The Pillie Pooches Girls

There are so many questions that we regularly get asked about Pillie Pooches - because humans are curious. 

After and now during COVID-19 people want to connect with the businesses they buy from, now more than ever. 

We at Pillie Pooches are passionate about our local community, Newcastle and Australia is a whole. 

So - let's dive into some our FAQ's: 

When was Pillie Pooches created?
Pillie Pooches was created in November 2019. 

Why did Kate create the brand?
Pillie was created after Kate got her first dog - a liver spot Dalmatian named Pipper. See picture below. 

Where did the name Pillie Pooches come from?

Originally the brand was called 'Pillie Designs' and Kate renamed the business mid 2020 to Pillie Pooches because it felt more 'fitting'. The word 'Pillie' is a mix between Pipper and Millie - Kate's Dalmatian and GSP. Kate (and Jake - husband) also have a rescue Dusty and are considering renaming her 'Dustie' so her name fits in better and has a place in the name of the business. 

Who makes all the decisions around fabric choices?

Kate makes the decisions around design. As Kate takes a step back from physically making the products, she is still chief design lady. Meaning, she sources all of the fabrics - usually from small boutiques or she has fabrics printed in Australia.

Are all the products physically made at the office?

Yes and it is time consuming but a labour of love. Kate has contemplated more than once taking some items off shore, but she feels there is a place for this in the industry and it just doesn't suit the Pillie feel. For as long as possible, Kate will always have our products made her by local Newcastle girls - if this ever changes she will ALWAYS be honest about this and communicate with the customers. 

How many staff do you have at Pillie Pooches?

We have a team of 5 girls. Let us go on ahead and introduce you to them! 

Kate - Sole director

Kate is the owner of Pillie Pooches. She is 29 years old and is a school teacher full time. Kate runs the business behind the scenes by ordering stock, choosing fabric designs, liaising with customers and managing the social media.

Thea - Highly qualified seamstress

Thea is a very creative individual. She has worked as a seamstress in many different places across the globe. Thea is our chief harness maker - indeed the only staff member we have that makes harnesses. She is meticulous in everything she does and is a huge asset to the team. 

Gab - The fastest seamstress in Australia (we think she could go for a record)

Gabby has been with us since the beginning. She is our longest member of staff and has been an integral part of the business growth. Gabby has continued to evolve our bows, to make the beauty that you see before you today. She takes on many roles - emailing customers, updating stock, coordinating the backend of the website and making all products (except harnesses) 

Alice - professional scrunchy and bandana maker

Alice chooses not to be featured on our website for privacy reasons and we are absolutely here for it. But, she must be mentioned as she is a wonderful asset to the team. Alice enjoys making bandanas and scrunchies and the girls look forward to her working each Thursday to help lighten the load. 

Jenny - By far the sassiest squad member 

Have you ever met someone that can make a million bandanas an hour? Jenny is your girl. She is efficient and gets the job done. We can barely keep up with her. More recently she's extended her skills to all products bar harnesses, leads and collars. She is an excellent bow maker and could give Gab a run for her money! 

We absolutely love our team and couldn't be prouder of them if we tried!