provide an avenue of funding for outreach projects that highlight the plight of community animals - such as a photo exhibition featuring street cats by the late British Sinologist Keith Stevens in 2018, and three acclaimed documentaries on street animals, including The Metta Story.

Proceeds from these projects have gone on to benefit animal shelters such as Metta Cats & Dogs Sanctuary, as well as AHA's community of feeders.

Says Mr Chan: "Sometimes people ask if AHA is a charity or shelter, and I always tell them we are a registered business. We want to be a business that behaves like a charity."

Whatever the label, it's really all about the animals. "The suffering that humans can inflict on a helpless animal is a very depressing topic. However, feeling sad does not change anything - taking action will," he adds.

https://www.brandsforgood.asia/animal