The 4-Legger Story
How one women's cancer journey made the dog grooming industry safer
Welcome! I'm Melissa, the founder of 4-Legger.
After my dog, Henry Clay was diagnosed with cancer, we made changes to reduce our dog's exposure to environmental toxins.
We believed the marketing on dog shampoo bottle when it said, "all natural" and "organic".
It wasn't until I was diagnosed with cancer that we learned the dog grooming industry doesn't have rules for marketing terms - anyone can use the terms "all natural" and "organic" on their products. Even products that contain ingredients linked to allergies, dry skin, hormone disruption, and cancer can be marketed as all natural and organic.
We knew there had to be a better way!
Our products are free from synthetic chemicals.
All ingredients and products are independently reviewed to ensure compliance with the USDA organic standards - the highest standard a product can achieve.
We want the words "all natural" and "organic" to mean safe and non-toxic and free of any synthetic or artificial chemicals.
Hear why we've dedicated our lives to making the dog grooming industry safer.
Canine Cancer Changed Our Lives
So we can revolutionize the grooming industry by making TRUE organic grooming products. See how we got our start!
- 2009: Henry Clay is Diagnosed with Cancer - Henry Clay was diagnosed with cancer as a result of exposure to environmental toxins. He has surgery to remove the penile cancer. Henry would have multiple surgeries before he was diagnosed with a brain stem tumor and given a few months to live. He lived 13 months!
- 2013: Melissa Diagnosed with Metastatic Breast Cancer - Melissa was diagnosed with breast cancer on the day Henry Clay passed away from brain stem cancer that metastasized from his urinary tract.
- 2014: Dry Itchy Skin as The Result of Using Greenwashed Products - During chemotherapy, Melissa's cell counts were "infection fatal" - meaning if she got sick she's not survive. Her oncologist recommended giving her dogs frequent baths to keep them as germ free as possible. Within a few weeks they all had dry, itchy, flaky skin.
- 2014: We Discovered There Are No Regulations For Dog Shampoo - We began to research ingredients in dog shampoo and discovered they aren't regulated by the FDA. The so called all natural organic dog shampoo we were buying had the same ingredients as the dog shampoos we would never have knowingly purchased in our effort to reduce their exposure to environmental toxins.
- 2015: We Decided To Revolutionize the Dog Grooming Industry! - We made the decision to make truly all natural and organic dog shampoo by going through the National Organic Program. Clean Ingredients for Clean Dogs!
- 2015: First Product Ready For Market! - Our first product, the Lemongrass and Aloe dog shampoo, certified organic to food standards, was released to the market the week Melissa completed her chemotherapy treatments!
- 2017: The First Aloe Based USDA Organic Dog Shampoo - 4-Legger releases to the market the FIRST aloe based USDA Organic Dog Shampoo with the USDA seal on the bottle - the highest standard any product can achieve to demonstrate it is truly organic and all natural!
Our Mission
- To change the pet grooming industry by making it safer so every dog can have a healthy bath!
- We've dedicated our mission to the memory of Henry Clay from whom we learned so much!
- We are so confident you'll love 4-Legger, we offer the Wagging Tail Guarantee: If you don't like it - you get your money back. It's that simple.
Thank you for taking the time to learn about 4-Legger!