Chloe Heaton swapped a busy life working in financial services in the City of London to raise a family in Yorkshire but the entrepreneurial spirit never left her. Today she is the driving force behind The Innocent Hound and the company's luxury pet treats.

The company's luxury sausages for dogs are made with 80% British venison sustainably sourced from farms and parks with the highest standards of animal welfare, and are already proving popular. Now Chloe is looking to attract more customers by building up a bigger network of retailers throughout the UK.

Chloe spoke to Pet Trade Xtra about how she launched The Innocent Hound and revealed her plans for the future.

What is the inspiration behind The Innocent Hound?

The inspiration behind The Innocent Hound was our lurcher, Bongo. I used to spend a lot of time making home-cooked treats for him, but with the addition of two children to the family I couldn’t find the time. Overwhelmed with a feeling of guilt I thought I’d better start producing the finest treats Bongo could ever wish for.

What is your background?

I worked in Financial Services in the City of London for over 10 years before moving to Yorkshire and raising a family. After a short career break I took the opportunity to start something new that I was really passionate about. Having grown up always having a family dog around me it made so much sense for me to venture down this route.

What gave you the idea for your range of treats?

People today care more and more about the food they buy for themselves – where it comes from, the welfare of animals, whether its healthy, and so on. The Innocent Hound believes that these values should be reflected when buying food for pets too. That is why our luxury sausages are made with 80% British venison sustainably sourced from farms and parks with the highest standards of animal welfare. They are made with natural ingredients and are hypoallergenic too so suitable for even sensitive tummies.

How did you set about making your plans a reality?

When the idea was born I was immediately excited and passionate about this new venture and most of all really believed in the product. Once I had decided to run with the idea then it suddenly snowballed in a very short space of time, and now here I am with a house full of venison sausages...and a slightly frustrated lurcher who isn’t allowed to touch them!

Who's involved in the business?

I run the business on my own which is great as I have full control. Bongo was the obvious choice when I had to recruit a Chief Product Tester.

Where are your treats produced?

They are manufactured locally here in Yorkshire.

Has it been hard to get the business off the ground?

We have had our share of challenges but that has to be expected with a start-up. One of the biggest ones was having to order what seemed like a huge minimum quantity of product before we really knew if it would take off. However, the response that we’ve had from both retailers and the public has been phenomenal and it wasn’t long before we had to place a new order.

Have people like Piers Smart at Scampers helped?

It is hugely refreshing and inspiring to see how Scampers are keen to break away from the norm and offer customers a fantastic selection of food and treats not found on the high street. It is also hugely flattering to see The Innocent Hound’s products on their shelves. They are a specialist retailer with a real passion for providing the very best products for dogs, and as a start-up business, having support from Piers has been really beneficial.

Where can people buy your treats?

We are working hard at building a network of retailers  across the country who have similar values to us and are keen to promote healthy, natural, quality products. Until we have a strong nationwide distribution we are using a range of marketing tools to get through to pet owners and grow the brand. Facebook, Twitter, pet shows and a shop on our website all help develop our customer base but this only accounts for a small percentage of our sales. 

Would you like to get into more pet stores and garden centres?

Absolutely!

Tell us about your current product range.

We currently have three products in the range. Our venison and chopped apple chipolatas look and smell like they have come from the finest charcuterie. We also make larger sausages for larger breeds, and ready sliced sausages which are ideal for training. All of the products come in handy resealable tubs.

Do you hope to extend the range?

We are going to extend the range with some delicious new recipes and are working on some great ideas for Christmas too.


For more information email woof@theinnocenthound.co.uk or visit www.theinnocenthound.co.uk