CASCO Pet provides attractive, high-quality environments to keep, care for, or sell livestock while enhancing animal well-being.
Matthew Bubear is the founder and CEO of CASCO Pet which provides attractive, high-quality environments to keep, care for, or sell livestock while enhancing animal well-being.
Q What was your inspiration to start the business?
It started when I was young – I have always been passionate about animals, and was particularly fascinated by aquarium fish. Back in 1997, we started looking at fixtures on the aquatic side, becoming a specialist in commercial aquarium solutions.
After aquariums, a number of clients also needed habitats for birds, small animals and reptiles – at the time, there was a significant lack of high-quality habitats and enclosures on the market. Our vision was – and still is – to provide the pet retail industry with products that really look after the animals, while also engaging consumers in a captivating experience.
More recently, we’ve expanded into the veterinary sector – developing a range of innovative enclosures for clinics called WELLKennels. The catalyst for this was when my own French Bulldog, Delilah, had to stay overnight at a vet’s for monitoring in a cold, noisy stainless steel cage. I knew there had to be a better solution – and just like our pet range, it prioritises the well- being of animals.
Q What types of pets and establishments does CASCO provide enclosures for today?
Our full range of products is suitable for more than just pet retail – we also provide enclosures for educational facilities, animal rehabilitation, rescue shelters, animal specialists and wholesalers.
With aquatics, we have enclosures for freshwater, marine and cold water fish, aquatic plants and invertebrates – plus, we provide large scale aquarium systems for wholesale facilities that can occupy spaces as large as a football pitch. We provide racks, islands and parks for small
animals, inclusive of mice, guinea pigs and rabbits. Our reptile racks and enclosures are suitable for rainforest, humid and arboreal reptiles and amphibians.
On the veterinary side of the business, our WELLKennels range is suitable for dogs, cats, reptiles and other exotic patients.
Q How big of an impact is the right environment on animal well-being?
When we look at the guiding principles of animal welfare, two of the five relate specifically to environment: Provision of an appropriate environment with shelter and a comfortable resting area, and provision of sufficient space for enrichment and proper facilities. From that alone, we can see just how important a role the environment plays.
And as the research says, the right environment is one where animals are allowed to exhibit their natural behaviours to the fullest extent.
When animals are kept in an unsuitable environment and are deprived of adequate mental stimulation or overloaded by stressful stimuli, they suffer from stress and anxiety, they can be more susceptible to disease and they may exhibit harmful behaviours.
At the end of the day, animal well-being is a human responsibility. At CASCO Pet, our desire is to improve animal well-being through innovative, enriching environments – this is core to our vision.
Q How can CASCO enclosures help retailers showcase their animals?
We collaborate with retailers to create unique concepts and store designs that are built and installed to the highest standards – our enclosures boast a contemporary design, are crafted from high quality materials, and make for easy viewing. Additionally, our supplied store fixtures and features deliver real cost savings with efficient and reduced maintenance, all to the benefit of staff.
Secondly, we know how to put on a show. We pride ourselves on our innovative products, which enable retailers to deliver sophisticated, inspiring retail spaces. Our enclosures use realistic background graphics reminiscent of the animal’s natural environment, which create a beautiful display. Strategic habitat lighting helps to create a real element of theatre; enriching an enclosure with substrate, perches, greenery and the like not only looks good, but also prioritises an animal’s well-being.
I think that’s the most important thing – that our enclosures put so much focus on taking care of the animal. When animals can explore and play, when they feel safe and they aren’t stressed – that’s really the best retailers can offer, and it’s what customers want (and deserve) to see.
Q How much do you think the drive for better animal well-being is being driven by consumers? And where do you think the next step is for animal welfare?
Without a doubt, consumers have contributed to the drive for better animal well-being. A huge part of that is the trend of humanising our pets – one in two people say their animal companions are just as important as a child or partner. As people’s perception of the role a pet plays in their
life changes, in turn, they become more conscious of their pets’ well-being – they just want the best for them.
We’ve seen this in the move towards healthier, more natural foods, the push for sustainable and eco-friendly pet products, and the rise of pet supplements. Pet insurance is another element where people are spending more, having it for peace of mind and so their animals can get the care they need – and the care owners think their pets deserve.
Looking forward, it’s advanced technology and smart pet products that will play a major role. New wearable products are already being introduced, and once battery performance is improved, I believe these will start to have a greater impact, with sensors and data analytics monitoring to improve pet health and behaviour.
This is a huge opportunity for retailers to take advantage of, because there’s a genuine market for these products – people are willing to pay more for their pets, even as they economise in their own lives.
Q With consumers growing more environmentally conscious and sustainability becoming more important within the industry, how does this impact CASCO and the work you do?
As a business that believes in the well-being and wellness of pets and animals in their natural habitat, why wouldn’t we have a philosophy – as we believe everyone should – to do their best for the environment.
Sustainability is important to us and is part of our long term strategy. We’re looking at all areas of our business and ways we can improve in our manufacturing; we’re aware this has the biggest impact.
We’ve installed solar panels at our Centre of Excellence in Portugal, which will provide over 90% of our energy requirements. Additionally, we have a fleet of electric vehicles for team transportation to and from work – taking individual cars off the road, another way of reducing emissions.
We select the raw materials for our manufacturing from recognised sustainable sources, and work hard to ensure they are recyclable materials, too.
Q How does CASCO work with independent pet retailers?
When it comes to bigger brands, they often have their own design teams and architects that help with store layout and design – and we work closely with those third parties.
With independents, they don’t have the luxury of internal teams, so, we step in, as part of our design service. We work with them to look at their floor space and their store objectives, and help them maximise every inch of their floor space. This helps to create really compelling, engaging displays that drive footfall and conversion and, most importantly, are safe and enriching for pets. We create 2-D designs and 3-D renders, so retailers can see what it looks like before they fully commit.
Independents benefit from our expertise and knowledge, and get access to affordable, high quality equipment that’s extremely durable. We’ll also install it for them – a whole package experience. We believe there is an absolute role for independent pet retailers, and want to provide support for them as well.