Danny Nelis-Rouse
As the name of the business I love and people close to me are continuing to be affected (including the employees of Tug-E-Nuff whom I feel have not been considered) by the inaction of my brother, Mathew Rouse and Lauren Langman and their unwillingness to take responsibility for their actions, I feel it’s time for me to tell my side of this story.
Before I begin, I apologise to my parents, I know this ongoing situation has taken its toll on you. I am sorry for the position you have found yourselves in, and you are in no way to be blamed. I am sorry if what I am about to say makes things worse for you. My parents, aside from those poor dogs, are the real victims in all of this.
It is no secret that there is no love loss between my brother, his fiancee and me. Many years ago Tug-E-Nuff acted as a fulfilment warehouse for Absolute Dogs and their DVD’s (Let’s hope they are recyclable). Alongside this, as I naively thought there could be a way we could work closer together, I also helped out with their customer support.
�The Tug-E-Nuff brand I was building was also gaining momentum, so at the beginning of 2019 I decided that I personally could no longer continue to offer this support due to time constraints. I was being called and messaged at all times of the day and night and expected to work without any structured remuneration in place. However, as I discovered, that was nothing compared to the backlash for daring to leave the absolute dogs ‘cult’. As is the testimony of many of the other experiences I have read over the last few days, this did not come without its own set of conditions and upset.
The mind games, belittling meetings and coercive control I suffered as a result of my decision to sever ties with Absolute Dogs severely affected my mental health. I am not one to speak out on my feelings (in fact, you’ll see I very rarely do social media personally) throughout the years that followed, the mere mention of Mathew, Lauren, Tom or Absolute Dogs sent me into a spiralling wave of anxiety and panic attacks.
�Since then, I have spent so much of my time and effort distancing Tug-E-Nuff from Absolute Dogs and building a brand I was so proud of. I had tried on occasions to discuss removing Mathew as a director and shareholder however, sometimes things that seem easy from the outside become difficult when family dynamics and dependants are involved.
I am heartbroken that anyone thinks that the brand I built had anything to do with funding puppy farming or the other questionable activities of these individuals. I can categorically say that Mathew, who is the only connection between those at the centre of these allegations and Tug-E-Nuff had not received a dividend or salary from the business since June 2018.
In the last few days of my directorship, I saw so many of Tug-E-Nuff’s loyal partners deciding to protect their own business and sever ties with Tug-E-Nuff. Professionals I have worked with to build the brand have quite rightly decided to distance themselves. And reputable dog training institutes break away their support. I also feel for the many Tug-E-Nuff stockists who have stock that, quite rightly they do not know what to do with now. I do not blame or judge any of you.
I am grateful for the many customers and partners who have been brave and have yet to make their decision over Tug-E-Nuff’s involvement (or lack of), my friends, family (excluding the obvious) and the many people I have never met who have reached out to me to offer their support and experiences. I also thank from the bottom of my heart my amazing partner Chris who has been there for me and my parents throughout this - I love you.
Mathew, Lauren and Tom I am staggered at your seeming unwillingness to do the right thing and publically exonerate Tug-E-Nuff, me and my parents from the mess you have caused. I understand these are allegations however, your silence and inaction has made it impossible for Tug-E-Nuff to make any public statement in defence whilst Mathew remains a director and shareholder.
Finally, to the team at Tug-E-Nuff, I am deeply sorry for how this may affect you. Right now, as I said on Monday, I can not give you the answers you deserve. However, I am incredibly proud of how you have rallied around my mum.