Shrewsbury vet secures major deal after developing pet first-aid kit

Charlie Astle, from Shrewsbury, has launched a new company called ‘Charlie the Vet’ and has already secured a major contract with The Central Co-Op group to provide pet first-aid kits.

She has been a practicing vet for 10 years but it was the pandemic which gave her the idea to launch her own company and she completed a business start up course with Bridgnorth-based consultants Good2Great.

“Most of my veterinary consultations were done via phone or video instead of face-to-face," she said.

"I quickly realised that most of my clients lacked the basic items needed to treat their pet at home.

“I started looking into what first aid kits existed for pets and found most were not fit for purpose, with many containing products that were even dangerous for pets. None contained instructions on how to use the contents safely.

“Our first product is a pet first aid kit that comes with a great set of resources showing how to treat minor injuries at home and what to do in emergency situations prior to arriving at the vets.

“Our broader focus is pet wellness, welfare and education and we will be launching a range of products in this category in the future.”

Charlie said that the Good2Great training programme provided her with the key knowledge and skills needed to set up her business.

“The one-to-one mentoring afterwards gave me the confidence and inspiration to make it happen," she said. "And it gave me the opportunity to network with other aspiring entrepreneurs."

Charlie is now working with The Central Co-Op group and her business will be supported by a marketing campaign on social media and people will also be able to buy direct from charliethevet.com.

The Good2Great Business Programme is part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund through the Marches Growth Hub and managed by Telford & Wrekin Council on behalf of partners Shropshire Council.