INTERVIEW: Blake Paulin - Emerging Leader Scholarship Recipient

Blake Paulin and his wife Lisa own Lisa’s Doghouse. Blake’s primary role is managing and driving business through branding and collaborations with other local businesses. Blake and Lisa were attracted to the pet industry due to the people in it; customers are always kind and contribute to creating a great environment. Blake Paulin is the 2015 recipient of the Rolf C. Hagen Scholarship.

InfoStream (IS): I know the pet experience is big for you, do you have any pets that you could tell us about?

Blake Paulin (BP): I have two dogs and two cats. Both of my dogs are Shepherd-Border Collie mixes I would say. We got one from a shelter in Guelph, he was going to be put down and the Rat Terrier rescue ended up getting him (even though he wasn’t a rat terrier). We got him maybe four years ago and he’s about nine years old now, he’s been great. Cora, the female dog was at the Timmins Humane Society and we got her about three years ago as well. Now my two cats, one is 15 years old, Shadow, he’s a black cat, and Jack’s parents were feral cats and he was caught as a kitten and we ended up getting him through Pet Save, an organization down in Sudbury.

IS: So what in your history has taken you to where you are now and how did you become involved in the pet industry?

BP: My wife, Lisa, managed a pet food store and we decided just to open our own. I worked in construction prior to this and I basically just jumped in to support her and it turned out to be a passion of mine as well.

IS: What makes Lisa’s Doghouse different from other pet stores?

BP: What makes us different is our providing of solutions, we don’t simply provide product. We provide the right solutions to pet parents’ needs. What I feel is that a lot of time marketing clouds our understanding of what certain products “do” and “are” and understanding how each product differentiates itself and how they work best with the right questions to pet parents is how we differentiate ourselves.

IS: What feedback have you received from customers about this difference?

BP: Lots of positive feedback. We’ve helped a lot of animals, not only in health but also in different avenues such as aggression. I’m being very general of course, but just behaviour problems, not through us but through organizing proper connections within our area. We deal closely with a few different behaviourists, some physical rehabilitation facilities and stuff like that. So, all of our feedback that we get from our customers is that we provide the right solutions.

IS: That’s very interesting and it’s nice to see networking between people.

BP: As far as I’m concerned, networking is really what has elevated our game. Talking with the right people and getting to know the right people who have the same passion and that passion is simply not making money but providing solutions.

IS: I know from reading your website that being educated about the products that you carry is very important to both yourself and Lisa, so, how do you keep your education current?

BP: That’s a very good question because there is a lot of misinformation out there. We stay current by connecting with the right people for example, in product pulse, I have established some great relationships and friendships with people who have been in the industry for over 30 years. I’ve been able to develop friendships with people such as biochemists, nutritionists, nutritional biochemists, immunologists, and industry leaders such as John Ayres (of Freedom Pet Supplies) and Doug Boucher (of Tri-Natural Products). All of them have connections to have the right answers. I wish I could say that it was all through my knowledge and experience but it’s finding the right people who have the right answers.

IS: What are your long term goals for Lisa’s Doghouse?

BP: Our long term goals are to continue to strive for excellence. What Lisa’s Doghouse is really about is being the best that we can be at what we do. That is truly what we strive for, to be better people and our business allows us to do this.

IS: What’s most rewarding about your job and what makes it all worthwhile?

BP: The most rewarding part is helping and being able to make a difference. The nicest thing we get to do, and we get to do this very often believe it or not, is helping with issues that normally would cost a lot of money. We are able to help with those issues very economically by being able to ask the right questions. There are all kinds of issues out there with pets, it’s not just health or behaviour. There are all kinds of things that people don’t even know about, by our asking the right questions we are able to get to the solutions much easier.

IS: Can you give me an example of the issues that you are talking about?

BP: Absolutely! Inflammation is a common issue that we see. Now please keep in mind that I’m not a veterinarian, nor do I claim to be or pretend to diagnose things. But there are a lot of dogs with inflammation. The inflammation comes in all sorts of forms but we make sure that animal’s owner receives the proper guidance first and we are capable of getting rid of these things through proper nutrition by understanding the foods and the supplements that we provide. Another example of us finding the right solutions by asking the right questions is what we do when someone comes into the store looking for a toy. By asking the right questions such as “Is it a big dog? Is it aggressive? Is it a chewer? Etc…” we can steer the customer in the right direction. So it’s really salesmanship that allows us to do that.

IS: Is there anything else that you would like us to know about Lisa’s Doghouse?

BP: I think the real success to our business isn’t Lisa and I, although we are a part of that, but the biggest success is the community. The involvement of everybody wanting to be a part of something big and because of that it elevates our game and everyone else' game around us as well. That is really the key to our success.

Emerging Leader, Valina Pope, shares Summit experience

Anna MacNeil-Allcock

InfoStream Staff Writer 

Eight emerging leaders were awarded scholarships to attend the 9th annual Summit for Urban Animal Strategies in October 2014. Co-founder of Starstruck Labradors, Valina Pope, accepted one of two Rolf C. Hagen Emerging Leader Scholarships. 

InfoStream staff writer Anna MacNeill-Allcock caught up with Valina at her home north of Calgary to discover the qualities that caught the attention of the urban animal industry and ask about her Summit experience.  

InfoStream (IS): How did you come to be involved in the pet industry?

Valina Pope (VP): I had plans for university at a very young age. I wanted to do something in medicine, or genetics, and research involving both. However, after working so hard in school and saving money, I was in a head-on collision on a major highway. One of my many injuries was head trauma, which has resulted in long-term memory issues. To this day, I can not remember the years since the accident, but the years before are crystal clear! I could not attend university due to my injuries. 

I was employed by Colette Francis (Pooch Palace Kennels) as kennel help after the accident. She taught me what it meant to be an ethical breeder, regardless of what you breed. She opened my eyes!

So, when I applied the knowledge I have kept from before the accident to my current life, somehow, I ended up breeding Labrador Retrievers! I chose “labs” because of the potential to create genetically superior pets that can better serve as healthier, longer-lived pets and assistance dogs. We have already seen some of the results of our unique approach to breeding.  

IS: What is driving your passion in the pet industry?

VP: I feel that if we can truly work together, we can build a positive pet experience, as well as eliminating the suffering of animals - both homeless and poorly homed. 

IS: What is the most satisfying part of your job?

VP: Personally, the moment for me, is seeing the positive difference I have made in families across North America.  

IS: What is the most challenging part of your job?

VP: Well, the more people I meet, the more I like my dogs! The most difficult (although rewarding) part of my job is the struggle to educate people. It feels like some people will not, or can not, be taught or want to learn! It can be frustrating. At the same time, when successful, this can be one of the most rewarding experiences! 

IS: Do you have any programs/ initiatives that you are especially passionate about?

VP: We are working to improve the quality of pet we offer, the education we can provide, and the ways in which we deliver these. I hope to use collaboration between different branches/organizations involved in the pet experience to accomplish this.  

IS: What would you like to see happen in your sector over the next few years?

VP: Further collaboration of vested parties to benefit the pets and companion animals in our reach.

IS: What was your experience at the Summit?

VP: My experience was very good. It taught me lessons I can apply both professionally, as well as personally. I couldn’t have hoped for more! 

IS: How might  attending the Summit have helped you in your mission?

VP: Attending the Summit enabled me to meet many new people in the industry and will help me along the path that I hope to tread for many years to come. I will be applying the many lessons I learned at the Summit to all aspects of my career and projects over the coming years.

IS: What kind of an impact do you expect this to have on the Companion Animal Industry?

VP: Ideally, of course, we all hope to begin a wave. Like ripples in a pond, we aspire to change the world around us. Some of our efforts will be, of course, quieted by larger waves. But that can not dissuade us from making a splash when something really matters!

Valina Pope is the owner of Starstruck Labradors and was awarded the Rolf C. Hagen Scholarship for her contribution to Retail and Commercial Services.

Valina has adopted one of the more unique models for breeding and raising dogs on a larger scale. Starstruck Labradors involves more than 30 breeding Labrador Retrievers, each living in a home environment with their families. Given that one of the largest concerns with commercial breeding facilities is the welfare of the adult female dogs, this model is of great interest.

To encourage the highest quality of care, Valina has developed a strong contract and holds her adoptive families accountable. The adoptive families agree to breeding their pet and Valina is responsible for finding homes for the puppies. Only once has she needed to remove one of her dogs from a home that was not living up to her required standards. 

Atlantic retailer awarded Emerging Leader Scholarship

Anna McNeil-Allcock

InfoStream Staff Writer 

Pet nutrition blogger and social media savvy Rodney Habib earned the attention of Urban Animal subscribers last year when he was awarded the 2013 Retailer of the Year Summit. His efforts to create healthy communities for pets and people led him into Urban Animal programs as a 2014 Innovation Showcase at the Atlantic Urban Animal Regional Conference where he was nominated by his peers for a 2014 Rolf C. Hagen Emerging Leader Scholarship. 

In September, InfoStream announced the scholarship would be presented to Habib and he began his journey toward Urban Animal Alumni status. InfoStream staff writer Anna McNeil-Allcock caught up with Rodney in his Halifax-based pet retail shop - Planet Paws Pet Essentials - to find out a bit more about this future thought leader. 

Anna McNeil-Allcock (AMA): How did you come to be involved in the pet industry?

 

Rodney Habib (RH): I grew up in Nova Scotia, in a Mediterranean family that did not believe in owning pets. When I was 18, I moved out of the house to attend Dalhousie University and immediately got a kitten. I named him Scribbles because he ran around the house with a pencil in his mouth, leaving scribbles all over the walls.

 

I wanted the very best for him and only purchased food from the Veterinarian. In 2007 Scribbles was affected by the melamine contamination of pet food. Pets in our community started dying. My neighbour had a husky, whose heart exploded, with no real explanation. Scribbles began bleeding from his ears and never recovered from kidney failure and spent the rest of his life requiring support.

 

AMA: That must have been very difficult. How did it affect the course of your career? 

RH: I had a B.Sc. and an advanced degree in Animal Nutrition in order to do my job, which included importing and selling veterinary products in Europe. So I began researching the pet food industry. I was surprised at the lack of rules, standards and regulations. In fact, I became very angry….at everyone…. and decided to start writing about it. I am a terrible writer, but I thought I could get the message out using Facebook.

 

Within 8 months Facebook sent me a message informing me that I had one of the fastest growing pages compared with a million other pages.

 

A real turning point in my life was when my high school english teacher said to me, “Sometimes we must let go of the life we planned so as to accept the one that is waiting for us". So I left pharmaceuticals and started blogging full time.

 

In 2012 my followers persuaded me to open up a brick and mortar store of trusted sources of pet foods and supplies. Since then Planet Paws Essentials, in Dartmouth Nova Scotia, has won a number of awards, but my passion still lies in getting the message out to the world. My goal is to personally inspire every pet owner on the planet. I want to change the world, and I will.

 

AMA: What was your experience at the Summit and how might it help you in your mission?

 

RH: The summit was amazing, especially for it’s ability to bring people together. I was able to sit down casually with leaders in the Veterinary sector to discuss pet nutrition, which is a very rare opportunity.

 

AMA: What was the highlight of the Summit for you? 

RH: Watching all of the innovations happening in the pet world was also a great experience. It was a good exercise for me to spend three days listening rather than talking.

 

I really see the value in the Petlynx database for identifying problems in the pet food industry immediately. It will allow us to catch patterns early and prevent another incident like the one that ruined the last years of Scribble’s life.

 

AMA: What is your current "Pet Experience?" 

Today I share my life with my three healthy dogs and they are helping me to change the world.

 

For more information on Rodney Habib and Planet Paws Pet Essentials, visit  http://planetpaws.ca/ and https://www.facebook.com/planetpaws.ca

Rolf C. Hagen Scholarship for Emerging Leaders in Retail & Commercial Services

Rolf C. Hagen was born in 1932, the third of 10 children, in a small seaside town in northern Germany. In 1955, Hagen negotiated passage to North America on a small freighter departing from Bordeaux, France. During the voyage, Hagen worked as kitchen help and then as stevedore unloading cargo upon arrival in Newfoundland. However, Hagen’s sights were set on the province of Quebec, and he arrived in Montreal on May 7, at age 22. Just two days after his arrival, he established Rolf C. Hagen Inc. 

While setting up his importing company, Hagen developed a plan to grow specialty seeds for export back to Germany. Hagen travelled across Ontario and Western Canada, selling this innovative idea to farmers who believed this ambitious young man and provided the means to grow the business. During these early days, Rolf C. Hagen Inc. introduced two cultivars, rapeseed (now called canola) and, rich Polish sunflower seed; both of which are still major crops in Canada. 

In his life, Hagen was honoured with many awards: In 1999, he was inducted into the American Pet Products Association Hall of Fame, the highest honour in the pet industry; In 2004, he was awarded Lifetime Achievement Award from the Pet Industry Distributors Association; and, In 2005, he was awarded The Highest Order of Merit (Grosses Bundesverdienstkreuz am Band) by the President of Federal Republic of Germany, the highest honour bestowed upon a civilian by Germany. Rolf C. Hagen, passed away in Montreal on Saturday, October 22, 2011. 

In recognition of his ambition, his leadership, his generosity and his dedication to improve the lives of pets and people, Urban Animal™ has named the Emerging Leader Scholarship in Retail and Commercia Services as the ‘Rolf C. Hagen Scholarship’. 

In 2014, two such scholarships will be awarded and the recipients will be recognized during the Urban Animal™ Foundation Dinner on Thursday evening, October 23rd.

NOMINATE AN EMERGING LEADER! 

EMERGING LEADER CRITERIA

The pet industry mourns the passing of Rolf C. Hagen

It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of Rolf C. Hagen, on Saturday, October 22, 2011.

Rolf C. Hagen was born in 1932 in a small seaside town in northern Germany. In 1955, inspired by a simple idea, he came to Canada and sowed the seeds of Rolf C. Hagen Inc., which blossomed to become one of the world's largest family-owned manufacturers and distributors of pet care products.

His brothers Dieter and Horst subsequently joined the company, both of whom brought new energy and innovation to the company, taking it to new heights of success. The trio formed the first generation of an emerging family-based company that would later include Rolf C. Hagen's three beloved sons, Mark, Tom, and Rolf Jr.

Over the years, Mr. Hagen was honoured with many awards in the pet products industry. In June 1999, he was inducted into the American Pet Products Association Hall of Fame. In March 2004, he was given the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Pet Industry Distributors Association in recognition for innovative design of pet products and for his generous support of organizations and individuals dedicated to improving the lives of both pets and people. He is the only individual in this industry to have received both awards.

Mr. Hagen's support and vision was instrumental in the development of PIJAC Canada. In 2007, he was formally recognized by PIJAC Canada as one of the founders of the association. Over the years he made great contributions to the association and played an important role in building PIJAC Canada into what it is today. Rolf C Hagen was also an Honorary Lifetime Member of PIJAC Canada.

For more information please see the Obituary in the Montreal Gazette  

Louis McCann

Executive Director

PIJAC Canada  

 

U of Guelph Veterinary Program Gets $50,000 Financial Boost

Gift will help support a veterinarian specializing in exotic animals

On June 8, 2010 Rolf C. Hagen Inc., makers of Nutrience Pet Food, announced its commitment to provide $50,000 a year (for the next two years) to help support a veterinarian specializing in the care of small and exotic animals at the OVC Health Sciences Centre at the University of Guelph (OVC).