Five Questions: Meet Pure & Natural Pet Founder Beth Sommers

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Pure and Natural Pet is a brand that provides pet parents with a healthier solution in grooming and wellness products that are USDA Certified Organic, USA-Made and Cruelty-Free. Pet Age recently spoke with its founder, Beth Sommers.

What was your vision for Pure & Natural Pet when you founded the company in 2015?

My vision was to create a line of grooming as well as health and wellness products that had honest labels, stating what ingredients were really in the product, and that were USDA Certified Organic. I wanted to make sure that pets and their families would be able to understand the ingredients and know exactly what they were using on their skin and coat. My dog, Girlfriend, had suffered from severe allergies and her skin was always bothering her. I didn’t want other dogs or pet parents to have to go through what I went through with her and her many vets.

What skills have been most important for you in navigating Pure & Natural Pet?

Learning about how the pet industry works, as a whole, has been very interesting.  There are many unspoken rules that apply in terms of pricing and distribution that are not the “norm” in other industries. Securing our USDA Organic certification. Learning to navigate the Independent Retailers and understanding how critical their business is. Understanding that our customers need to be educated about the differences between natural and organic. And finally, making sure that we know what our core competency is and sticking to it.

What differentiates your brand from your competitors?

The difference is our USDA Certified Organic certification. It has been a very interesting journey.  It’s not just the ingredients, but the manufacturing as well that is involved. It takes quite a bit of education (we have a full-time compliance officer) and an understanding of the financial commitment and the need for special branding and labeling. It is a labor of love.

What Pure & Natural Pet products are you most proud of?

I am proud of all our products. We work very hard to see that our customers’ needs are met. Our USDA Certified Organic Paw Rescue has been in the top five since day one. It works so well and is safe if licked, which is good for you and your pet. I also love our USDA Certified Organic Ear Cleansing System. There is nothing else like it. We have worked on every detail, including the manufacturing of the tips that are used to apply the serum. Everything is custom and the product has been very well received. We even received a mention from the NY Times when we first released it in 2016. Our unscented wipes, which are our newest products, are doing extremely well. Our customers love the fact that they can be used on cats as well as dogs because they are free of essential oils and fragrance.

What do you enjoy doing when you’re not in the office?

I just adopted a rag doll cat. His name is Kacper and he is 6 years old. I am totally in love and completely obsessed.  I have never been the proud parent of a cat before and it is very different than owning a dog.  The “unconditional love” that dog owners receive is quite a bit different from what a cat is willing to give.  At least with mine.  It is on his terms.  He has quite a personality. I am totally in love and completely obsessed.