We believe we have the most incredible lineup of vendors participating at the 2013 Expo. In fact, we’re so proud of them, we want everyone to know more about who they are and how their business fits in to the Expo’s passion for seeing Ottawa the healthiest city in Canada. We recently sent our vendors a list of four questions. Between now and the Expo, we will be highlighting some of these amazing vendors. Watch our blog every Tuesday & Saturday morning for another vendor spotlight.
Today, we spotlight 3 Dog’s Tail. I have no doubt you’ll love the story behind how this business started!
Who are you
My name is Maria Segreto and I am the onwner of 3 Dog’s Tail. When I was a little girl I was bit by my own dog and ever since I was afraid of dogs. My husband who always grew up with dogs always wanted one. One day at work one of my co workers sent an email out about a lady giving away puppies because “her spayed” female had just delivered and she didn’t have room for any more dogs. I sent the email to my husband who right away accused of being a “teaser” haha, but I assured him that If he found one he really wanted he could bring it home.
Needless to say , Cuchi ( cocker-collie mix) was ours. I remember the first night we had her, my husband wanted me to comfort her but I wasn’t ready yet. Later that night I held her tight between my sweater because she would not stop shaking. I think she knew this was the first for both of us.
After this I became every interested about her well being, and I’ve always been inclined to a “natural” approach. I researched every imagined dog site in the net, I wanted to learn more about nutrition, vaccination, proper natural care in general. To educate myself further I bought a few books and I came across one that changed my life forever “Natural Animal Healing” by Marty Golstein. In this book he explained the sinergy between nature and wellness and how we as humans and animals have the power to heal ourselves with some occasional conventional medicine intervention (when absolutely neccessary). For the first time I heard about healing crisis and it was so obvious that all the puzzles in my head started fitting together….finally!!!!.
I started thinking about opening my own retail per store, where I could offer natural products and products I could not find for my own dog. I started contacting suppliers so I could put a business plan together with numbers and everything, but most people wanted my business number and were not willing to give me numbers. When I approached the bank they informed how much I needed to invest, my heart sunk because I did not have that kind of money so my dream of helping animals was put in the back burner for the time being.
Meanwhile at home, I did not want Cuchi growing up alone so we adopted a beatiful male cocker spaniel who we named “Chico” and shortly after that came my little chihuahua “Maya”. At the same time, I enrolled in a Canine Nutrition course which I have now completed with an average of 93%.
Things at work ( IT) were not going very well for the last 2 1/2 years and it got to the point of affecting my health, that’s when after a long talk with my husband I decided I could not to that anymore.
The day after I deciced to do this, I was sitting in front of my computer wondering what I was going to do with my life and that’s when the phone rang. One of the suppliers I had contacted 3 months ago was finally calling me back. He asked me about my plans of opening a store and I explained everything, that’s when he offered me to distribute the product in Ottawa. At this was the beginning of 3 Dog’s Tail out of good karma. The reason I opened this business and my mission statement is “Empower Pet owners, through the products I represent and the information I deliver, to make our pets healthier in natural ways.”
How long have you been in business?
3 Dog’s Tail was established in July of 2012. I graduated from Business Marketing at Algonquin in 1996. Worked in the retail business for 11 years managing Canadian Wine outlets, worked 4 years in the IT world and started becoming a robot…
What is your business all about?
My business is about delivering information to pet owners seeking it. The products 3 Dog’s Tail represents are carefully chosen and analyzed . My supplement lines are made from whole food products , nothing is synthethic. My other products , Walk in sync and Dogs Naturally Magazine are vanguard in the pet world and as far as I am concern they have no competition.
The Expo focuses on four themes: be fit, eat right, think well, go green. Which of these does your business incorporate?
3 Dog’s Tail through all its products incorporates all of them. Dogs Naturally Magazine with the amazing articles, and the free webinars that Dr. Dobias offer information on how to keep our pets fit and healthy. My Canine Nutrition course and the supplements I represent focus on better nutrition after all we are what we eat and the goes for us animals as well. Dr. Dobias Green Min mineral supplemets are made with “superfoods” alga calcarea from brazil and spirulina and barley grass from the US, you cannot get more green than this.