our STORY

encouraging
BETTER HEALTH
for the PETS WE LOVE

Lā‘au Inc. products were developed by dog lovers for dog lovers. Using traditional Hawaiian methods, our products pair sustainably sourced, organic ingredients from nature to naturally soothe and bring relief to your dog’s skin when suffering from hot spots, wounds, mange, crusty noses, and cracked paws. With decades of Hawaiian medicinal practice and animal husbandry under our belt, our patent pending formula has been safely field tested and refined to provide superior relief without the damaging effects of harsh chemicals, parabens, and additives.

K-9 Skin Rescue

K-9 Skin Rescue
French Bull Dogs Playing

and we’re not stopping there

We’re currently developing a full line of healthy skin and coat products to help keep your furry best friend happy, healthy, and clean, without doing damage. We’re currently working on these formulas to ensure we’re providing the very best for your pets, but you can stay in-the-know by signing up for product updates! We promise we won’t spam you – we’ll just let you know when new products are available!

meet DR. NĀONE

Hi! My name is Dr. Kanoe Nāone, founder of Lā‘au Inc. After 14 years as CEO of other people’s companies, I realized that I could start my own company and make a tremendous impact on pets and their parents. I knew there were pet parents out there wasting money on expensive solutions for their dog’s skin issues that were ineffective and/or causing long-term damage. Having a background in animal husbandry along with a Hawaiian upbringing where traditional Native Hawaiian healing through plants was the norm, I knew I had a better option than steroids, antibiotics, chemicals, and shampoos; one that I used on my dogs, horses, and cattle when they had skin issues.

Over the years, each time someone would come to me and say they tried everything and just couldn’t get rid of a skin issue, I would make them a batch of my formula, and they would come back grateful and tell me—you need to sell this!

Ask Dr. Nāone

Dr. Kanoe

RESTORING THE HEALTH
of our PETS AND OUR PLANET

Activated charcoal powder

We have a deep connection to the earth and all it provides for us. That’s why we’re dedicated to creating sustainable products that are delivered to your door ethically and as environmentally friendly as possible. Our products are packaged in amber glass jars rather than plastic containers to limit environmental impact while protecting the integrity of our formulas. Our packaging material is made of 100% recycled boxes and packing fill. There’s no bubble wrap for us! In fact, many of our early customers received our flagship product, K-9 SkinRescue, wrapped in everything from recycled newspaper and tissue paper to recycled holiday bows. At Lā‘au Inc., we can get a little obsessive about reusing the stuff we have to do our part in limiting waste.

I grew up with two Hawaiian proverbs that quickly come to mind when thinking about our responsibility to be good stewards of our planet and all the resources it has to share.

The first is- Ua mau ke ea o ka ‘āina i ka pono – which literally translates to: the life/sovereignty of the land is perpetuated in righteousness. Hawaiian is nuanced and doesn’t directly translate word for word to English. A more practical interpretation of this proverb is that: the wellbeing of our land only continues when we take care of it and treat is as the precious and limited resource that it is.

The second is- He ali‘i ka ‘āina, he kauwā ke kanaka – which translates to: The land is chief and the people are it’s servants. Again, the practical interpretation of this proverb is that: the land we use, and how we treat it, is paramount to not just this generation but the next. We are mere servants to the land and it is our responsibility is to treat it accordingly.

At the core, using plants, the ocean, water, and places to heal is a Native Hawaiian tradition.

Growing up and raising my children in a Native Hawaiian household; family, community, and environment were the most important things in our lives. The Hawaiian archipelago is nearly 2,500 miles away from its closest neighbor, which meant that for almost 2,000 years, the islands were critically remote, requiring everyone in the community to rely on each other for each family’s well-being. Those who fished provided all the fish for the entire community, the taro farmers provided all the taro, kapa makers provided all the clothing, and so on.

Today, we still live by these principles. We still share with our neighbors when we pick fruit from our trees, get fish from the ocean, or even when we make a delicious dessert. Lā‘au Inc. is based on the Native Hawaiian tradition of gathering plants in a sustainable manner to heal while supporting our communities and helping our planet. These traditions are who we are, and they are what make our products special.

Related Facts- Based on the traditional interdependence described above, Native Hawaiians were 100% self-sufficient and had nearly 1 million in population prior to Captain Cooke’s arrival in 1778. This is amazing considering that there is a roughly 40% increase in the population today from 1778 but 80-90% of all goods in Hawai‘i are imported. There is a scary understanding amongst the people of Hawai‘i that if the barges stop, the shelves will empty and islands in chaos in two-three weeks.

Golden Dog on Beach

our five
CORE
VALUES

Kohala Coast
Naupaka Blossom

GIVING BACK
to our communities

Because we care deeply about the community and environment, we have chosen to donate a percentage of our profits each year to The Kohala Center, a Native Hawaiian organization on the Big Island that supports both the environment and Native Hawaiian culture.

Additionally, for every jar of K-9 SkinRescue sold, we are proud to donate 2 ounces in bulk to shelters who have 90% placement or better for their animals and treat the animals in their care, humanely. Unfortunately, a very high percentage of dogs in shelters have mange or other difficult to manage skin issues and there are shelters out there who choose to euthanize rather than treat and adopt out. We support the shelters who go the extra mile to save lives.

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