Started in 2012, Waggy Love Group is a company that focuses on building businesses that drive revenue and profit to be channeled to animal rescue and education initiatives.
CEO & Founder of Waggymeal, Melvin Chan sheds a light on how to help stray animals while feeding our own pets.
Hello Melvin! Tell us more about yourself.
Growing up in the city centre of Kuala Lumpur, I have always been fascinated by the dynamics of society hence I have never grown up being an usual “good boy” in the eyes of my parents and teachers. I am always trying things (but no, never touch any drugs!) and learning from the different people from different walks of life and understand why people choose the way they live their lives.
I have always envisioned myself living a very unconventional life. True enough, when the time came for me to make a major decision in my future at the stage of choosing the path of my career upon graduating, I decided to start my very own company in the HR industry providing corporate training to companies, though the business only lasted a good 8 years while I took on responsibilities in helping companies to grow through various roles in business development and subsequently regional positions while having an eye for another opportunity to make a dent through entrepreneurship.
Tell us more about your start-up, Waggy Love Group.
Waggy Love Group was founded in 2012 after the thought of the way the shelters and NGOs fund their rescue and rehabilitation activities which through donation, may be sufficient to ease the issue at hand but may not be effective as a long term solution to the issue of strays and cruelty to animal.
Hence we were thinking of profits from businesses as sustainable funding option to empower the NGOs and shelters to continue their efforts without the constant need to source for donations from public to get things done. Being in the pets industry business is a no-brainer decision, given the opportunity to serve pet owning customers as they would relate the most to the cause to make a greater difference in animal welfare in the community and country.
We finally launched our first venture under the company, www.Waggymeal.com in 2013. Waggymeal started as an online pet food store before extending to other product categories like toys and grooming products in 2015. Today, Waggymeal.com offers over 90 brands and 2,000 products that deliver to the doorsteps of customers from all over Malaysia.
We have also recently launched the first Bahasa Malaysia language pet supplies e-commerce site in the country, Kucinglah.com in March 2017 and have already received orders from customers in Johor and all the way to Kedah.
Have you always had a strong passion for animal welfare?
In fact, the idea of Waggy Love Group was started through a rescue mission. Over 13 Pekingese dogs were abandoned on the hill in Old Klang Road in March 2012 and was left to die. They were in horrible condition – blind, bulging nipples, swollen paws, oily skins, a result of backyard breeding. In other words, as there were demand for pure breed and pedigrees, these dogs are kept in dark cages and poor farm-like condition for just one sole purpose – breed and give birth to puppies that eventually be sold to pet shops. They have never stepped foot out of cages and were only living with each other in cages being constantly impregnated for offsprings.
When they reach an age when they couldn’t give birth, they would be “threw away” to make space for younger ones to take over in the process. It is definitely a form of cruelty and we wanted to support the NGOs and shelters to educate the public of illegal backyard breeders and the harm they do to animals through what we earn in the company. We are not saying that buying pure breed is wrong but best is to find out more about the origins of the puppies and kittens, view the parents before making the decision – that moment when you decided to part your money to bring a puppy/kitten home will go a long way to solve the ongoing issue of backyard breeding.
Share with us how can we contribute for stray animals through Waggymeal.
Every purchase on Waggymeal.com is now a contribution to the NGOs and shelters as we have pledged 3% from all proceeds to be channeled to the listed organisations of your choice. Once you are done picking the items which you wish to buy on the site, just go to the cart page to check on the items and select the beneficiaries from the drop down towards the end of the list.
Click here for more information on how one can ensure that the proceeds go to the beneficiaries and most updated fund raising info which we will update from time to time.
In addition, do like our Facebook page or register in our mailers to get the latest updates and events which we will assist and support in visits to shelters and pet owners engagement and education sessions as well as selected adoption drives to make more space for these organisations to take in more strays off streets for rehabilitation.
What do you think about the increase of stray animals in Malaysia? How can we prevent this?
Despite all the efforts from the NGOs to rescue and lift strays off streets, town councils’ modus operandi to capture and PTS (put to sleep) unclaimed animals in their towns, they simply can’t beat the breeding rate of the strays on streets. Do you know that according to PETA, just one female dog and her offspring can produce 67,000 babies in just 6 years? Hence one obvious way to counter that is to spay and neuter as a more humane depopulation measure.
We are working closely together with the NGOs and relevant government agency like Department of Veterinary Services (DVS) under the purview of Ministry of Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Malaysia to reach out to the public on the education front on top of providing funds to enable more of them and even independent rescuers to combat the increasing population of strays on the streets which may cause more harm to the animals, exposing them to road kills and other cruelties as much as they do for humans, through spaying, neutering and encouraging more people to opt for adoption instead of buying pets.
Any plans to embark into other businesses?
We have had our eyes set on other verticals within the pets industry like tech platforms for veterinarians, groomers, and possibly pets insurance and bereavement services. The market size within the pets industry collectively are quite huge, not including the prospect of regional expansion that will cover more potential customers from across ASEAN. The same objective of doing business will allow us to also solve problems of animal welfare within countries and communities that are unique to them.
Any advice for aspiring business owners like yourself?
I may not be qualified to give advice though my two cents are if you would have to be in business, it would be for a greater cause instead of just dollars and cents. Revenue and profitability are the most stressful things that will make and break an entrepreneur or business owner but if deep in the company’s core beliefs, we are driven by a cause larger than everyone in the team, any challenge in the form of numbers will be overcome by our desire to achieve greater good for the society and anything the whole team believe in.
Do you have any life mottos?
A simple but powerful one:
“If it is to be, it is up to me”.
For something that we aspire so much, it won’t come to us all of a sudden and often times, it requires crazy amount of sweat, blood and tears too. I also believe strongly that as a leader in team, we should take full responsibility on our own when things go wrong and take credit as a team when things go right. When you think that the problem or mistake made by other members in the team is in no way of your own causing, think again.
Tell us how is a day in your life like?
I am blessed as a father to two lovely children who have begun to schooling in the kindergarten so I am a driver in the morning and night before heading back for a good rest in the nest on weekdays. In between, it’s all work in front of the computer and meetings. Most weekends will entirely be spent with family though occasionally the company requires me to work (especially with pet owner engagement events) – I will usually bring the family along too if the venue is suitable or if I have to travel out of city for the whole weekend.
Tell us, what inspires you?
The future we want to create with what we do today. That keeps me up every morning without fail. In addition, working with people who believe in the same cause as much as I do.
Where do you see yourself in 2 years?
Working five times as hard, and probably working even harder to manage two (2) animal sanctuaries in each country we are operating in.
What seems to be the ideal weekend for you?
For now, uninterrupted quality time with the kids before they don’t have time for Daddy and Mommy. In addition, a good opportunity to squeeze in reading time while sipping my favourite cup of tea.
Tell us what makes you smile the most? 🙂
It is easy to make me smile. Any good jokes or when I am surrounded by close friends and family members are enough good way to put a wide smile on my face. Generally I guess as we age, we learn to appreciate small things in life that make us happy.