TurboPup:  An Initiative To Take The Dogs On Long Hikes Easily

Do you love to go on treks with your dog and find it difficult to prepare their food to take with them on the road?  There is a dog version of an energy bar that you may take with you.

It is known as TurboPup which is an on-the-go energy bar for dogs. TurboPup is prepared with grain-free ingredients that your dog requires while on the go.

The United States Air Force veteran Kristina Guererro and her husband Brandon created this for their dogs. The product was pitched on Shark Tank season 6 episode 15.

But what happened to TurboPup after appearing on Shark Tank?  In this article, we are going to help you learn what happened to TurboPup before and after appearing on Shark Tank and what occurred to the firm over the years.

Also Read: What Happened To Lifebelt After Shark Tank

A Short Overview Of TurboPup

If you want to take your dog on a long hike or cross-state road trip and find it difficult to prepare your food and your dog’s food, you may choose dog meal bars named TurboPup.

TurboPup bars are prepared by using grain-free ingredients that would not only fill your dog’s belly but also give them energy for the entire trip. So, you do not need to spend your time preparing food for your dogs.

You need to just grab a TurboPup bar for the road and you will be all set to go. 

Here are some important details about the products of TurboPup: 

• TurboPup is an ideal on-the-go meal for your dog that comes up in the form of a bar.
• It is available in different varieties like blueberry and roast beef, original and bacon flavours.
• Every bar offers 250 calories.
• It is approved by the National Association of Search and Rescue as Official food for dogs.
• The selling price of the product is $3.99 for each bar and it takes an additional delivery charge of $8.00 on Amazon.
• Besides Amazon, the products of the company are also sold on various sites like Walmart, petsmart.com, and multiple retail stores.
• The product is made by using all-natural, grain-free, and human-grade elements. 

Also Read: What Happened To Petpaint After Shark Tank

The Foundation History Of TurboPup

United States Air Force veteran Kristina Guererro, from La Pine, Oregon, came up with the idea of TurboPup when she and her dog, Dunkan were out on a long back-country hike. 

She stopped to eat but discovered that she had forgotten to pack some food for Dunkan. That is why she had to share her food with him as there was no other option.

Nonetheless, Kristina did not like to give Dunkan food lacking crucial nutrients for doggies. So, at the time of returning from her trip, she made up her mind to search for proper travel food for Dunkan before going on their next hike.

Kristina went to various pet stores and searched online but she understood that there were no compact foods particularly made for dogs. That is why she made up her mind to make it by herself.

She took the help of her husband who is a food scientist to bring her idea into a reality. They finally created TurboPup: a complete meal replacement full of important vitamins and nutrients, created to be ideal for dogs irrespective of any age.

Kristina introduced the TurboPup business by herself and experienced subtle success with small self-reliant retailers. However, she requires help from an experienced person to prevent the issues.

She then heard from friends that Shark Tank was searching for entrepreneurs who were also veterans. So, she sent off an e-mail without any expectation of having a spot on the show but fortunately, she got one. 

She represented TurboPup on Shark Tank in early 2015.

Also Read: What Happened To Petpaint After Shark Tank

What Occurred To TurboPup On Shark Tank? 

Kristina came up on Shark Tank along with one of her Furry Sidekicks, Odin intending to get an investment of $100,000 in exchange for a 10% stake in the TurboPup business.

She delivered her pitch enthusiastically by telling the story of that hiking trip that inspired her to create the product.

Kristina explained the development process in detail. She said that all these were done in her kitchen until she developed her completed product TurboPup, a healthy and nutritious compact food for dogs.

The pitch went well but nothing sold TurboPup as much as Odin who started to become very excited when Kristina opened a packet of TurboPup.

He jumped up to get a piece of TurboPup bar when it was offered and his longing made the shares understand that TurboPup would be very popular.

Kristina distributed some samples of TurboPup among the sharks and told them to come forward and offer Odin a piece if they wanted. He also requested the sharks not to give him too much as every bar has 250 calories.

Robert Herjavec loved the animals. So, after entering Shark Tank he made a long-lasting friendship with Odin.

Kristina asked Kevin O’Leary whether he wanted to treat Odin but Kevin did not share Robert’s willingness for the furry friends. He refused the offer saying that he had seen original Hyenas in Ethiopia and Odin was a Hyena as far as he was concerned.

After that, Kevin wanted to know what made TurboPup so distinct from the other 5,000 dog tears available on the market. The founder, Kristina quickly replied that TurboPup was not a treat or a snack, it was rather a healthy and nutritional meal ideal for dogs of any age, and it was substitutable with regular dog food.

This is the primary factor that made it distinct from the other dog products available in the market. Robert Herjavec understood the concept instantly and asked whether it was an energy bar for dogs.

In reply, Kristina said yes although it can be used as a normal meal for dogs. Mark Cuban wanted to know what sales had been achieved till then and Kristina replied that in the first year, she produced TurboPup from her kitchen and she had generated $4000 in sales and in the first six months she managed to generate $7,000 in sales.

The sharks were not happy with the sales figures which were relatively lower than most of the Shark Tank businesses.

Lori was trying to have a greater feel for the woman behind the business. So, she was eager to know about the background of Kristina. Kristina shared with the sharks about her former Air Force career, her time in Pilot school, and that she had seen active service in Iraq, flying Hercules C10s over hostile territory.

The sharks were glad after coming to know about the military background of Kristina and although she appeared like a typical suburban housewife the sharks started to acknowledge that Kristina Guerrero was quite tougher than she had first appeared.

She grabbed the attention of the sharks more when she shared with the sharks that she had approached outdoor stores with her product first to avoid competing in the oversaturated pet food market. 

Outdoor stores not only had no other contesting products for TurboPup but they were very interested in the product as a lot of hikers, climbers and skiers took dogs with them on their hikes.

A lot of independent stores had started to stock TurboPup and that union finally made TurboPup to be named the official dog food for the National Association of Search and Rescue.

Mark Cuban felt that the strategy was outstanding. The other sharks also felt the same thing.

The Texan Shark was full of acclaim for Kristina herself, but he confessed that he had no idea about the pet-foods market and he did not have so much time to learn all the things a potential partner for TurboPup would require to know and that is why he left the deal.

Robert Herjavec told Kristina that it did not seem that every business that came up on Shark Tank would be good, at least not at this stage of its development.

He gently recommended that Kristina had to improve the business more before she could reasonably expect to grab the attention of the big investor she was searching for.

He loved her and he truly loved Odin but he did not want to make a partnership with TurboPup.

Lori Grenier was feeling disturbed. She was concerned about TurboPup or Kristina. She finally dropped out of the deal.

She said to the founder Kristina that she was not certain about the market and after pledging her respect for Kristina, her remarkable service record and her amazing confidence she decided to drop herself out of the deal.

Kevin O’Leary showed kindness to Kristina as he refused to invest in TurboPup. Kevin O’Leary was suspicious and made a weird disparaging remark about animals. 

It was certain that there was respect for Kristina in the heart of Kevin.

Daymond John was uncertain about the deal that Kristina was providing yet he found a seamless energy and a driving spirit in her. Finally, he made up his mind to give a proposal to Kristina.

He was ready to invest $100,000 in exchange for a 40% stake in TurboPup. Kristina displayed some of that confidence as she tried to barter Daymond down to 30% equity.

But unfortunately, the wise old shark did not want to change his mind so easily and said no directly. Kristina proposed to give a 35% stake instead and after considering it for a few moments, Daymond John accepted that.

When the new partners embraced each other, with Odin jumping for joy, Kevin O’Leary sounded almost bitter as he told Daymond it was a mercy deal. Daymond looked like a winner.

Also Read: What Happened To MTailor After Shark Tank

What Occurred To TurboPup After Shark Tank? 

The sales of TurboPub increased remarkably within 24 hours of the TurboPub Shark Tank episode being aired. During that time, TurboPup got more than $30,000 worth of orders.

It managed to make about $1 million by the end of 2015. It was a remarkable increase over the profits of their two previous years which was only $11,000.

In February 2016, they were featured in an update segment on the 19th episode of season 7. In it, they declared openly that Fetc, which was supposed to be one of the major pet distribution companies, was going to make a partnership with them. 

With the help of Fetch, TurboPup managed to become available in 700 locations. Moreover, Daymond John complimented Kristina for her obligation and endless energy in developing their business.

Also Read: What Happened To MTailor After Shark Tank

What Is The Valuation Of TurboPup? 

TurboPup made a deal with Pet Smart and after this, it was able to reach 700 PetSmart stores all over the nation.

The annual revenue of the firm was $1 million which was remarkably higher than its initial revenue when Kristina first launched TurboPup.

Kristina and her company had a net worth of $2 million as of 2021. TurboPup net worth in 2023 is $0 as it is not active in business any more.

Also Read: What Happened To Smell Soap After Shark Tank

Did TurboPup Obtain A Deal On Shark Tank? 

The founder started the pitch in a pet-friendly fashion. She came up on Shark Tank to secure an investment of $100,000. For this, she was ready to give up a 20% stake in her business. 

She explained to the sharks about the usefulness of the product and what the product exactly was.

She said that she was able to generate $11,000 in sales in the initial stage of the business.

The sharks were impressed after hearing that she was from a military background. 

Although the other sharks backed out from the deal, Daymond John offered her an investment of $100,000 in exchange for a 40% stake in the business.  Finally, the deal was finalized between them in exchange for a 35% stake. 

Also Read: What Happened To RokBlok After Shark Tank

Is TurboPup Still In Business? 

TurboPup ceased all its business operations in 2022. It is not available any more. The website of the company has disappeared and the social media accounts of the company are also inactive. 

The Facebook page of the company was last updated in May 2021. Similarly, their Twitter account has been inactive since 2018. However, the company or Kristina has not made any official announcements about the current events.

They have also pulled their products from Amazon and it seems that they have been unavailable since 2019.

The products of the company got modest reviews, for example, they got a 3.5-star rating for their peanut butter bars on Amazon. A lot of customers have liked the product’s convenience and praised it for being an ideal product to take on hikes or camping trips.

But Some people have complained that they had found mould in their TurboPup meal bars. Although Kristina gave her best efforts in the business, TurboPup was not able to become successful in the long run.

Also Read: What Happened To Toygaroo After Shark Tank

Conclusion

TurboPup was able to remain strong for a few years after appearing on Shark Tank but took a big fall in later years. Kristina has not announced anything about the pull of products and mass complaints. TurboPup dog food has completely disappeared from the stores both physical and online. It seems that it has gone out of business.

FAQs