What is HOWND?

HOWND is a purpose-led business, it always has been and will always be. We make cruelty-free, planet kind products for dogs without harming any animals. That’s what we do. 

Why Dog Products? 

We aren’t just in this business because we love dogs, we want to make a difference to dogs, and to their health and wellbeing. We were already working in the pet industry in 2013, and were in the right place at the right time to launch our own range of products. I’ve always been passionate and will always be passionate about animal welfare. I’ve been an activist for much of my adult life, I’ve just always been deeply disturbed by animal cruelty and passionate about animal welfare. Dogs are a very important part of my life, and I’ve also always been interested in aromatherapy, so back in 2014 we started looking into the benefits of aromatherapy on dogs, and in 2015 our first product was created and we received our cruelty free certification. It’s very important to us that not a single ingredient in our products would be tested on animals. We are not about simply marketing cruelty-free and veganism - it’s very much a core part of our business. 

Why does the idea of ‘brands taking a stand’ mean so much to you?

I think like many entrepreneurs, a lot of the initial marketing behind a brand is instinctive. My instinct is to do good, and this sounds a bit airy-fairy, but I strongly believe that I will always put ethics above profit, and that’s HOWND. 

What has been your biggest learning since launching HOWND?

The two biggest lessons in business I would say is IP and square bottles. Don’t ever work with square bottles if you’re going to make a shampoo. That was the first mistake we made. When we purchased thousands upon thousands of square bottles, nobody told us that there are no machines in the UK that can put a label on a square bottle. The second learning is intellectual property. We’ve had a few incidents in the early days and the reason we rebranded to HOWND was our name, Butch and Bess, was very similar to another name of a pet shop who took offence. That was a really big lesson, you might have a great idea and think it’s unique, but someone else could have an idea close to it. We have also been copied quite a lot. The pet industry is quite 'dog eat dog' and you just have to be careful and watch out for copycats. 

What advice would you give for someone starting out, who has strong ethical values which they need to pair with a commercial mindset?

As long as you feel very passionate about it, then then you should follow your dream of starting. However, entrepreneurship isn’t for everyone. I would strongly suggest having a business partner, I couldn’t do this without my co-founder Mark. Not just to bounce ideas off and make mistakes together, but to have joint responsibility, because it’s overwhelming at times and having someone to help take the load off is vital. 

Why did you decide to get into Vegan dog food?

Moving into Vegan food for dogs has actually been quite a natural transition for the company. As we started to research into what a plant-based diet would mean for dogs, we realised that dogs can thrive on a plant-based diet. I find it absolutely fascinating. I've learnt so much through the process and being a cruelty-free vegan pet care brand, it just seemed like a natural step for us. This is probably the project that I’m most passionate about in the business and the one I’m most excited about. 

What’s your vision for the future?

My vision for HOWND, and for me personally, is to create a world where there are more dogs on a plant-based diet, whether it’s our food or from another brand. By authenticating the space, we will collectively save so many animals’ lives, we will reduce thousands, if not millions, of gallons of water every year, and reduce CO2 carbon emissions considerably. We will make a difference.