Pawsitivity by Rimjhim Joshi: A Startup Saving Animals from Accidents

What started as a desire to assist street dogs eventually evolved into Pawsitivity. It is a flourishing enterprise led by Rimjhim Joshi Shende by offering affordable reflective and QR-enabled collars which enhance street safety for animals. The startup also creates job opportunities for women and contributes towards the animals with their revenue.

The Problem: Why Does This Matter? 

Rimjhim was confronted with devastating news in 2015 when a beloved elderly black dog—a well-known figure in the neighborhood—had become a tragic victim of a careless accident. Since it was dark it was difficult to see him. His hindquarters were severely injured, and despite several efforts of bystanders, he sadly did not survive. 

This is not a one-time scenario. Every day, numerous stray animals lose their lives due to rash driving. It is either intentional or by accident but overall the ultimate sufferings come to these poor souls. Because death is not the ultimate end, if they do not die they are left in the worst physical conditions leaving them in a vegetative or paralyzed state. 

The Solution: Pawsitivity by Rimjhim Joshi Shende

With this sad experience, Rimjhim sought a solution to a pressing issue. Initially, it began as a heartfelt wish to enhance safety on the roads for both animals and humans. Eventually, it has evolved into Pawsitivity, with a flourishing initiative dedicated to crafting QR-enabled reflective collars for stray animals. It is all produced by a talented team of underprivileged women. 

In 2016, she set on a mission to design reflective collars intended for stray animals, aimed to enhance their visibility to drivers at night. Although the concept was simple, but transforming this collar into reality required industry knowledge. And as a teacher, Rimjhim initially did not possess. 

While creating reflective collars for Pawsitivity and interacting with the dogs under the care of Rimjhim and her husband Tushar, she found that she was earning a substantial income each month by working for these animals. It felt right to give it back and thus, started to befriend and feed them. 

Pawsitivity’s flagship collar is a groundbreaking device which comes with a QR code-enabled device that tackles several critical challenges for pet safety. This collar holds essential information about the dog: its name, estimated age, vaccination and medical history, and location. Thus, it acts as a vital lifeline for lost pets. So, if you discover a stray, you can simply scan the QR code to access important health details. And help a lost soul reunite with its owner. 

Additionally, Pawsitivity organizes vaccination drives. Also, they incorporate the QR code collars into their initiatives to enhance the health and safety of street dogs. 

Business Model: How Do They Make Money? 

There are numerous individual feeders, eager to support the animals in their care. But with limited funds and the financial strain of providing food and medical attention to these souls, often hindered their ability to cover extra expenses, such as protective collars. 

Rimjhim understands this challenge, thus, offering these collars at a reasonable price of just Rs 40-60 each. 

In the years following, Pawsitivity has experienced remarkable growth. 

• In FY23, the firm achieved a revenue of Rs 56 lakh. 

• In FY24, the revenue reached around Rs 77 lakh. 

Furthermore, the startup has positively affected more than 1.5 lakh customers which included pet owners, NGOs, and animal feeders. These are the people who are dedicatedly working to enhance the safety and well-being of stray dogs and other animals. 

What Rimjhim wanted was not to earn huge profits but to ensure that animals have access to important items like reflective collars. At the same time, she did not want to add to the financial strain on their caregivers, no matter their situation. 

Based on their collar production, workers are paid between 15k and 18k. However, during the festival season, with a surge in demand, workers’ earnings increases accordingly. 

Uplifting the Society 

Presently, Pawsitivity have a team of 12 women, with plans for further expansion. With proper comprehensive training, fair compensation, and the respect that comes with stable employment, these women are gaining more encouragement to live a better life. 

Challenges/Struggles: What Roadblocks Are They Facing? 

Challenge: The main challenge was to source materials and find a manufacturer for the collars. 

Solution: Fortunately, her house helper at the time, Reena, came to the rescue. She introduced them to reliable suppliers and shared her basic stitching skills. It proved to be very helpful in the beginning days of Pawsitivity. Ultimately, with Reena’s guidance, the team was able to prepare their 1st batch of collars. 

Challenge: Pawsitivity dog collars were consistently being stolen.  

Solution: To overcome this situation, the Pawsitivity team developed an anti-theft buckle. With this, it became difficult to remove the collar without earning the dog’s trust. 

Challenge: Preparing collars for puppies as they won’t grow with the animals, and this can be a hazardous situation for poor animals. 

Solution: Since it is hard to trust people with such responsibility, Pawsitivity decided to provide small collars to trusted NGOs and volunteers who can responsibly adjust the collars as the puppy grows. 

Challenge: Managing business during pregnancy and COVID-19 pandemic lockdown became difficult to such an extent that they feared that they had to shut down the work. 

Solution: An order received from an NGO proved helpful and turned out to be the support that the startup needed. 

Future Vision: What’s Next?

Rimjhim committedly offers affordable, top-notch reflective collars to various communities, while also empowering women and promoting wider animal welfare initiatives. Many feeders who might otherwise struggle to afford such essential products, with their strategic pricing, Pawsitivity has ensured that they can access these collars. 

Pawsitivity’s Mission

The couple conducts educational programs in schools to teach children how to safely approach and interact with stray dogs. Even though these animals are not always aggressive, it is necessary to train kids about safe approaching methods of animals. Also, it is important to teach them to be respectful and understanding while handling the animals. This will foster positive experiences for both animals and humans. 

The programs offered by Pawsitivity are important to their mission, fostering a deeper understanding of street animals among children and cultivating greater empathy towards them. Thanks to Rimjhim’s background as a former teacher, they were able to successfully engage with various schools and conduct workshops to educate young minds on the needs of stray animals. 

About the Founder 

A kind-hearted individual from Indore, Rimjhim Joshi Shende, has consistently shown deep compassion for stray dogs. A former educator and active member of animal welfare organizations, she has a passion for street animals which deepened after a heartbreaking experience.

Rimjhim’s husband Tushar Shende (39) is an indispensable force behind Pawsitivity. He is skillfully managing the venture’s administrative and operational aspects alongside his job. 

He was once fearful of dogs. But with his wife’s encouragement and these cute creatures’ loving nature, has transformed him into an advocate for their needs. He now understands the critical importance of promoting responsible feeding and animal interactions. 

Key Takeaways: Why Should Users Care? 

From Rimjhim we can learn: 

• To be considerate towards all living beings. 

• It is not profiting that matters, but the impact our solution provides to the community. 

• The market is waiting for better solutions.