Jessica Knight’s first pet care business started by accident. Eighteen years ago, when she and her husband Jamie were walking with their newborn baby in a pram, their dog Wilbur stopped to do his business next to a big group of people.
“We only had one bag to pick it up, which had a hole in it,” Jessica, 48, tells Woman’s Day.
“Jamie’s sunglasses fell off his head while he was tying to pick it up, then he let go of the pram, which started rolling down the hill. It was a chaotic moment.”
PASSION PROJECT
On the way home, the Sydney couple talked about inventing a dog walking belt where you could keep poop bags, hand sanitiser and everything else you needed for walking your dog.
They made 100 of them under the name DOOG (Dog Owners Outdoor Gear), which sold out in a week.
In 2020, Jessica was inspired to start Outback Tails, a passion project that reflected Jessica’s love of Australian native wildlife and Indigenous art.
“I was inspired by a painting I had at home that happened to hang over the plain and dated dog bed I was using. I realised how lovely the bed would look if I covered it in a similar print to the artwork,” she says.
She contacted the Warlukurlangu Arts Centre, in Yuendumu, NT, to ask if artists would be interested in partnering with her.
It was a match made in heaven – the centre has a program called Aussie Desert Dogs Rescue, where they fly vets into the remote area to give dogs flea and tick treatments.
Nathania Nangala Granites, is among the artists whose work is now used on the Outback Tails range, which includes dog beds, collars, leads, bandanas and harnesses.
Ten percent of sales go directly back to the featured artists and Desert Dogs.
Sadly, while Jessica was starting the business, her dog Bonnie developed some health problems.
Vets diagnosed her with an autoimmune disease and Jessica wasn’t able to use normal flea and tick treatments any more.
“Plus, every shampoo and conditioner I picked up in the pet store was full of chemicals,” she explains.
NATIVE INGREDIENTS
Out of necessity, Jessica crafted a unique dog grooming formula infused with natural bush ingredients.
There’s a natural dog wash, a conditioner and a paw and skin repair balm, all derived from native ingredients including finger lime, paperbark oil, Kakadu plum, Tasmanian pepper berry and native bush mint.
“Bonnie is thriving,” says Jessica. “She’s been a huge inspiration to me.”
