Anneke van den Broek: Raising the Standard of Care, for Pets, People, and the Planet
Retrained by adversity, powered by obsession, and quietly building an ecosystem that makes brilliant pet care the path of least resistance.
Anneke van den Broek’s career began in marketing, where discipline around positioning, proof, and execution was non-negotiable. After a corporate retrenchment she moved to the kitchen table to realise her vision: build personal care for pets to a measurable standard, use sustainable ingredients, verify performance with independent SGS testing, and make daily care effortless at home. Now operating in seven countries with global retail partners, Rufus & Cocobrings products and experiences that outperform where it counts, improving the routine for you, your pet, and the planet.
“Pets deserve better, people deserve better, and the planet deserves better. That’s why we’re raising pet personal care that leaves no compromises on the table: planet-better materials, independent SGS testing, and real-world performance that outperforms the aisle.” - Anneke
A Life Lived With Pets (And Lessons That Stick)
Van den Broek’s conviction is anchored in a lifetime with pets. She grew up with dogs and cats, bred mice and sold them to a local pet store for pocket money, and even cared for a backyard chicken that later revealed itself as a rooster. This isn’t trivia; it’s the through-line. A home with pets taught pragmatism and compassion in equal measure, that shaped a founder obsessed with things that work. Litter that locks odour and clumps fast, grooming that’s gentle and beautifully made, clean-up that’s quick and guilt-free. That’s why the brand’s litter, grooming, clean-up, and health-signal innovations show up in every corner of the home, not in silos.
In Every Room, By Design
Open the laundry and you’ll find Rufus & Coco Wee Kitty doing the heavy lifting: plant-based, biodegradable formulas designed to outperform on absorbency, odour control, and low tracking, with performance verified by independent SGS testing. In the bathroom and kitchen, Clean Sweep powder lives within arm’s reach—a sprinkle-on innovation that clumps on contact, neutralises bacteria, locks odour, and brushes away with no residue. By the back door, 100% compostable poo bags speed up the mess-to-bin moment. On the vanity, Australian-made, salon quality grooming products with naturally-derived ingredients keeps coats healthy. And when you glance at the litter tray, Rufus & Coco Wee Kitty pH Health Check quietly does its job, changing colour to flag elevated urine pH so families can act sooner at home.
Execution Over Theatrics
The growth story is execution, not theatrics. Through supply shocks and a post-COVID reset, the team shipped what met the bar and retired what didn’t. Van den Broek credits the Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO) for sharpening that operating discipline and a mentor network for the reality checks that keep standards high. Recognition followed the results: Winner of Excellence in Small Business (Sydney Business Awards 2025) and Finalist, Female Entrepreneur of the Year (Stevie® Women in Business 2025) beautiful markers of consistency, not the finish line.
The Hidden Costs of Legacy Litter
There’s also straight talk about legacy litter choices. Clay (bentonite) litter is a surface-mined product widely used for pet-waste absorbents; surface/strip mining drives habitat disruption and erosion, and clay doesn’t biodegrade—so it accumulates in landfill. Silica raises a different issue: respirable crystalline silica is a known human carcinogen, and silica sand has been prohibited for abrasive blasting by the UK HSE for decades due to silicosis risk. These are the reasons Rufus & Coco Wee Kitty specifies plant-based, biodegradable ingredients and validates performance with independent labs, so customers aren’t left to guess.
Services That Carry The Same Bar
Services carry the same bar. The Fur Salon brings calm, skilled, pet-first grooming—designed like premium personal care, delivered locally. The Fur Dental offers gentle, affordable, sedation-free dog teeth cleaning to maintain oral hygiene, removing friction without compromising care.
The Operating System (And How It Wins Shelf Space)
The operating system hasn’t budged: start with sustainable ingredients across litter, grooming, and clean-up; prove the claim with SGS and other third-party labs; design for real homes; and grow with partners who value repeat purchase because the products work. That’s how Rufus & Coco wins its shelf space: not by out-shouting the aisle, but by out-serving it, one cleaner tray, calmer bathroom, faster clean-up, and earlier health signal at a time.
A Vision: Pets In More Places
Van den Broek’s long-term vision is simple and expansive: enable pets in more places—homes, workplaces, aged-care settings, and community spaces, by removing the friction that keeps them out. When care is cleaner, calmer, and proven, more people can confidently welcome pets into daily life, building connection, wellbeing, and, ultimately, improving humanity, one pet at a time.
