I Do! 💍

Issue #16

August 1st, 2023

Quick Hits:

• Man or Dog? - This bizarre story of a Japanese man that spent $16k on a “realistic” dog costume is going viral.

• Mango Pet - A bizarre new fad in China, young people are keeping mango pits as “pets”.

• The race to be the friendliest - Cities across the world are competing to be “the most pet friendly.” Recently, New Hampshire governor declared that his state takes the crown.

1. Can you tell us a bit more about yourself and what is Fairytale Pet Care? How did you come up with the idea?

We are Ilana Karcinski & Kelly Nova, co-founders of FairyTail Pet Care: the nation's first wedding pet care company. We have been best friends since we were 13 years old! We rescued our dogs while we were roommates in college. The dogs in the FairyTail logo were actually made from the silhouettes of our pups: Grizzie, Rowdie & Cooper!

We have been bringing pawsitivity to the wedding community since 2015. The idea for our company came to us while working for a Tampa-based hotel. We saw a need in the wedding industry that spoke to us; couples wanted to include their pets in their special day but quickly became overwhelmed. Our pets are our family and we couldn't imagine them missing out on such a special day. There was no other company offering the services we knew these couples needed, so we paved the way & created what we’ve now coined as the Wedding Day Pet Care industry! While we love bringing pets to weddings, our work does not end there.

We routinely volunteer at our local animal shelters, integrated a donation program into our wedding pet care packages & have made it our mission to help as many homeless animals as possible find their forever homes.

2. Weddings can be extremely stressful and not all dogs are the most well-behaved. What is your role, and how do you guarantee the bride, groom & dog the best possible experience?

We take the care of our client's pets very seriously! Each one of our handlers is vetted, trained & trusted. We come prepared to make sure everything goes smoothly. With extreme attention to detail, we provide a professional and personalized experience for both our human and furry clients. We also provide our clients with their own unique online portal so we can ensure we are prepared with all of the information needed to give their pets the absolute best care possible! We even offer free meet & greets before the wedding. We take their pets' personality & needs into consideration when planning our activities for the day.

No matter what, we allow time for them to get their sniffs in at the venue or photo location and familiarize themselves with the new surroundings. We create a fun environment full of exercise & adventure which eases any anxiety and helps them feel completely comfortable on their big day! We provide round-trip transportation to and from the venue since that is often a major concern for our couples. We also include attire rentals (tuxedo bandanas, faux floral collars, black harnesses & leashes, etc.) so that they're looking their best! We help them pose for photos, coordinate with all of the other necessary wedding vendors, help coordinate their role in the ceremony (if applicable), and even make sure they're all settled in at the end of the night when we drop them off with dinner and another potty break.

We have additional pet care services available surrounding the wedding weekend if needed, and really fun add-on services like our Dog Of Honor ® videography service: a wedding video all from your pets' point of view!

3. What were some initial reactions you received when starting your business? This really didn't exist in 2015, how have attitudes changed in the past eight years?

It was difficult in the beginning to introduce this very unique service, to vendors & couples alike. We worked extremely hard educating & perfecting our service. Many people didn't understand, and often people thought we married dogs. That being said, now almost everyone immediately understands and it’s been so incredible to watch as wedding pet care has become an option for so many couples across the world!

4. Why did you decide to franchise? How has it been?

We always knew we wanted to grow our business, but wanted to be sure we did it in the right way. We actually travel often since there are not many other wedding pet care companies out there. We've been to California, New Jersey, Arizona, and beyond! We knew clients were willing to pay top dollar to have FairyTail come to their city, and knew that this service was desperately needed in markets all over the nation. We chose to franchise because we want to be able to trust and hold our franchisees accountable, since we take the care of our clients' pets so seriously. It has certainly been an adventure, as we've essentially started another business with our franchising system. However, we are loving it and can't wait to see what the next 8 years will bring.

5. Is there one funny (or most memorable) story you can share with us from a wedding?

Most memorable would be when we did an elopement at Zion National Park. It was just the couple, their dogs, their photographer, and us! It was magical and something we will never forget.

The funniest would be when we included a couple's hairless sphynx in their wedding. He wore a custom velour suit with his name on it, and even rode in the horse-drawn carriage after the ceremony. He was the best!

• PetGo - Petco just announced it is laying off 56 workers at its San Diego headquarters.

• Viva La - A Mexican veterinary services startup, raised $10 million. With the aim of providing a one-stop-shop for pet care in Mexico.

• Selling - PetSmart’s majority owner, BC Partners is selling a minority stake in PetSmart.

• Reddy, set, cat - Reddy, Petco’s premium lifestyle brand, just launched its first cat line.

• Pet tech is booming - Pet owners are embracing gadgets for pets and the hefty price tag they come with.

• West Paw X Sams Club - West Paw just announced they are launching unique dog toys made from recycled ocean-bound plastic. They will be introduced at Sam’s Club beginning this month.

PAWS right there!!! Don’t forget to subscribe 👇👇

Mind-Fur-Ness

• Commander in Bark - Commander, President Biden’s nearly 2-year-old German Shepherd has reportedly bitten Secret Service agents 10 times between October 2022 and January 2023.

• Saving Private Parrot - A woman got stranded (and rescued) off a mountain cliff trying to save her pet parrot.

• Comedy Gold - The 2023 comedy pet photo finalists are pure giggles!

• Golden & Ikea - A Golden Retriever and an Ikea plush toy are BFFs!

• How dogs would run if they were people - True or not?

• New rims - This lucky puppy got new wheels courtesy of Mercedes.

• The award goes to - The 23/24 World Branding Awards welcomed pet and animal brands from around the world, only 100 of the best brands from 30 countries were named as winners.

• And the Oscar goes to - Watch the performance of this drama major as he tries to evade a nail clipping.

1. In your opinion, if you are a person that loves pets and wants to start a business in the space, what are a few initial things you should do to make sure you have the best chances of making it a success?

It's important to recognize that the pet industry and the event industry are two totally different markets. It's important to love animals, but you also need to have a love for weddings and events - which takes a lot of planning, precision, and organization. This really is a dream job for us, but it is a lot of work.

Our ideal franchisee is passionate about animals & has a true understanding of their care & wellness. They enjoy creating a positive customer experience and want to be community & industry leaders, and want to define their own success & find financial freedom, while making a difference in people & animals’ lives. We offer a free video consultation to anyone who is considering starting a FairyTail Pet Care in their city, and they can inquire on our website!

2. How did you go about attracting customers? Is social media a key client-acquisition channel for you?

Yes! Social media has been absolutely crucial for us. Instagram & TikTok specifically. We're lucky to be in such a unique and marketable business - who doesn't love dogs & weddings?

3. How did you finance/fund the business in the early days? later on?

Our business really didn't need much funding in the beginning, as we have no physical location. We simply needed the supplies which we were able to purchase ourselves, and from there, things really took off.

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Finally, What do you call a ghost chicken?

A poultry-geist.

See you next week!

The Woof is a weekly newsletter dedicated to covering the pet industry.