How Lillie&Lee Is Building a Unified Wellness Model for Pets and People Through Community, Care, and Visibility
As conversations around wellness continue to evolve, a growing perspective places pets within the same framework as human health, reflecting a broader understanding of shared environments and daily habits. This thinking has informed the direction of Lillie&Lee, a wellness company developing products and resources designed for both animals and their owners, with an emphasis on continuity between the two.
The company, founded by Lee Asher and developed in partnership with his brother, D.J. Gugenheim, is emerging from a transition that reflects both structural and strategic considerations. Previously operating as Asher House Wellness, the business is now rebranding as Lillie&Lee to establish clearer differentiation between its commercial operations and The Asher House 5013C, the nonprofit animal sanctuary founded by Asher. According to Gugenheim, the decision was rooted in the need for clarity as the business expanded and the overlap between names began to create confusion.
At its core, Lillie&Lee operates within the wellness sector, offering products formulated for pets alongside a growing line intended for human use. The company’s direction reflects a broader view that care routines for animals and their owners often intersect. Asher explains that the idea is grounded in the belief that pets are part of the family, and the same level of attention applied to personal health can extend to them through shared standards of quality and sourcing.
The foundation of the business is closely tied to Asher’s background in animal rescue and his presence across digital platforms, where he has built one of the largest audiences documenting the lives of rescued animals on his personal social media handles, and as such, one of the largest social media followers in the pet wellness industry. From his perspective, that visibility has shaped how the brand approaches trust. “People are able to see these animals every day,” Asher says. “They can follow their lives, their routines, and their health over time, which creates a level of connection that is not seen anywhere else.”
That connection has become a defining element of the company’s identity. According to Asher, the community that has formed around rescue work has naturally extended into conversations about care, nutrition, and long-term wellbeing. He notes that the presence of animals within a shared environment allows people to observe outcomes in a way that feels immediate and tangible, reinforcing confidence in daily routines.
The origin of Lillie&Lee traces back to a personal experience involving a rescue dog named Lillie. Asher recalls that the dog was suffering from severe seizures, and conventional options offered limited solutions. After encountering broader discussions around cannabinoid-based approaches, he explored alternatives that could support the dog’s condition. That experience, he explains, shaped an early interest in developing products that others could access, particularly those already engaged with his work in animal rescue.
While that moment contributed to the company’s beginnings, its current direction extends beyond individual products. Gugenheim notes that the business is gradually expanding into a broader ecosystem and is currently developing new digital resources, such as guides for new pet owners, long-term wellness planning, and educational materials designed to support everyday decision-making. From his perspective, these additions are intended to provide structure and context for how people approach care across both pets and themselves.
Asher emphasizes that the long-term vision is centered on building a consistent relationship with the community that has grown around his work. “There is a shared interest in doing what is best for these animals,” he says. “That naturally leads into conversations about what people are doing for themselves as well, and how those choices connect.”
The company is also preparing to expand its product offerings within the human wellness category, reflecting a continuation of this approach. According to brothers Asher and Gugenheim, the intention is to align product development with the same rigorous standards and approach Asher has applied to caring for his animals and himself for the past decade, while adapting formulations to meet regulatory requirements and category distinctions.
Through its rebrand and expansion, Lillie&Lee is aligning its business model with that perspective, building a framework that brings together product development, community engagement, and education. “When people choose to care deeply for the animals in their lives, it often changes how they care for themselves,” Asher says. “That connection is where real, lasting wellbeing begins.”
