A shop owner in Aberdeenshire has come up with a animal-friendly formula to keep pets smelling sweet.
Leanne Rogers started the Stinky Beasties pet shop in Banchory three years ago to deal with a very specific problem – fox poop.
Her Tamaskan wolfdog Odin loved to sniff out the smelly stuff and roll around in it every time the pair would go on a walk.
Despite attempts to get him to avoid it – there was no stopping Odin. He always managed to hunt it down.
Eventually, Mrs Rogers found herself shampooing her pet every day to get the smell out of his long coat.
But the constant washing took a toll on his skin – leaving it irritated and sore.
To put a stop to her pet’s discomfort, Mrs Rogers set out to create her very own pet shampoo that would clean him without removing his natural oils.
After lots of research, she created a charcoal shampoo that replenishes oils back into a pet’s coats to keep them healthy.
What does Stinky Beasties pet shop sell?
Located on 23 High Street Banchory, the Stinky Beasties now sells an entire selection of natural and vegan-friendly products.
There is no palm oil, artificial fragrances, colours, or harsh preservatives – just “100% of nature’s own amazing ingredients and benefits”, she said.
Mrs Rogers believes it is the first pet shop of its kind in the north-east.
She has expanded and opened up another pet shop in Chapelton’s Box Park development near Stonehaven. It opened last week.
She now makes four shampoos and sells them at her two pet shops and online.
“I feel like the current recipe works perfectly for every dog”, she said.
“It took a lot of and trial and error, but that was all on me. I never test on the animals.”
All of the products were created by Mrs Rogers in her house. It became her temporary laboratory while she experimented on the different formulas.
She hopes to eventually get a dedicated premises where she can produce the products.
Why are the ingredients vegan and natural?
The pet shops currently stock her sensitive clay shampoos, paw balms, nose balms, toothpaste, dry shampoos and grooming sprays.
But Mrs Rogers said she “always has ideas for new products”.
‘Come along and treat your pet’
One of the most eye-catching aspects of the pet shop is the refillery section – which acts like a pet “pick n mix”.
Furry friends will be able to choose from more than 70 tasty treats to take home, which Mrs Rogers says has proved “very, very popular”.
Despite not being a vegan herself, Mrs Rogers felt it would be better to make her whole range vegan.
Although some of the treats, such as the meats-based ones, are impossible to create vegan, all of the cosmetics are vegan.
‘It wouldn’t be able to do it without family’
However, Mrs Rogers stresses her pet shop would not be possible without the support of her family.
Husband Alan is a joiner and has helped build and adapt the buildings to the needs of the business.
Her 18-year-old son has been working in the Chapelton shop due to “his love of the dogs”. And her 14-year-old daughter also regularly pitches in.
“I wouldn’t be able to do it without them”, said Mrs Rogers.
Conversation