PawPick

for dog people, cat people, and label-readers

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Jess Aldridge

Writer & Founder

Jess Aldridge

Wellington-based dog and cat owner. Started PawPick after adopting a staffy with a gut made of tissue paper and discovering most pet food reviews are useless.

The backstory

I adopted Māui — a staffy rescue with the most sensitive stomach in the Southern Hemisphere — and spent the next two years learning more about pet nutrition than I ever planned to.

PawPick started as a spreadsheet of what worked and what didn't. Every food, every supplement, every treat — tracked against vet visits, coat condition, and how many 2am emergencies we had that month. After two years and well over a hundred products tested across two animals, the spreadsheet became a website.

Turns out most pet food 'reviews' are just rewritten product descriptions with an affiliate link slapped on. I wanted something better: honest recommendations based on actual ingredient analysis, NZ availability, and real-world results with animals that have real health quirks.

That's what this is. Every product on PawPick is evaluated the same way — ingredients first, marketing claims last. If it's not available in New Zealand, it's not on the site. If I wouldn't feed it to Māui or Pōhu, I won't recommend it to you.

Yes, there are affiliate links. No, they don't change the recommendations. I'd rather lose a commission than recommend something that'll give your dog the runs at 3am.

How I evaluate products

Every guide on PawPick follows the same process. I start with the ingredient list — protein source, protein percentage, fat content, carbohydrate fillers, artificial additives — and cross-reference against what's known to trigger sensitivities in dogs and cats. Marketing language like "premium" or "natural" gets no weight.

Then I check NZ availability. There's no point recommending something you can't actually buy here. I confirm stock across Animates, Pet Direct, Petbarn, and major supermarkets. If a product has patchy NZ availability or regularly goes out of stock, I say so.

Where I've fed a product to Māui or Pōhu, I include those results — coat condition, stool consistency (unglamorous but relevant), energy levels, and whether they actually want to eat the thing. For products I haven't personally trialled, I note that clearly.

I also read the bad reviews. A five-star average with 400 ratings means nothing if 80 of them mention the same recurring problem. I look for consistent complaints, not isolated incidents.

My credentials

  • Māui — 6-year-old staffy rescue with a diagnosed sensitive stomach and a history of food intolerances. The reason PawPick exists. Has eaten (and rejected) more dog food brands than most people have heard of.
  • Pōhutukawa ("Pōhu") — ginger tabby, 4 years old. Picky eater. Has strong opinions about wet food texture. Occasionally features in cat content against her will.
  • 3+ years of hands-on research into pet nutrition, ingredient analysis, and the NZ pet retail market. Have personally evaluated over 150 products across dog food, cat food, accessories, supplements, and parasite treatments.
  • Wellington-based — so everything is tested in the NZ context: NZ pricing, NZ availability, NZ climate (relevant for things like cooling mats and winter coats), and NZ vet advice.
  • Not a vet. Never claimed to be. Everything on PawPick is informed owner research, not clinical advice. For health questions, talk to yours.

Selected guides

A few articles that show the depth of research this site aims for:

Articles by Jess

99 guides, reviews & comparisons