Meet Rebecca Redondo of Feather & Fur

Today we’d like to introduce you to Rebecca Redondo

Hi Rebecca, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I have always been a soul that has gravitated towards animals. I grew up on a farm that my parents still own. I was lucky enough to have parents very supportive of all the obscure animals that I wanted as pets, dreamed of being a veterinarian, and volunteered at a local zoo. I knew I wanted to take my care for animals to the next level. I was eventually hired on by the zoo and a couple years later by a local animal hospital where I stayed for several years working in general practice, exotic animals, surgery team, and more.

I stopped working in veterinary medicine after Covid hit and died down to focus on college. Spending those next years, focusing on my degree and settling in to a new career path, marketing. I quickly realized how much I missed the animal industry. Thankfully, I was still the trusted friend and pet sitter for several friends and family members and frequently spent time caring for their pets. Fast-forward a couple years, I started this flourishing business by accident…

Last year, my father found a stray cockatiel on a job site that he rescued and brought to me (because I also have a cockatiel) to care for while searching for his home. All with no luck in finding his previous owners… During the search for his owners, I downloaded the Nextdoor app and made a quick post about him then started scrolling through the feed. I realized that several members of my community were looking for a trusted and experienced individual to care for their pets in the form of petsitting, nail trims, baths, and other services that I frequently would be booked for as a vet tech for domestic, farm, and exotic animals.

I decided to go out on a limb and make a post talking about my experience and if anyone needed help, I’d be happy to care for their pets in whatever way they need. I closed the app, locked my phone, and then the next morning I woke to find I had 55 messages from people interested in my help. It was then I knew there was a community need that desperately needed filled. I took the opportunity to form my LLC and have been helping animals in my community for almost 2 years now. The clients that I have are frequent flyers and absolutely love the fact that I have a veterinary background. It provides another level of safety and trust that not many others can provide in my community.

I’m happy to share that because of my mobile animal care business, I’m able to help senior citizens care for their pets, as making the trip to the animal hospital can be difficult for them. I also care for senior pets that are not physically capable of making it into the animal hospital, themselves. I also help farmers, ranchers, and exotic pet owners have peace of mind in their animal care while traveling with their critters in my care. My client base is diverse, loyal, and full of animal lovers of all walks of life. Whether it’s a house cat, reptile, exotic bird, or a barn full of farm animals, I make sure that their pets live the best lives possible! I am proud of all the positive impact I have made in my community as the owner of Feather & Fur! Follow us on Instagram: @featherandfuraz 🐾

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I will say that this whole journey has been a blessing so far! The only challenges I have right now are:

I’m not able to advertise fully since it is just me and I still work full time in marketing. Thankfully the word of mouth marketing is excellent for Feather & Fur!

The main struggle I have is when my business picks up, it becomes hard to balance the full time job, Feather & Fur, and my own self care. This doesn’t happen often, thankfully, just in random waves!

We’ve been impressed with Feather & Fur, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
About Feather & Fur:
* Feather & Fur is a mobile animal care business in the West Valley of Arizona, owned by Rebecca Redondo.

What Do We Do?
* Feather & Fur provides experienced and trustworthy animal care to domestic, exotic, and farm animals valley-wide!

What sets Feather & Fur apart from others?
* Feather & Fur stands out amongst the rest in the industry because of owner and operator, Rebecca Redondo’s, extensive background in veterinary medicine, animal husbandry, exotic animal care, and experience in farm and livestock!

What are you most proud brand wise?
* What Feather & Fur is most proud of brand-wise is the strength of our word of mouth marketing from current clients. Almost all of our clients this year came to us on a referral base!

What Feather & Fur Provides the Community:
* Veterinary background
* 10+ years of experience
* Pet Sitting (drop in and overnight)
* Farm Sitting (drop in and overnight)
* Domestic & Exotic Pet Nail Trims/Filing
* Bathing
* Ear Cleanings
* Anal Gland Expression
* Medication Administration (oral, topical, and injectable)

Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
Advice I would give to entrepreneurs just starting out is prepare to feel uncomfortable. It is never easy navigating uncharted territory, but it is not impossible! Just believe in your idea and the clientele will follow. Do your research on others in the industry and soak in all of the publicly available information you can. As an entrepreneur, you’ll never stop learning! Find a mentor if you can, it helps a ton!

What I wish I knew going into this journey is that I need to value myself firmly. It can be uncomfortable dealing with pricing and knowing when to increase your pricing. Just know that it has to be profitable to you and reflect your time/experience I put into the business. I once had a mentor tell me when discussing upping my prices, “If one person here or there gets upset over a few dollar increase, they are not your target market and that is perfectly okay.”

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/featherandfuraz?igsh=MXcxdTlxODh6ZjE1NQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61553610342995&mibextid=LQQJ4d