Todd Warner's Success Story

Founder of Tailwaggers

“I always say having a dog come into the store, giving me a lick on the face is the best reward.”

Some of the best entrepreneurs are those who are not only keen enough to notice a particular void in an industry, but even more so, when the business they begin then goes on to become a leader in that industry.

That is just what Todd Warner, the founder of Tailwaggers, did and why he has become such a success story.

Warner grew up just outside of Columbus, OH, in Pickerington, and worked for a television station there. At 23 years old, he decided to move to Los Angeles, where he has lived for over 20 years.

For fifteen years, he worked in the post-production field as an editor and color timer. But something was nagging at him.

He wanted so badly to work with animals and in some way to get involved in helping with animal rescue and promoting a healthy lifestyle for them.

That’s when he took the biggest risk of his life and left his well-paid job, taking a loan against his own home for investment capital to launch his business.

“It was very scary at first,” says Warner. “I went into it very naive, as I do with many things. When working for someone else, there is a certain comfort level and when I was editing, I would work on a project and then be done. Now you are never done.

“Someone once told me that you could work eight hours a day for someone else or work twenty-four hours a day for yourself, and I always felt that was true. I feel very thankful to have my own business. One of my favorite quotes is by Thomas Jefferson, which is ‘The harder I work, the luckier I become.’ I feel this is true in just about anything in life. Having your own business, you never really can leave it, nor do you really want to. This is my baby.”

Todd opened Tailwaggers to give consumers the choice and the ability to feed their animal companions healthy and nutrient-rich foods.

The first Tailwaggers location opened in Hollywood in 2003. The brand’s focus is to provide the option to purchase natural and organic pet food and supplies that provide a holistic approach to pet health.

All products Tailwaggers sells are made from natural ingredients and are of the highest quality. None of their products contain substances that could be considered dangerous, carcinogenic, toxic, unhealthy or harmful to the environment. Their goal is to provide customers not only with a positive shopping experience, but with products they can trust.

For example, some of the dog beds they sell are eco-friendly and organic, made from non-toxic, safe dyes and allergy-free recycled fiber, and for older dogs, they sell orthopedic dog beds made from Tempur-Pedic, NASA certified memory foam.

Their dog toys are also eco-friendly, most of them made from FDA approved rubber. And, based on the color you choose, Tailwaggers will donate 20-percent of the profits of their Dura Doggie Beba Toy-Chews (the “World’s First Treat Dispenser and Squeaker Toy”) towards a charity. For example, profits of their pink chew toys fight Breast Cancer, while their orange, blue and green toys go to fighting Diabetes, animal rescue organizations and saving the planet, respectively.

For dogs, Tailwaggers also sells items such as dog collars and leashes, dry and canned dog food, dog clothes, dog bowls and feeders, and dog treats and raw food.

They even have their own line of organic dog treats, with flavors like Carrot Apple, Cranberry Crunch, Honey Herbal Harmony and Parsley Poetry. The store even sells limited-edition holiday flavors.

Felines get the same treatment. In addition to cat scratchers and towers, Tailwaggers sells all kinds of cat food brands that offer delicious gourmet ingredients, including lobster, ahi tuna, crab surimi, calamari, and even deer meat, otherwise known as venison.

The brand also sells kitty litter made from green tea leaves and recycled paper; as well as a variety of catnip toys.

But dogs and cats aren’t the only pets that get this type of five-star treatment. Tailwaggers also stocks products for other small animals, such as natural chemistry reptile relief spray for mites, for example, which contains no pyrethrins or similar chemicals, and has the lowest possible toxicity rating in all EPA categories, earning it an EPA approved label.

They also sell TetraFin Goldfish Flakes containing Omega-3 fatty acids; Supreme Wild Bird Food with sunflower seed; Zupreem Guinea Pig Pellets made from fresh ground vegetables and high-fiber; and natural Turtle food, with added vitamins.

And if that’s not enough, the brand also stocks specialty items such as animal car seats, doggie stairs, calendars, greeting cards, portable dog potties, and even, get this, a dog breed DNA test kit, so that one can determine the ancestry of their dog. But don’t worry, this doesn’t involve a blood or hair sample, but rather a swab from the inside of a dog’s cheek, so it’s completely painless.

When Warner founded Tailwaggers, he also launched Tailwashers, as well. Located at the Hollywood location, Tailwashers is a complete full grooming salon and self-wash, featuring some of the best groomers in Los Angeles, and all-natural and organic shampoos and grooming products. One of their groomers, Huber, was even crowned “Groomer of the Year” by the Animal Planet’s “Groomer Has It” TV series.

There is also a self-wash area that allows customers to enjoy washing their dogs themselves with organic shampoos in a high grade, anti-bacterial stainless tub with a ramp. The self-wash includes aprons, fluffy towels, brushes, shampoos, cologne, a two-speed dryer and even some treats.

Customers can even have their dogs completely pampered in the lap of luxury with a teeth cleaning, nail trimming and painting, ear cleaning, and even, get this, a blueberry facial!

It’s no secret that due to the attentiveness and personable service paid by the staff at Tailwaggers that the store frequently boasts high-profile celebrities. Just some of the recognizable faces that have been seen in Tailwaggers include Christina Ricci, Mandy Moore, Eva Mendes and Rachel Bilson. Such a great success story!

And Glee’s beloved Dot-Marie Jones recently lent her name to be a judge in the store’s Halloween Party Costume Contest, where five-percent of proceeds went to local animal charities.

The brand was also featured on KCAL 9’s “Best of LA” TV segment, and is the only pet store contracted to provide pet supplies to the Los Angeles Police Department’s canine unit.

With such love from the Los Angeles community, Tailwaggers was forced to expand and recently opened a second location across town in the Fairfax District.

And although Todd admits to thinking about his business one day at a time, he does have plans for expanding the brand into a doggie day care business.

But as any entrepreneur can tell you, running a business is not without its challenges.

“My biggest challenge is that there is never much money left once everything is paid and I’m always trying to make sure that the way I spend it makes the most sense, while finding the best people out there to help take care of the business.”

But it also has its rewards. “I always say having a dog come in to the store, giving me a lick on the face is the best reward.”

“The staff here I believe are very special. They really care about the customers, four legged and two legged ones. I always wanted to create a neighborly feel, which I believe we have. I have always believed that we all work very hard for the money we earn and it should always be an enjoyable experience to spend it.”

And if you don’t live in Los Angeles, no worries – the brand even sells all of its products on its own website, www.tailwaggerspets.com. So, there’s no excuse not to provide your furry, feathered and scaly friends with some much-needed healthy love.