Arianne Sackville is the founder and chief executive of Bell & Bone, the Australian pet health brand she started in 2018 to solve a problem she could not unsee: the dental treats sold by the biggest names in the industry were built on wheat, rice, cereal and corn, ingredients that are not only poor nutrition but genuinely bad for teeth. What began with one dog and twenty five thousand dollars of her own savings is now stocked in more than 700 stores across Australia.
"80% of dogs have dental disease and the products available to owners were not helping to combat this terrible statistic, which is why I started my business."
Arianne Sackville - Founder & Owner of Bell & Bone
Why She Started
Bell & Bone
It began with Louie, her Cobber Dog, who she describes as being "like my first child". She wanted to do everything right by him, and naturally went looking for a good dental stick.
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It just seems so obvious to me that as we brush our teeth daily, our pets need to do something for theirs. So I went into stores, and to be honest, I was actually shocked at how unhealthy the options were from these multinational businesses - Arianne Sackville
She stood in the aisle and flipped over every dental stick on the shelf, looking for one she would actually give Louie. What she read was wheat, rice, cereal and corn, sold with little transparency and a reassuring "vet recommended" badge on the front. She also found a statistic that has driven the brand ever since: 80% of dogs over three develop dental disease, and the products meant to help were not helping. So she made the dental stick she could not find.
She made it for Louie first. Then for every dog and cat whose owner actually bothers to read the label. In September 2018, working alongside a food technologist, a pet nutritionist and a vet scientist, she started Bell & Bone, and built it properly from day one. The product behind it took more than eight years of development.
At a time when pet food recalls had shaken owners' trust, she did something she has never stopped doing: she put her name on the back of every pack, and her personal mobile number on the website.
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To win their trust, I spoke openly about my experience of owning a dog and put my promise to only do good on the back of each pack - Arianne Sackville
Louie, the Original Product Tester
Louie is not a mascot. He is Arianne's dog, the reason Bell & Bone exists, and the first taste test every product has to pass. The rule is simple and it has never been bent: if Louie will not eat it, it does not ship. Palatability is a hard pass or fail, because the best ingredients in the world do nothing if the dog turns away from them.
He has had one dental stick every day since he was a puppy, and his vet remarks on his teeth at every check up. Every evening after dinner, he comes to find Arianne, because he knows it is dental stick time. That moment, a dog who comes looking for you because the ritual is that ingrained, is the whole idea of Bell & Bone in a single moment.
What She Believes
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Prevention is feeding, not a vet visitA dental clean costs hundreds of dollars. One stick a day is the maths that avoids it. -
The barrier isn't knowledge, it is consistencyOwners know dental care matters. They do not do it daily because the options are either a fight or junk. Bell & Bone turns it into a treat the dog already wants.
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"Vet recommended" has been co-optedIt sits on products with wheat, rice, cereal or corn as the first ingredient. A real recommendation comes from a named professional putting their reputation on the line, which is why Dr Kelly Halls is named, credentialed and specific.
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The label is the product storyEvery ingredient has to be functional, not filler. As she puts it: when you read the label, you choose Bell & Bone.
What She Has Built
The Discovery That Set Bell & Bone Apart
Once the dental range was working, Arianne kept asking a harder question. If owners were doing the right thing, why were 80% of dogs still developing dental disease? Five years of work with vets and food scientists led to one answer: the gut.
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What we found was eye-opening: the gut plays a critical role in oral health. A healthy gut microbiome helps prevent the overgrowth of harmful bacteria, which is the starting point for plaque, tartar, and inflammation - Arianne Sackville
That research became the Bell & Bone Dental Topper, the first product of its kind in Australia, and the clearest example of how she builds: find the real cause, then solve it properly, even when it takes five years.
A Brand With Her Name On It
Arianne is the face of Bell & Bone by deliberate choice. She signs her name on every pack, keeps her number public, visits stores in person and knows store managers by name.
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We're an authentic brand. I show up every single day to be with our community, to bring fun and joy to owning a pet, and help empower owners to make the best decisions they can for their dogs and cats - Arianne Sackville
Today Bell & Bone is stocked in 700+ stores across Australia including Petbarn, PetStock and Pet Circle, has been reviewed more than 9,000 times at an average of 4.88 stars, and is backed by more than eight years of product development.
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