Founder Story

Hi everyone, I’m Bruce Tan, the founder of How My Pet, from Malaysia. Today, I’d like to share my personal journey with you—a story about the deep bond I had with my pets and how that led to the creation of How My Pet, turning a simple idea into reality.

The story begins back in 2006 when I was still a child. That year, I welcomed my first dog into my life—a German Shepherd named “Xiao Bao.” Xiao Bao was smart and loyal, and he was by my side through countless childhood moments. To me, he wasn’t just a pet—he was my best friend and companion, my steady source of comfort. No matter what I was going through, whether I was happy or sad, Xiao Bao was always there, offering me unconditional love and support in his own quiet way.

Two years later, I welcomed another pet into my life—a lively Miniature Schnauzer named “Lucky.” Lucky was the complete opposite of Xiao Bao. While Xiao Bao was calm and quiet, Lucky was full of energy and curiosity, always exploring everything around him. Together, Xiao Bao and Lucky brought so much joy and warmth to my family, each in their own unique way. They weren’t just pets; they were a part of our family.

But life doesn’t always go smoothly. In 2011, when I was in middle school, my parents divorced. It was a huge emotional blow, and my world felt like it had been turned upside down. But Xiao Bao and Lucky were there for me during that difficult time. Their presence brought me comfort and strength when I needed it most. Over time, I realized that pets aren’t just companions; they are protectors and emotional supporters who bring warmth and healing into our lives.

As time went on, both Xiao Bao and Lucky aged. On April 28, 2023, Xiao Bao passed away. It was one of the hardest days of my life. I had lost my loyal friend who had been with me for so many years. Just a few months later, on January 16, 2024, Lucky followed. Losing both of them left me feeling empty and helpless, as if I had lost a vital part of my life. It was during this painful period that I began to wonder: Could I do something for them? Could I create something that would help others like me, who deeply love their pets?

That’s when the idea for How My Pet started to take shape. I wanted to leverage technology to help pet owners take better care of their pets, especially when they couldn’t always be by their side. I realized that many pet owners, like myself, worry about their pets’ health and safety while they are away at work or traveling. And current solutions, like CCTV monitoring, didn’t address all the concerns. So, I thought: Could I create a smart device that allows pet owners to monitor their pets’ health and activity in real time, ensuring their safety even when they are far away?

During my four years at the National University of Singapore, where I majored in computer science, I gained significant knowledge about the Internet of Things (IoT) and embedded systems. I started thinking about how I could apply these technologies to pet care, enabling pet owners to better understand and monitor their pets. This led me to the idea of developing a wearable device that could track pets’ behavior, health data, and location in real time. Pet owners could check on their pets’ status through a mobile app and receive alerts if anything unusual happened, ensuring their pets’ well-being and safety.

The journey from concept to development wasn’t easy. I spent over six months working on this project on my own. During this time, I handled both the hardware and software development, while continuously testing and improving the device’s performance to ensure it worked reliably in all kinds of situations. One of the biggest challenges was ensuring the device’s stability, especially during high-activity periods when pets are moving a lot. It needed to operate smoothly for long durations without interruption. Additionally, interpreting the pets’ behavior data accurately and converting that into meaningful insights for pet owners was a difficult task. But through trial and error, and constant refinement, I was able to develop a stable, reliable prototype and started conducting rigorous testing.

Throughout the testing process, I faced numerous unforeseen obstacles. For example, I had to figure out how to make the device comfortable for pets to wear without restricting their movement, how to extend battery life so it could monitor for longer periods, and how to integrate multiple sensors into a compact device to collect accurate data. These challenges forced me to go through countless adjustments and experiments, but I remained confident that I could find the right solutions as long as I didn’t give up.

Now, the device is in its final testing phase, and I’m confident in its functionality and stability. This device doesn’t just track your pet’s physical activity, behavior patterns, and health data—it also allows pet owners to remotely monitor their pets through a mobile app. It provides alerts if anything abnormal occurs, helping pet owners take better care of their pets, even when they’re not physically present.

As a recent graduate, the path to entrepreneurship has been filled with challenges. Although I’ve successfully developed the prototype, funding remains a major hurdle. In order to bring the product to market, I’ve decided to launch a crowdfunding campaign to raise the necessary capital. I’ve set a target of 1,000 pre-orders, which will allow me to cover production costs and begin large-scale manufacturing. This device will offer pet owners an intelligent tool to monitor and care for their pets, whether they have dogs or cats.

How My Pet is more than just a smart device—it’s a way for me to honor Xiao Bao and Lucky, and it’s my promise to all pet owners. I hope that through this product, every pet owner can stay connected to their pets’ well-being, no matter where they are, and feel reassured that their pets are safe and healthy.

If you, like me, deeply love your pets and want to provide them with the best care, I invite you to join the How My Pet family. Together, through the power of technology, we can ensure that our pets are always safe, happy, and connected to us, even when we’re apart.

Thank you for your support! How My Pet is not only my way of remembering Xiao Bao and Lucky, but also a promise to all pet owners. Through this product, we can achieve the beautiful goal of being “always watching, always caring.”

Thank you, everyone!

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