More Inspiring Women in Pet - Interview with Rachael Tricarico
We continue our celebration of inspirational women in the pet industry with Rachael Tricarico- Founder & CEO of Houndztooth.
Tell us a bit about your business?
Founded in 2018 by Rachael Tricarico, Houndztooth brings together luxury and quality natural products that focus on a dog’s wellbeing. Drawing on her experience as a successful equestrian rider and a love for animals, Rachael believes in a holistic approach for all dog’s health and wellbeing. Preparing performance horses to compete at such a high level provided her with years of experience in training, grooming and feeding dietary health supplements for optimal performance.
Houndztooth is for dog lovers. It’s for those people who have discovered the secret to true happiness comes from being around a dog. The kind of people who know that dogs are more than just pets, they’re part of the family.
The houndstooth textile pattern pattern is a check with a dog/canine-tooth appendage near the corner on the flat side of the check square. The pattern has been around since at least 100BC. These days, the contemporary houndstooth check is made with alternating bands of four dark and four light threads to make a repeating pattern of a dog’s tooth. The Houndztooth Brand is representative of the traditional houndstooth pattern in terms of its quality and sophistication but with a modern twist.
What inspired you to start your business?
Every dog who ever passed through our home was instantly a member of the family. Growing up playing on a wide expanse of beautiful Australian farmland, I learned the true meaning of a dog's life.
As an adult, I’ve raised my family in the city, but kept the same philosophy - our pets are our family. Every shampoo, every treat, every supplement and every dog bowl in our collection is an ode to my past and present dogs and cats - that's why we've named our grooming line after Hugo, Stella, Coco, Charlie and Felix.
Hugo my past Staffy suffered from severe skin allergies all his life. He was on and off cortisone tablets most of the time. There wasn’t any natural alternatives available to treat his skin topically or supplement his diet to help manage his skin. When Stella came into my life I didn’t want her to suffer from the same skin allergies as Hugo. This was my inspiration for launching Houndztooth to offer people natural Australian made products for dogs suffering from skin allergies. Resulting in the launch of our natural goat milk grooming range.
These pups, my upbringing, and years of experience in horse riding have shaped my philosophy around animals. Our dogs deserve only the best. Houndztooth products were intentionally designed and formulated with the highest quality natural Australian materials and ingredients to create the best a dog and cat can get.
What are your three biggest challenges in running and growing your business?
I love every minute of running and growing Houndztooth. I am passionate about the pet industry and Houndztooth has had huge success in such a short period of time. The biggest challenge I face is limited resources and time. As the business grows I have found myself continuing to manage all aspects of the business. Some of our expansion plans were placed on hold during the 2020 pandemic as it was such a difficult and uncertain time. The pet industry was very resilient during the pandemic with pet ownership growing rapidly and our growth continued.
What are the three things you are most proud of in your business?
I am very proud of the success of Houndztooth and how we have established itself as one of Australia’s most trusted natural pet brand. A healthy dog is a happy dog so I know that each Houndztooth product purchased by a dog (or cat) owner will is fulfilling my passion to improve the health and wellbeing of pets.
It was a very proud moment when Dr. Katrina Warren, celebrity media vet became our Houndztooth brand ambassador. I have always held Dr. Katrina in such high esteem as an animal lover who is passionate about the welfare of our pets. Dr. Katrina only works with brands that align with her own philosophy. Our brand ambassador program also include The Wonderdogs and our Instagram social influencers; Dave, Jax, Merlot, Bronte, Sherlock, Sushi, Bailey, Frankie and Velvet Love of which I am very proud to have as part of our Houndz Pack.
What do you hope for the future for other women running their own businesses?
Go for it! Women are so strong and capable. Support each other and surround yourself with people that support you. It can be a juggle, I run Houndztooth and manage a family as a single parent. It can be difficult at times to get the work-life-balance right so always make sure you stop to breath and pat your dog.
Click here to view the Houndztooth range on WONDERPETS.