Our Story
I remember having a conversation with a good friend and fellow breeder Jenn one night. " Do you think there is a need for Whelping Kits?" That was the day The Breeders Cupboard was born.
You can read about myself and Connie on our
meet the team page but I really wanted to take the time to write our story on how my company went from a whelping kit idea to the store you all know and love today.
After many discussions and ideas I decided I was going to start my little website to sell much needed whelping and breeding supplies in Canada. I cleared out some space in my home office and put up a few shelves. Realizing that sourcing these supplies would take many hours and a lot of research I spent many late nights in my spare time. I debated on a name but ultimately decided that every breeder has a cupboard full of supplies.
I have had many moments of spelling C-U-P-B-O-A-R-D and saying " like a kitchen cupboard "
Some of the first products that we were able to get the companies to allow us to carry are Sutical Suits, Weanafeeda and Mavic catheters.
The website launch July 2018 and the first order came in about a week later. There was some excitement in our home as the kids and I packed it up.
The very first order went out wrapped in the paw print paper!
We grew very slowly over the next couple of years and added a couple shelves to the home office.
In March of 2021 I had a hard decision to make..... my husband Roger and I sat down as The Breeders Cuboard was busy enough to keep me busy but not busy enough to not have my bookkeeping clients. We together made the decision that I focus on The Breeders Cupboard for 6 months.
I remember him saying to me
" You believed in this and haven't really given it all your focus.... you should try"
Well April 2021 our sales grew expedientially. The family bought an ice cream cake to celebrate. My desk had to leave the office to make room for more shelving and packing. Things were getting crowded!
I worked hard to add in products and supplements. We started doing more advertising on social media... and we grew. The hard decision that we had outgrown the house was made in August of 2021. We had take up every spare space in the house. However, living in rural Alberta the options to rent an affordable space that worked are very limited. I looked for months and months as I wanted to still be close to home.
We found the old doctors office that was being renovated on main street Mundare. It wasn't ideal but it would work. We moved in December of 2021. At the time we hardly took up one room. But as you all know, over the year we grew and were filling up that space but the end of our lease.
Lets chat about our relationship with Revival Animal Health where our amazing Breeder's Edge & Doc Roy's are from.
To make a long story short in the summer of 2022 after a of hard work and some sleepless nights was able to have my first meeting with the then CEO of Revival Animal Health. He agreed that an official partnership was something that made sense for both companies.
Trust me that is has been a lot of work and time and I couldn't be prouder.
I do not want to skip over an important lunch I had in December of 2021. When you are a one woman show and growing you realize you need people that you can really rely on and trust. A few months earlier I had said to Roger, if I ever grow enough to need staff I think Connie would just be perfect.
I met Connie when she was working as a vet tech at my local clinic. Over the many many trips to the vet she became someone I trusted and considered a friend. She was at the vet clinic many years, but was working elsewhere when I asked her to go for lunch.
About a month or so later she called and joined me our small team in June of 2022.
In January we moved to Vegreville Alberta.
I still feel like we are making it our own space but with how busy we are it is hard to find time to paint and make things just right.
The Breeders Cupboard is still a small business with heart and I am so very proud of how far we have come. We will continue to grow and do better so that we can provide Canadian breeders with the support and products you need when you need them.
One thing I know for certain we would not be the company we are today without all of you... our fabulous loyal customers. Sending shout outs on social media, sending me gorgeous litter updates, sharing the heartaches that come as well.
From the bottom of my heart Thank You for being so awesome!!!
