ElleVet Sciences, a South Portland-based manufacturer of CBD products for pets, is a growing addition to Maine’s active veterinary-tech cluster that includes IDEXX, ImmuCell, Covetrus (formerly Vets First Choice) and Dechra (formerly Putney).
The company was founded in 2016 by Christian Kjaer, a former senior executive at IDEXX Laboratories, and Amanda Howland, who has over 20 years experience in public health.
The company is growing fast. It now has 38 employees and anticipates it will have 50 by year’s end. Howland noted that the company has benefited from Portland’s burgeoning vet-tech cluster, particularly with respect to finding and attracting experienced employees.
The global CBD pet market size was valued at $27.7 million in 2019 and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 40.3% from 2020 to 2027, according to a study by Grandview Research. The perceived benefits of cannabis, high awareness among pet owners, and preference for natural pet supplements have led to an upsurge in market growth.
According to a report by Cannabis product news, around 24% of the U.S. pet owners consume CBD based products either for themselves or for their pets.
Science first
Howland and Kjaer came up with the idea of a CBD pet supplement before hemp oil products became mainstream. Citing her and Kjaer’s background in science, Howland said they were adamant that the product be safe, backed by science, and effective.
After talking to several veterinary schools around the country, the team decided to work with Dr. Joseph Wakshalg, a triple-board certified veterinarian at Cornell University, on the first ever clinical trial for CBD pet products. The 2018 research was a double blind, placebo, cross-over study that tested the efficacy of ElleVet’s proprietary CBD formulation on managing osteoarthritis in dogs.
“We were all impressed by the results of the study that demonstrated that over 80% of patients showed improvements in mobility,” said Howland.
Howland and Kjaer self-funded ElleVet Sciences. Once the efficacy study was published, growth happened fast. The founders moved the company from Howland’s living room to a series of larger buildings, ultimately settling in a 17,000-square-foot production facility in South Portland.
“We were growing fast and able to fund our growth through profits,” said Howland, adding that during this time the company was growing at 25-30% month over month.
Despite the rapid growth, the company took a conservative approach to 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The company’s website lists several science journal studies that demonstrate product effectiveness on myriad pet health conditions. Howland noted that she does not know of any other CBD company—whether making products for animals or humans—that meets its standards for science-based evidence on dosing, formulation, and efficacy for hemp-oil products.
There are 140+ known cannabinoids in hemp, and these interact with the endocannabinoid system, which naturally exists in animals and humans. Cannabinoid receptors are found throughout the body and affect different functions, including mood, appetite, the immune system, and more. Cannabinoids stimulate these receptors to help maintain a stable environment in the body.
ElleVet’s focus on science differentiates it from competitors in the fast-growing CBD market. Cannabis products—whether from federally legal hemp or still federally illegal marijuana—are not FDA regulated, leaving plenty of room for suspicious production and dubious business practices.
ElleVet Sciences has complete control of its supply chain. The company has exclusive rights to a specialized strain of hemp that is used in its products. All ElleVet products are carefully formulated and manufactured in-house.
Giving back
Since founding ElleVet Sciences, one of the original goals of Kjaer and Howland was to create a charitable branch of the company dedicated to giving back and helping animals in need. This brief hiatus gave root to the company’s most recent endeavor—a nonprofit branch named “The ElleVet Project.”
The mobile pet-relief program has the co-founders driving a branded 38-foot vehicle to homeless areas throughout California and partnering with local veterinarians to provide free veterinary care, food and supplies to homeless pets and street pets vulnerable in reaction to COVID-19.
Kjaer and Howland selected California to host the pilot program for The ElleVet Project due to the overwhelming number of homeless pet owners and street pets. It was such a success that ElleVet is now developing upcoming “ElleVan” mobile relief outreach efforts in other cities throughout the United States.
It was no small feat to simultaneously manage ElleVet Sciences in Maine and the ElleVet Project in California.
“We used the time difference to our advantage, working for three hours in the morning on ElleVet and then the rest of the day providing veterinary street medicine”, said Howland.
The RV is headed back to California this summer, but this time it will be run by a veterinarian.
ElleVet products can be found at participating veterinary clinics and soon will be available at retail pet stores. The company recently announced the launch of the “ellePet” line made specifically for retail pet stores.
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