This week I’d like to introduce you to one of our newest customers…….. we support many industry sectors but this one is unique…. The Poocher® uses the CurTec Packo…… supplied in the U.K by us, PurePac.
Great to talk with you Daniella, can you tell us more about what Poocher® is?
My business partner Daniel and I are animal and nature lovers and have long been concerned with the unsightly discarded dog poo bags we encounter in our countryside and their devastating impact on health and on the environment.
So, we devised and developed Poocher®, a simple, convenient, and eco-friendly concept: a portable dog poo bin that is also hands-free, lightweight, durable, waterproof, eco-friendly, capacious, hygienic, and washable. But most importantly, it’s stink free!
How did the Poocher® story begin? What gave you the idea?
In 2018, a heart-breaking post was circulated on social media about two horses dying from ingesting discarded dog poo. The idea of some sort of portable receptacle to store and carry dog poo Came to Dan but the rough drawings and hand-stitched prototype remained in a box until 2022 when our company was formed.
In 2022, Daniel cashed in his pension, I had some savings. We both put our jobs and careers on hold and spent 18 months developing the Poocher.
We knew the product had to be hands-free, lightweight, durable, waterproof, eco-friendly, capacious, hygienic, washable, and convenient. But most importantly, it had to be stink free!
We tested the Poocher by filling it with soiled dog poo bags and leaving it in a car for a whole week, throwing it down concrete stairs and out the window from the second floor.
We worked with a design agency on the Branding. We wanted the colours and packaging and colours to be earthy, contemporary and reflect the Lake District where the Poocher was born.
After 6 different product designs, 28 prototypes, numerous meetings with our patenting solicitors and uncountable research and experiments, the Poocher was born.
How are Poocher®, PurePac and CurTec working together?
PurePac is exclusively supplying us with an important component of the Poocher and we are so grateful to have found such an efficient and friendly supplier.
The first model we developed is 1.3L, capacious enough to pickup after several dogs, depending on the breed. Poocher is lightweight so the size hasn’t been an issue.
We are working on developing a smaller version of Poocher for owners of small dogs and we want to create more feminine designs and colours for our new product line.
What is the vision for Poocher® moving forward?
There are an estimated 10.2 million dogs producing around 1,000 tonnes of excrement per day in the UK alone.
Europe, Switzerland, the United States, North America and many other countries have a big need for an efficient, eco-friendly solution for what we call the poo-demic.
I was in the Middle East recently, where dog fouling isn’t regulated, and I was shocked by the amount of signs asking people to pick up after their dogs. I counted over 30 signs in a 400-yard street!
Poocher has great potential for growth and expansion, and we will continue to work tirelessly to see the Poocher sold on all continents. I never considered the Middle East as a market but it seems that dog fouling is a worldwide issue.
What kind of dog have you got?
I actually have two dogs: Jasper is an Arabian Desert Dog I rescued in Dubai in 2014, he loves England and enjoys long walks in the Lake District. The cold doesn’t bother him as long as he wears one of his warm coats.
My other dog is a boisterous yet very loving long hair chihuahua by the name of Oscar. He loves curling up in bed with me, resting his head on my shoulder and falling asleep.
A big thanks to Daniella for sharing her Poocher journey so far. It is certainly a unique and interesting use of a CurTec Packo, a very inventive and clever idea indeed. As a dog owner I will most definitely be placing my Poocher order.
Watch out for some more Poocher updates in the coming weeks.