We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Amy DeMuth a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Amy , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?

When I created The Social Hound, I wanted it to be something that would stand out and also help support local rescues. Keeping with my mission to make a difference in the lives of rescue dogs, I started donating five boxes of products each month to rescues and shelters around the triangle. Each box contains bandanas and bow ties that the dogs can wear to help draw a little extra attention in their photos. I continue to send out boxes every month to local rescues but have expanded my reach a little further. Donation boxes have made their way to Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Georgia, Tennessee, Florida, and Mississippi. I would love to be able to reach rescues in all 50 states one day! Along with donation boxes, The Social Hound donates gift baskets to rescue organizations for events and donates products for rescues to sell, with 100% of the proceeds going to that rescue.

Amy , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

In 2020, when the world came to a halt, my adventure began. I have been a volunteer with the Triangle Beagle Rescue for several years, and we had to get creative with fundraising with in person events no longer happening. With face masks being in high demand, several volunteers began sewing. Always up for a challenge and wanting to help the beagles, I decided to borrow a sewing machine from a friend and taught myself to sew. It was a rocky start, but once I got the hang of it, I really enjoyed it! From there, I started making bandanas and bow ties. With encouragement and support from my family and friends, I created The Social Hound. I started small with attending pop events and an Etsy store. My products were recognized by some amazing businesses in the area and are now being sold at Dirty Dogs Spa in Wake Forest, Wendell and Raleigh, Mosa Pet Resort in Cary, and Hause of Dogs in Raleigh. All of these companies are women-owned small businesses, with a focus on giving back… a mission close to my heart. The Social Hound has also very recently opened a small boutique space in The Painted Tree in Cary.

The Social Hound is one of many things that I do. I am a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) and I hold a certificate in Applied Animal Behavior (UW-AAB). I work with children with Autism for my full-time career, and for the last 3 years I have been donating my expertise in animal behavior to assist with problem behaviors in foster and rescue dogs. I’m currently working towards my CBCC-KA certification. While doing all of that, The Social Hound came to be. I can honestly say I love all of it! I would say that I’m very proud of all of my accomplishments. I put my heart and soul into everything that I do.

I am definitely proud of what The Social Hound has blossomed into. Since it started, I have met and built relationships with so many amazing people who share the same passion and commitment to animals as I do. Rescue is hard. The people who dedicate their time, energy, life, and love to those animals who are most in need are some of the most incredible people. Being able to add something as simple as a bow tie for pictures or creating gift baskets, mugs, shirts, etc. to help raise money for the hefty vet bills rescue organizations endure on a daily basis, is just a small way of helping out.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

I have a pretty good following on social media. Each day I have new followers and those followers do my advertising! I personally don’t post a lot of pictures or stories, but those who purchase my products share pictures of their dogs wearing their new bow ties and bandanas. I absolutely love getting to see all of the dogs, but it also helps to promote not only my business, but also shows off dogs that are in foster homes and shelters, which creates extra views for the rescues. I have a great relationship with the businesses that sell my products and we all help each other out by promoting upcoming events and items on all of our pages.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

I feel that The Social Hound has gained a pretty good reputation. It is a small business that runs on motivation to give back in any way possible, and we live up to that promise. At vendor events, we make sure all foster dogs are given bandanas and bow ties to help them look their best for potential adopters. T-shirts and sweatshirts are made to do fundraisers with, products are donated for rescues to sell to earn 100% profit from. Kindness, care and compassion go a long way!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://thesocialhoundnc.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_social_hound/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100085461840829