São Paulo – Brazilian pet dogs are getting more and more comfort. Dog’s Care, a maker of disposable nappies for dogs, developed anatomic nappies for animals four years ago, and now sells to several Brazilian states and also abroad. Each year, the company’s revenues grow over 100% and the production capacity constantly rises.
The history of Dog’s Care started when Ana Carolina Vaz did not know what to do about the intense bleeding of her bitch, which was on heat. After adapting a baby nappy to her pet, she had the idea of a dog nappy. "We patented it, developed the brand, the layout and set up our plant in a friend’s warehouse," said Ana Carolina, who started the business in partnership with her husband, in 2006.
After production of the nappies came the idea of hygienic bags for collection of faeces, soon approved by their friends and by consumers of their nappies. However, the question of sustainability started concerning Ana Carolina and, in 2008, the nappies gained a new concept, becoming biodegradable. After that, all the products made by Dog’s Care gained that differential of sustainability. "All our waste (at the company) is also recycled," said the businesswoman.
With the growth of the brand on the foreign market, the company from São Paulo soon left the improvised warehouse and moved into a 200-square-meter warehouse, which now has capacity for production of 250,000 to 300,000 items a month. In nappies alone, production totals 70,000 to 100,000 items a month. "From October to date, nappy production has been increased by 30%," she said.
Apart from nappies, Dog’s Care produces kits for cleaning, shampoo, conditioner, perfume, bags and travel kits, including hygienic mats, bowls for food and water and feed containers. "We expanded our line of products seeking niches in the pet market, always in a sustainable manner," said Ana Carolina, who uses PET bottles and lorry tyre lining for the production of the carpets and bags.
According to Ana Carolina, the disposable nappies are not used just for bitches on heat and for sick dogs. In the case of the businesswoman, who has three dogs in an apartment, the animals spend all day long in nappies. They are also useful for travelling. To end this paradigm of nappies only for use on some occasions, this year, Dog’s Care started producing printed nappies, "for use as fashion accessories".
With 23 employees, Dog’s Care now has a distributor in Panama and is negotiating with importers in Argentina, Paraguay, Chile, Portugal and Spain.
Targets for 2011
Next year, Ana Carolina wants to buy industrial machinery to increase the company’s production capacity, and is thus seeking investors. "Only this way will we be able to expand our markets," she said. According to the businesswoman, one of the targets is to double in size and increase the number of employees. This year, company revenues should reach 2.1 million reals (US$ 1.2 million) and the target is to double in 2011.
*Translated by Mark Ament
