Have you heard of Missy Pup & Co? The answer is likely 'yes!' since Heather and her brand of curated goods for dog lovers is a local sensation. Missy Pup & Co has been featured on Twin Cities Live and is a staple at many local fairs and pet-friendly events around the cities. Not only does Heather curate the best apparel and goods for dogs and their humans, but she also creates relatable, funny, and heartfelt videos and shareable quotes on social media. Missy Pup & Co is a must-follow if you're on Instagram or Facebook.
If you are new to Missy Pup & Co, let me first say I am so happy to be introducing you to one of my long-time local pet industry friends! Heather and her dog Missy are such a joy and I hope you learn something new about this amazing boutique from this interview!
Can you tell us a bit about Missy Pup & Co and how it got started?
Missy Pup & Co started shortly after my husband and I adopted our first dog, Missy. I immediately fell in love with her and being a dog owner. We adopted her in June of 2020, and she brought so much joy and purpose to my day during a tough season for me and for pretty much everyone going through their first global pandemic. (ha). I had some spare time on my hands and started looking for products for Missy and for me. I was looking for items that were more subtle/simple in nature and would stay in style for some time. I struggled to find things that felt like me, so it sparked an idea. I designed one sweatshirt, put it up on Missy's dogstagram page (because of course I had one for her), and waited to see what happened. Well, it sold out. I thought maybe I was onto something, so I started our website, curated some other products and we were a real-life business as of November 2020.
What are some of the most popular products or services you offer for pet parents?
Our most popular items are our apparel for humans and any sort of dog enrichment toy or mat. A lesser-known service I also offer is gift curation. I can piece together items from our shop to create the perfect gift for a friend or family member. Simply send me an email if you'd like help with a theme, gift ideas, packaging, etc.
Apparel for Humans:
Enrichment for Dogs:
How do you select the products you offer? Do you have specific criteria?
The products we offer are a mix of items I design myself, in addition to selecting items from other small businesses throughout the US. I put extra effort into sourcing and creating items that may not be found on Amazon, Etsy, or other large retailers, so what people find with us is unique and feels curated for them. I believe in opting for higher quality goods and materials whether that's our apparel brand choices or who we work with to manufacture toys and enrichment mats.
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How do you see the Twin Cities pet community evolving?
We are so lucky to be in such a vibrant pet community as it is. Whether that is pet-friendly events, establishments, or the volume of shelter and rescue organizations serving our area, I see this only continuing to grow. I think we'll see more local stores pop up, and with many breweries creating kitchens in their spaces which means pets are allowed outside only, I could see this being an opportunity for new businesses to capitalize on in the winter especially. Overall, I don't really see it slowing down, but only getting stronger, more supportive, and continuing to thrive.
What is your approach to ensuring the quality and safety of the products you sell?
I spend hours upon hours scouring for reputable and reliable manufacturers and vendors who provide us with our products. Whether that's reading reviews, connecting with other small businesses on their experiences, digging into the behind-the-scenes of a vendor's manufacturing practices, etc, I care deeply about where our items come from. This is a big reason why I work with a lot of other small businesses on our products. Additionally, when it comes to pet toys and materials, we work with a handful of Certified B corporations who take care to ensure the use of quality dyes, fabrics, etc.Â
And of course, Missy is our certified product tester, so her reaction and experience with things often dictate whether I proceed with selling an item or not. Unfortunately (or fortunately for us personally), her toy-destroying days might be over, so she's less reliable for that. :)
Can you share a memorable experience you've had with a customer or their pet?
I am so fortunate to have the best community rallying around us here locally and beyond. Many of our customers have become friends and that has by far been one of the most rewarding parts of this business. My favorite experiences are at local events when people come up, look at our booth and our concept immediately clicks.
"This aesthetic is so me."
"Everything is so cute and the colors are drawing me in."
"This is the cutest dog shirt I've ever seen."
Hearing this from our customers just motivates me to keep going and improving.Â
Are there any upcoming projects or plans for your business that you're particularly excited about?
I have goals to expand and begin doing custom items. Currently working on what this looks like, but it has been a long time coming and a highly requested offering from our customers. I'm hoping to launch the custom section of our website for the holiday this year.
Giving back to local rescues and organizations continues to be something I try to prioritize and I'm excited to continue to grow in the future as well. In 2023, we donated over $2500 in products and monetary donations to rescues and shelters in the Twin Cities. It is important to me as a small business to give to our community whenever it is possible, and I'm hoping to create more opportunities for that in the future.
Tropicana Summer Collection
Missy Pup & Co's Tropicana Summer Collection features palm trees, pineapples, coconuts, waves, and everything reminiscent of being on island time! Just like everything at Missy Pup & Co, there's something for both the dogs and the humans.
I hope you've enjoyed getting to know Missy Pup & Co. Check out the shop for yourself and see what you can find for you, your pets, or a friend!
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