An Unexpected Bond with an Unlikely Animal
It all began with Butterscotch
“Butterscotch would make eye contact with me and then put her head out and wait. And when I lowered my head to meet hers, she would push forward to headbutt me so gently, so sweet.”
Any cat owner out there knows: headbutts are such a loving, affectionate gesture. But… Butterscotch wasn’t a cat.
She was a goat. 🐐
And for Sean Valle, founder and CEO of Cotl, this was just another part of his daily life.
Growing up in a small town in Northern California, Sean spent a lot of time outside. His family’s property was surrounded by nature instead of neighbors and starting in early childhood, his closest friends were of the pet variety.
“We always had dogs and cats growing up. But then we got chickens. And when I was around 10 years old, as a part of our local 4-H Club, I got to choose what kind of animal I wanted to raise and show.”
Wanting something a little out of the norm, Sean chose goats. He helped build a goat pen in his yard, got his first pair (Vanilla and Chocolate), and from there, his love for animals really grew.
While other kids were likely playing fetch with their dogs or snuggling with their cats, Sean was creating an unexpected bond with these unlikely companions. And this carried on well into his high school years.
“We lived in the middle of nowhere. I could just let the goats out, and they’d follow me wherever I went. We’d adventure around the property and into the neighboring woods. I could be free and escape challenges in my social life accompanied by my little goat posse.
My goats were my best friends. They would always be there with me.”
As Sean entered adulthood, the appreciation and care for animals that he developed in childhood only grew stronger.
He tuned into the various personalities of his pets and the way they would show up for him during moments of struggle. “Any time I felt down, my pets would be there without judgment or expectation.”
And by then, it was hard for him to consider his pets as “just” pets.
How Cotl came to be
“Pets are a very grounding source of connection for me. It’s that kind of true connection—no judgement, no need to be anything different than who I really am. That’s really led me to care a lot about pets as the living, intelligent beings that they are.”
The idea of just leaving our pets behind once we’re gone didn’t sit well with Sean. That deep feeling of knowing they deserve so much, no matter what happens to us as their owners, is exactly what led him to create Cotl.
“I want to be able to actually respect my pets and be able to care for them the way that they cared for me.”
And since our beloved animals can’t speak for themselves, Cotl became the perfect way to advocate for their needs and make sure they’re able to continue living the safe, long, happy lives they’re meant to live.
A community of crazy, pet-obsessed humans
By creating Cotl and partnering with other pet parents to bring his idea to life, one thing really became apparent:
There’s a lot of us “crazy” pet parents out there! And even though we’re living in different places, doing our own thing, our love of pets (and our shared understanding of pets as valued family members) really brings us together.
