Why we're building Simba & Good

Simba is a Bichon Frise, and the reason this company exists.

Six years ago, I got my first dog. I thought I knew what having a dog would mean — food, walks, grooming, vet visits, and plenty of love.

I didn’t quite understand how much more there was to it.

Caring for Simba meant staying on top of a hundred small things at the right time. What he should eat. When he needed vaccinations. How much exercise he needed. What was normal and what wasn’t. Which changes mattered as he got older.

And somewhere along the way, Simba stopped feeling like “my pet.”

He’s family.

Then I started noticing all the other dogs

The more I learned about dogs, the more I started noticing the dogs around me.

Strays.

Rescued dogs.

Dogs waiting for homes.

Dogs being cared for by people and organisations doing incredibly difficult work with limited resources.

And I started thinking about what happens when those resources run out.

There are more than 700 million dogs worldwide, according to the World Organisation for Animal Health, with around 75% estimated to be free-roaming. Estimates of the number actually living on the streets vary significantly, but one recent estimate puts it at around 143 million.

Behind those numbers are animals that need food, shelter, veterinary care, vaccination, sterilisation, and protection from injury and disease.

The problem with relying on charity

So many rescue centres and animal welfare organisations depend heavily on donations and charity to operate.

And while there are incredibly generous people who donate, charity is inherently uncertain.

What happens when donations slow down?

What happens when a rescue centre suddenly has more animals to care for?

What happens when several animals need expensive treatment at the same time?

The animals don’t stop needing food.

They don’t stop needing medicine.

They don’t stop needing care.

Their needs continue, regardless of whether the funding is there.

That thought stayed with me.

I wanted to find a way to help create a more sustainable source of funding for animal welfare — something that could generate money through its everyday operation rather than relying entirely on periodic fundraising campaigns.

The bigger problem

The more I thought about it, the more I realised that this wasn’t only about rescue centres.

Humans have transformed an enormous part of the planet for ourselves. As we expand, build, and consume, animals lose natural habitats and are increasingly exposed to roads, pollution, disease, conflict, and other dangers created by us.

We’ve made survival harder for many animals than it should be.

And when an animal is injured, abandoned, or rescued, we often depend on charitable organisations and individuals to pick up the pieces.

I kept wondering:

Could we build something that creates a more sustainable source of funding for animal welfare?

Not another charity drive.

Not another occasional fundraiser.

Something that could generate money as part of its everyday operation — and continuously direct a meaningful portion of that money towards animals that need help.

That’s where Simba & Good started.

So, what is Simba & Good?

I wanted to build a business where doing good isn’t an occasional campaign.

It’s part of the business model.

We’re starting with dogs because that’s what I know best.

Simba has taught me a lot about being a dog parent, and dogs are where I feel I can contribute the most knowledge and understanding today.

But the long-term vision is bigger.

I want Simba & Good to eventually support other animals too.

We’re starting with dogs because you have to start somewhere.

🐶 An app for pet parents

The first part is an app designed to help people take better care of their pets.

Because owning a pet can be overwhelming, especially when you’re doing it for the first time.

The goal is to make it easier to understand what your pet needs throughout their life — and to help pet parents stay on top of the everyday things that keep their pets happy and healthy.

Because better-informed pet parents mean better lives for pets.

🛍️ A shop that gives back

We’re also building a shop for digital products for pet parents.

Useful things — guides, resources, tools, and other products that help people become better pet parents.

And importantly, a portion of the money generated through these products will go towards animal welfare.

So buying something that helps you care for your own dog can also help another animal that doesn’t have a home.

🤝 An agency for pet businesses

The third part is an agency that works with pet-focused businesses.

We help businesses in the pet industry grow, while using the revenue generated by that work to support animal welfare.

This creates another source of funding that isn’t dependent on someone deciding whether to donate this month.

The more value we create for businesses, the more revenue we can generate.

And the more revenue we generate, the more we can eventually give back.

Our long-term goal

My ambition for Simba & Good is simple, even if getting there won’t be.

Eventually, I want 70% of our profits to go towards animal welfare.

I don’t want Simba & Good to simply be a company that occasionally gives money to a good cause.

I want animal welfare to be one of the reasons the company exists.

The idea is that every part of the business can contribute to the same mission:

Help people take better care of the animals they love, while creating more resources for the animals that need us.

And I know we’re starting small.

There are already people doing incredible work for animals around the world. Rescue workers, veterinarians, volunteers, foster parents, shelters, and ordinary people who stop to help an animal in need.

I’m not trying to replace them.

I want to help give them more resources to do what they already do.

Why “Simba & Good”?

Well, Simba is where all of this started.

Six years ago, I brought home a little dog.

I didn’t know then that he would change the way I see animals, responsibility, and the world around me.

He made me care about something much bigger than myself.

So Simba & Good is my attempt to turn that feeling into something tangible.

Something that can help pet parents.

Something that can build a sustainable business.

And, hopefully, something that can make life a little better for animals that don’t have someone like Simba looking out for them.

This is why I’m starting Simba & Good.

For Simba.

For the animals that have homes.

For the animals that don’t.

And eventually, for animals beyond dogs too.

If this mission resonates with you, or you’d like to help us build Simba & Good, please reach out to us through our Contact Us page. We’d love to hear from you.

— Piyush