TEAM PLOVER
Christian Marcello graduated with a chemical engineering degree from the University of Toronto in 2018 but opted to follow his heart and become a rescue-animal transporter.
Working with a network of drivers, Marcello volunteered to transport dogs from kill shelters in Montreal to rescues throughout Toronto.
“I absolutely loved it, but the problem was it’s a really expensive way to volunteer. I was using my mom’s minivan, she let me borrow it most of the time. I would fill up the tank and drive my leg of the relay chain to help get these pets to safety.”
To pay for his passion, he came up with the idea of selling dog collars and leashes. He set up a table on market day at Evergreen Brickworks to pitch his idea.
“I ended up walking away from that event with a number of preorders; to me, that was validation that I had something that might work.”
He now runs a social enterprise business called Team Plover, making dog collars and leashes, starting at $44. For every product sold, he transports one pet and sends a video of the pet to the customer.
“To date, through Team Plover, I’ve been able to help rescue 214 pets, and still, I’m most proud of being able to build awareness and open the eyes of countless individuals, inspiring them to be a part of the solution, whether it be through following in my footsteps by volunteering, pledging to adopt their next pet or donating to a local rescue.”