A former advertising executive has launched a dog dietician business after being inspired by nursing a dying husky back to health.
Kristina Johansen, 39, rescued 11-year-old Siberian husky Elmo from the streets of Hackney.
The dog had been abused and was malnourished — and was in such a bad state that vets were about to put him down when Miss Johansen adopted him. Over six months, she nursed Elmo back to health — changing his diet entirely and cooking him healthy food from scratch.
Miss Johansen, who lives in Battersea with her boyfriend and two dogs, told the Standard: “He was in such a bad way they thought the best thing to do would be to put him down. I thought, ‘Well if that’s the case, I may as well feed him nice food.’
“I threw away all my dog food and made him healthy human meals — chicken and vegetables and rice or beef and potatoes. Even within a week he was doing so much better. People said I must have swapped him for another dog. It really was astounding.”
Elmo went on to make a full recovery, living for another four years. Miss Johansen embarked on a four-year online course at The Companion Animal Sciences Institute in Canada, gaining a qualification in advance canine nutrition. Now she has launched ElmosKitchen.com and is expanding her business via app Doglicious.
