Five Questions with Dr. Emily Mugford, CEO of Company of Animals

Company of Animals (COA) is the creator of the brands Halti, Baskerville, Pet Corrector, Coachi and Pet Head, and is a leading voice and innovator globally in training, behavior and grooming products. In 2024, Company of Animals founder and CEO Dr. Roger Mugford passed the torch to his daughter Dr. Emily Mugford, a veterinary surgeon with a wealth of experience in the pet industry.

Pet Age recently spoke with Dr. Emily Mugford to learn more about her journey and commitment to build upon the foundations her father has laid.

How does your veterinary background benefit you as CEO of Company of Animals? 

I think there are many transferrable skills which I have brought with me from my veterinary career. Our customers are the same in the veterinary and pet industry, so having spent 20 years communicating with owners and managing their pets daily, I have a deep understanding of our end consumers –  pets and their pet parents. My scientific background enables me to critically evaluate and interrogate information, which is beneficial as we pride ourselves with bringing continuous innovation to the industry. As a vet, animal welfare ultimately remains the top priority and at COA, each product we bring to market is designed and manufactured with animal welfare in mind, therefore the veterinary experience I bring with me really complements this.  

The “soft skills” I have developed over the past 20 years working in the veterinary industry such as communication, problem solving, critical thinking, decision making and importantly, collaboration and teamwork have and will continue to serve me well in my role as CEO.  

Do you feel any added pressure with your stepping into your father’s role as CEO? 

Absolutely.  COA was founded in the U.K. 45 years ago, and ultimately showcases my fathers lifetime of work in the field of animal behavior.  Fundamentally he has dedicated a large proportion of his life to improving the welfare of our pets by creating practical and reliable solutions for a variety of behavioral problems, which has enabled countless families to optimize that special bond that we have with our pets and meant they can remain part of those families.  I feel a deep responsibility for not only maintaining and developing COA as a successful and sustainable business and nurturing its brands, and for continuing my fathers legacy of innovation and advancement within the training and behavior sector.

What is your vision for the future of Company of Animals? 

Being a UK based company, we have distribution in over 40 countries, but we are still under-represented in certain regions. Creating more awareness of our brands in these markets has to be a priority as there are so many pets and families that could benefit from our products. We would like to grow our product assortment and continue to create innovative novel solutions for behavioral problems, and in the grooming and healthcare sector.   

We must remain vigilant – social media and AI have created a platform on which there is so much information (and misinformation) at our customers fingertips. We have a Pet Centre on site at our U.K. offices with world renowned behaviorists seeing the most difficult of cases, agility classes with world class trainers, veterinary physiotherapy and a grooming salon.  With this incredible resource of professionals, along with my veterinary expertise and our legacy within the training and behavior sphere we plan to maintain and grow our position as the leading voice in training and behavior in the industry.   

How would you describe Company of Animals’ biggest obstacles in the U.S.? 

We have had a subsidiary in the U.S. for over 15 years, and the sales makes up a good proportion of our global business. However the U.S. is such a huge and varied country there are still so many opportunities!  We have a designated team in the U.S. that does a fantastic job, but inevitably there have been challenges over the years with many of the support functions centralized in the U.K.  

As with most brands, we have our competitors. However the quality and attention to detail in our products really make them stand apart, and as soon as a direct comparison is made the difference in quality and function is clear. Sales and reviews through U.S. based online channels show there is a want and a need for our products amongst consumers, but we would love to see better distribution in small and medium sized bricks and mortar chains.   

Our biggest challenge currently is gaining distribution to these independent stores. We would love to be able to support these customers more and are looking at new ways of facilitating B2B fulfilment, whilst further developing our relationship with distributors. We do feel our suite of products are perfect for stores who really know their customers and use their wealth of experience to recommend appropriate products on an individual basis. We have a huge catalogue of training resources available to assist and would love to see more of our brands on shelf in independent stores to enable more pets to realize the benefits of these solutions.   

Have you ever brought home and adopted a pet from the veterinary clinic? 

It is a little known fact that almost every individual employed at a vets will take home waifs and strays on a reasonably regular basis, and I am no exception to that. There is a running joke between my husband and I that whenever he leaves the country with work I rehome something from the clinic!  Jimmy was my first pet after I graduated as a vet who was a beautiful stray ginger cat who suffered a fractured jaw and brain damage after a car accident – we fixed him up at the clinic and I fell in love with him and brought him home a few weeks later. He remained a bit ‘wonky’ but was such a loveable rogue! Peggy came home with me as a stray about five years ago to ‘recuperate’ following a car accident which shattered one of her legs, meaning amputation was the most appropriate option.  She gets around wonderfully on 3 legs and I still can’t quite believe she was a stray. Other rescues have been a guinea pig who I re-named Baldrick who was signed over to me as the owners refused a $20 treatment for a severe mite infestation and instead requested he be euthanized, and a hamster who had an unfortunate encounter with the previous owners cat leaving her with only one eye.