** THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED **
As I mentioned yesterday, the Great KC Pet Expo was chock-full of vendors selling their products that were made in the U-S-A. Of course, Crystal and I, being the die-hard, hippie, liberals we are, gravitated towards the all-natural products made by local businesspeople. One of my favorites was the Rupert’s Simply Smoochable booth, run by Brad & Jami Ansley (shown below) of Kansas City.
Brad & Jami graciously gave both Crystal and me some of their Rupert’s Simply Smoochable Doggie & Kitty Mouth Spray to try out. I was so smitten with their product (Rufus’ heavy breathing in my face at night is no longer like constantly smelling a butt!) that I begged Jami to tell me more about how their business got started, and Jami graciously agreed. She even offered to tell me all about Otis, their rescue pooch, who inspired the Rupert’s label art. Here is their story…
We adopted Otis in January of 2007. After several visits to Wayside Waifs, we finally found a dog whose personality just seemed to fit us. He was pretty timid, wild wiry hair and skinny, skinny. We had no idea Otis had the beautiful brindle until we got him groomed!
When we brought him home, he wasn’t eating well and would vomit clear liquid every day. We tried wet food, scrambled eggs with beef and rice; he couldn’t really keep anything down. We took him to our vet and the only equipment they had was an ultrasound machine, and it didn’t tell us anything. One day, my husband Brad came home from work and found him lying on the cool bathroom floor, looking miserable and very sick. He rushed him to Mission Med Vet (amazing place!) and the doctor did an X-ray. They told us he had a diaphragmatic hernia (caused by either a kick or a car accident) and all his internal organs were shoved up into his chest. The cost would be $8,000 (yes that’s eight THOUSAND dollars) and he probably wouldn’t make it off the operating table. I asked the vet if we could have a moment to discuss. We both agreed; we had to do it. We’d had Otis less than a month, but he was already our baby and we loved him dearly.
We put the plastic on the table and Otis made a full recovery! You know about rescue dogs – they are the BEST pets. He’s such a wonderful dog, we are glad we found him.
So, on to how we wound up starting a pet products company. Brad’s dad, Dan Ansley, passed away in January of 2005. We met later that month and have always attributed our meeting to him, in some way. Dan was apparently an amazing father and a brilliant inventor. He was a chemist by trade and invented several pet products – one of them we found in a file cabinet entitled “Canine Oral Spray.” In the spring of 2009, we were helping Brad’s mom go through some of Dan’s things and Brad told me to keep this recipe. Brad had a clear vision of what he wanted the label to look like and he commissioned the brilliant Charlie Podrebarac (of the Cowtown series) to design the label for us.
Some might wonder why they would even need mouth spray for their dog or cat. Well, proper pet dental hygiene is something that most pet owners take for granted, because let’s face it: there are a lot of things easier and more pleasant to do than brushing your pet’s teeth. On average, pets have their teeth cleaned twice per year and yet many pet owners still say that their dog or cat has bad breath. There are many hard or chewable treats on the market that do a great job keeping plaque and tartar under control between dental visits, but they really don’t “freshen” your pet’s breath. Enter Rupert’s Simply Smoochable Doggie and Kitty Mouth Spray: the daily use breath treatment that provides the missing link between brushing and treats. The Mouth Spray is different from other products because it contains no Xylitol or dyes of any kind. One feature that is unique to this product is the addition of clove oil. Clove oil has long been used as a topical pain reliever, especially for tooth pain. While providing a pleasant scent, you will also see the benefits of providing your pet relief from discomfort associated with tooth and gum pain.
We also recently added an unscented shampoo that we are really excited about. The shampoo is cool because it’s completely free of fragrance, dyes, perfumes. We didn’t like it when we’d take Otis to the groomer and he would come back smelling all perfume-y. Yuck. We wanted him to smell like him, just cleaner. We LOVE this formula because it makes him clean and makes his coat fluffy and shiny. The Rupert’s shampoo is awesome for dogs with hot spots, allergies or any other skins issues because it’s such a mild formula.
- PRIZE: See above
- TO ENTER: Comment on this post with the phrase “KISS ME!” or “BATHE ME!” and tell me, does your dog (or cat) suffer from “poop breath syndrome” or “stinky dog (or cat) syndrome?” For us, Turk tends to suffer more from stinky dog syndrome, while Rufus has the poop breath from H-E-L-L. You can also get a second entry by “liking” Rupert’s Simply Smoochable’s Facebook page and leaving a comment on their wall saying that Our Waldo Bungie sent you!
- GIVEAWAY CLOSES: Wednesday, April 18th, 2012 at Midnight CST.
- NUMBER OF WINNERS: Two(!)
- PRIZE VALID FOR: Anyone living within the 50 (nifty) United States.
- USUAL STUFF: One entry per e-mail address is permitted. The winners will be selected using random.org and announced on Thursday, April 19th as an update to this post. I will also email the winners on the 19th to obtain mailing information to send their prizes.
* CONGRATULATIONS TO DIANE MCCORNACK & KELLY SELLS – YOU ARE THE WINNERS OF THE SIMPLY SMOOCHABLE COMBO PACKS! *
39 comments
Comments feed for this article
April 17, 2012 at 6:32 AM
Maisie's Mom
KISS ME! meaning Maisie’s raw diet gives her the most foul breath ever. I say it smells like a corpse about to be buried with a mouth pull of poop. sorry for the early morning description there, but it’s GROSS.
April 17, 2012 at 6:45 AM
Two Grads
BATHE ME! Havi smells gross after playing outside all day with her BFFs.
April 17, 2012 at 6:51 AM
crystalwayward
Brad and Jami are so awesome! What a wonderful story. I haven’t gotten a chance to try the breath spray on Scooby yet, but that’s happening tonight. He’s had the poop breath issue as long as I’ve known him.
April 17, 2012 at 7:25 AM
Katie
BATHE ME! Springtime is always bath time around our house!
April 17, 2012 at 7:29 AM
tlcorlando
KISS ME! Our pittie Ella has breath so bad it’ll knock you over. We often find ourselves apologizing about it to guests we have over! lol. She could definitely use the breath spray.
April 17, 2012 at 7:32 AM
Ashley P
KISS ME! Our pittie Ella has breath so horrible it’ll knock you over. lol.
April 17, 2012 at 7:59 AM
Debra
BATHE ME! You know Ray-Ray loves his peanutbutterbathtime! Since I bathe him weekly I am always looking for the mildest shampoo for the little pink piggy. 🙂
April 17, 2012 at 8:43 AM
stampinpuppies
BATHE ME! What a great post! And I have a house full of very dirty pittie’s that could use some new bath products. Thanks for the opportunity!
April 17, 2012 at 8:44 AM
The Rufus Way
Kiss me! My very own Rufus has the worst breath, and he’s only around 3 yrs old! Ugh…I haven’t found a magic potion yet, but I’m hoping this is it haha. Even if I don’t win, I plan on purchasing a bottle anyway – what a cool company!
April 17, 2012 at 8:56 AM
Tina-Critter Crusaders
Kiss me. My pittie, luckily, doesn’t have issues as she is fairly young yet, but some of the fosters that come through here…PEEE EWWWWE
April 17, 2012 at 8:58 AM
Kate
KISS ME! My dog has terrible poop breath…from well, eating poop. He snacks on the fox poop in the backyard. My cats just have poop breath from being old and lazy. I have trained my dog to tolerate and enjoy tooth brushing, but the cats are a lost cause. Pewwwwww!
April 17, 2012 at 9:43 AM
Kathy
KISS ME! All 4 of my older dogs suffer from “poop breath syndrome,” although I still love and live for their stinky kisses! I also love Brad & Jami’s wonderful story and wish them all the best in their endeavor.
April 17, 2012 at 10:04 AM
Samie Brown
KISS ME my doggies have some stinky breath!
April 17, 2012 at 10:34 AM
Heartbeat-At-My-Feet
KISS ME! Cooper has earned himself a new nickname – Pooper Scooper Cooper, because his breath smells. Like. Poop! Yuck! (Oh and thanks a lot, now the “fifty nifty” song is stuck in my head!)
April 17, 2012 at 10:35 AM
Emily
You know the “Fifty Nifty United States” song?!?!?! None of my friends who grew up outside of Nebraska seem to know it! This makes me so happy that you know it (it’s the only way I can remember certain states sometimes)!
April 17, 2012 at 10:42 AM
Heartbeat-At-My-Feet
Oh HECK yeah! We sang it for a third grade play when I lived in Ohio. Must be a midwestern thing! 🙂 (“…thirteen original col-o-nies”)
April 18, 2012 at 9:56 PM
Kelly
I’ve found it before on YouTube and had to play it for my Virginia students for their 5th grade tests.
April 18, 2012 at 10:02 PM
Emily
That’s awesome!
April 17, 2012 at 10:34 AM
Of pit bulls and patience
Kiss me! Parker has some stanky breathe that regular brushing doesn’t seem to make a dent in!
April 17, 2012 at 1:03 PM
Corbin
Since I hate bathies… I’ll say KISS ME!!!! But it’s only to you Emily… I don’t want smoochies from Turk or Rufus! Hehehehe. Dad tells me I have the stinky breaths…. the momma brushes my teethers, but he says my kisses are still a bit stinky.
-Corbin
April 17, 2012 at 2:04 PM
Jill Heisterkamp (@jheiste)
BATHE ME! Maybe if they smell more like themselves, they won’t immediately go outside and roll in something after a bath! And I have to admit, I love the doggie natural scent! Reminds me of corn chips sometimes. 🙂
April 17, 2012 at 2:06 PM
Teresa
Kiss me, Fozzy and the cats have some terrible breath some days.
April 17, 2012 at 2:15 PM
Jo
Kiss me!! My older dog Brewer has the worst “old man breath.” we’ve always brushed our dogs teeth and the vet say’s they are in good shape yet his breath still REAKS! I’ve been looking for more natural ways of helping him out but haven’t settled on any one item just yet. Would love to try this product!
April 17, 2012 at 2:18 PM
Ashley
Kiss me! How cool. Definitely need to check out their site! Love the story of their rescue pooch. I’m currently trying to nurse my foster back to health.
April 17, 2012 at 2:18 PM
Jo
Kiss me! My dog Brewer has the worst “old man breath.” We brush his teeth on a regular basis and the vet say’s they are in good shape yet his breath still REAKS! Have been looking for natural products to try to help him out. Would love to try this one!
April 17, 2012 at 5:15 PM
Marisa
Kiss me!! Even though I brush Miss June’s teeth, she has constant morning breath. Of course, it could be because she sleeps all day! What a neat story – and it sounds like the products are great.
April 17, 2012 at 5:26 PM
Trinity's Love
‘Kiss me!’ Trinity likes to put her head in the kitty’s box! And my cat Star breath is terrible. We would like to try the product!
April 17, 2012 at 6:13 PM
pittiefullove
BATHE ME! When we have fosters busted straight outta the joint the first order of business is always a bath! We go through doggie shampoo like no-other!
April 17, 2012 at 6:14 PM
The Perfectly Imperfect One
KISS ME! OMG, my dog AND my cats have some horrible breath! It’s worse than hell or poop sometimes! Completely aweful! 🙂 love the blog!
April 17, 2012 at 8:49 PM
Natasha
KISS ME!! Although, Razer’s breath is more a la dead fish than poop (he’s on a salmon based diet). Peeee ewwww!
April 17, 2012 at 8:53 PM
Fishing In The Fields
KISS ME!!!! My Max has a breathe so smelly, you can smell it from the other side of the room… pee-u!!!
April 17, 2012 at 9:10 PM
Kelly Sells
BATHE ME!! My girl Annie is a beagle mix with unusaul skin that is constantly itchy. Paul just flat out stinks (beagle and pitt bull mix)!
April 17, 2012 at 9:15 PM
Laurie
Kiss me! One of my dogs definitely suffers from poop breath syndrome…
April 18, 2012 at 8:14 AM
Kate B.
Kiss me!
Baxter’s breath has gotten terrible lately! But I love him enough to just hold my breath while he licks my face- cuz I can’t do without a daily dose of Baxter kisses!
April 18, 2012 at 8:33 AM
debieruth
KISS ME!! Freckle has the “Something has died in my mouth” breath..its horrible!
April 18, 2012 at 9:31 AM
adorabully
Kiss me!!! All three of the our pups have stinky fish breath from their food but our dainty little girl Bella is the worst!!! Worst of all, she LOVES to give kisses. Stinky, wet kisses. All over your face. Our little diva would love some fresh clean breath.
April 18, 2012 at 9:36 AM
Mayzie
KISS ME!!! Well, Brudder Ranger USED to have bad breath but then he had a cleaning and his breath smells SO much better. And Mom says I’m the stinky one but, uh, can you please NOT enter me for that shampoo stuff cuz I don’t want her to get any kerazy ideas about, you know, the whole B. A. T. H. thing. Kthnx!
Wiggles & Wags,
Mayzie
April 18, 2012 at 5:31 PM
merrypad
Kiss me! Cody needs this bad.
April 18, 2012 at 7:39 PM
glenda bailey
BATHE ME! With 5 dogs, someone always needs a bath!!! Thank you!