Press coverage

Did you know that a dog’s coat can reveal its health condition? Pet care expert, canine specialist, and breeder Janita Januškauskaitė-Plungė says that a beautiful coat starts not with shampoo, but with properly selected food and grooming products. Having gained years of experience with world-class champions, the expert shares advice on how to understand what truly suits your pet. 

Recently returning with top awards from a prestigious Pomeranian show in America, Janita emphasizes that the most important thing is to observe the animal itself rather than rely only on advertisements or recommendations. Watch more on TV3’s "Gyvūnų pasaulis" (“Animal World”) on May 9 at 9:00 AM.

https://play.tv3.lt/live/tv3-lt,live-2831094/gyvunu-pasaulis,programme-11455481

Janita Januškauskaitė-Plungė and Tauras Plungė candidly share their stories about their first pets, the challenges they faced, and their journey from dreaming of owning a pet to building a joint business in the pet industry. Their story reminds us that life’s greatest opportunities arise from a simple, sincere passion and love for what truly matters.

One of the most enjoyable interviews of my life, with little champions in my arms. In the office of “Kika Group” founder and owner Janita JANUŠAUSKAITĖ-PLUNGĖ (51), it wasn’t just me looking around with curiosity. Through the slightly open door, Maltese and Pomeranian dogs wandered in and out - some already world show champions enjoying their well-earned retirement, others still future champions, little fluffy bundles happily settling into our arms.

The colorful style of Janita Janušauskaitė-Plungė, founder and owner of “KIKA Group,” which operates 145 pet stores across Lithuania and Estonia as well as two factories, reflects not only her personality but also the endless lessons life has taught her. And there have been many - both in life and in business.

Janita Janušauskaitė-Plungė and Tauras Plungė, owners of the “KIKA Group,” began donating to various organizations as soon as they earned their first income from their business. Not long ago, they also became patrons of the MO Museum. However, the couple notes that the tradition of philanthropy in Lithuania is still developing, and there is limited awareness of what it truly means. According to them, it is a misconception to think that philanthropy is only a pastime for the wealthy.

The world knows Janita Plungė as an ambassador for white dogs - she breeds poodles, Maltese, Bichon Frises, and Pomeranians. In Lithuania, she is recognized as the founder of the well-known “Kika” retail chain for pet products, as well as the owner of a renowned dog kennel and a pet food manufacturing facility. To her loved ones, she is a mother of five, who stepped away from public life for many years due to pressure on her family.

For Janita Janušauskaitė-Plungė, owner of the “Kika” pet store chain, the pursuit of being both a perfect mother and a successful businesswoman nearly ended in tragedy. Today, she has chosen to share her story openly - because we can only change our lives ourselves.

She says she feels very fortunate that it is a family business, as she and her spouse make a great team. “My husband and I are together—we create together, we live alongside animals, we care for and love them. Our five children also grew up with animals, took care of them, and now help us run the business as well.”

A conversation with “Kika Group” founder Janita Januškauskaitė-Plungė and Žaneta Stankevičienė, Head of the Lithuanian branch and Board Member of the insurance company “If,” about business and women’s leadership: the challenges they have faced, the qualities that helped them build a business from scratch or climb the career ladder, how attitudes toward women’s leadership are changing in Lithuania, and what advice they would give to those who are only considering this path.

“You have to love your business. It’s like a body—another child, life itself. You must believe in its very best version. If you create a product, it has to be the very best. If you build a network, it has to be the very best. If you develop an item, it has to be the very best. If you sign a contract with a partner, it has to be the very best. This principle has never changed—neither more than 30 years ago nor now. And I never dreamed of becoming a millionaire; other things mattered more to me. But when you work tirelessly, with passion and a sense of calling, the money comes on its own,” says Janita Januškauskaitė-Plungė, founder and CEO of “KIKA Group.”

The story of “KIKA Group” began with a dog and a fifteen-year-old girl’s dream. As a teenager, Janita Januškauskaitė-Plungė received a poodle as a gift, never suspecting that this pet would become the guiding star of her life. A great deal of love, determination, and hard work led her to build a multimillion-euro business.

Janita J. Plungė is a woman whose name today is inseparable from the world of animals—not only in Lithuania, but also in Europe, the United States, and Asia. She is enthusiastically welcomed at the world’s largest dog shows, as she is not only a businesswoman but also a dog breeder, an international judge, and a winner of numerous global exhibitions. Dogs from her kennel “Tauro Kennel” win dozens of top awards at international shows every year. What is the secret behind this success?

The founder of “KIKA,” Janita Januškauskaitė-Plungė, says this phrase well into our conversation when I ask her about the price of business. She says it simply and openly, just as she speaks about everything else—family, children, leisure, a woman’s happiness, and the discoveries and losses that life has brought her over more than thirty years of active business.

From the founder’s teenage hobby to market leadership with a network of over 120 stores, exports to 54 countries, and expansion into the United States—KIKA group celebrates its 30th anniversary with strong momentum, having successfully overcome the challenges of the pandemic. Founder Janita Januškauskaitė-Plungė says that a pet is a member of the family, and the company’s mission is to improve the life of the person who raises it.

Is 34 years a lot or a little? For a person, it’s an age when you are still young enough to dream and already mature enough to turn those dreams into reality—when every decision becomes more thoughtful, yet no less bold. This stage of maturity is also reflected by Janita Januškauskaitė-Plungė, founder of the “KIKA” chain, as it celebrates its anniversary. Having built a name from scratch that is recognized not only in Lithuania but internationally, she says that “KIKA” is her life’s path—one she walks together with her family.

74% of executives admit they find it difficult to switch off from work at home. However, it is possible to consciously shift gears. Businesswoman Janita Januškauskaitė-Plungė speaks candidly about her daily life—she doesn’t switch off, she switches roles. At the office, Janita is a leader, product developer, cynologist, breeder, and co-founder of the family business “Kika.” At home, she is a woman, a wife, a friend, a daughter, and a mother of three sons. For Janita, work is a natural part of life, where balance comes from the ability to consciously move from one role to another.

In 2023, KIKA GROUP, UAB celebrated receiving exceptional recognition. Its owned brands “Tauro Pro Line” and “Nature’s Protection Superior Care” became the main sponsors of the “World Dog Show 2023.”

“I try to make use of every opportunity in life,” says businesswoman Janita Januškauskaitė-Plungė, co-owner of the “Kika” group. Having started her business with a single dog named Kika, today she leads a network of around one hundred pet and pet supply stores and is thinking about further expansion of the group.

Tiny Pomeranians, Maltese, and Bichon Frisés visited the “KIKA” store at the “Mega” shopping center in Kaunas on Friday afternoon not as customers. They were among the guests at the presentation of the debut book by “KIKA” Group founder Janita Januškauskaitė-Plungė, “Mastery of Coat and Skin. My Journey.” The richly illustrated book of more than 400 pages contains the most important insights and experiences the businesswoman has gained over nearly 40 years of living and working with dogs.

“This book is for everyone who wants to build a solid foundation of knowledge and strives to understand rather than simply repeat—people who feel a sense of responsibility. I decided to publish it so that the knowledge I’ve accumulated would not remain only in my hands. The book is a way to pass on what has been tested by time and experience, and is grounded in respect for the animal,” says J. Januškauskaitė-Plungė.

The “KIKA Group” team, along with more than 20 dogs from the “Tauro Kennel” breeding kennel, participated in the largest international dog show, “World Dog Show 2022,” held in Madrid, the capital of Spain, where they achieved numerous victories.

As a teenager, Janita Plungė said she could never pass by dogs indifferently. She even says she could tell a whole legend about how her love for animals runs in her blood.

Some see a family business as a strong backbone built on close relationships and trust, while others view it as a source of potential conflicts and challenges. Two well-known Lithuanian business figures share their perspectives on whether family and business can go hand in hand: Janita Januškauskaitė-Plungė, founder of “KIKA,” and Dainius Dundulis, Chairman of the Board of “Norfos Mažmena” and head of “Rivona.” Although their experiences are very different, both reveal important lessons for anyone planning to work together with close family members.

Every crisis is a powerful test. It is very easy to do business when the economy is growing and when there is a supportive government making sensible decisions. But how do you sustain and grow when the environment is less favorable? During a crisis, it is crucial to pause, focus, and clearly see where you are and what circumstances surround you.

This is the view of Janita Januškauskaitė-Plungė, founder and co-owner of the “Kika” pet retail chain.

Recently, Janita Januškauskaitė-Plungė—often referred to as the “queen of white dogs”—returned from the United States, where she participated in one of the world’s largest and most prestigious dog shows and brought home several top-level awards.

“Everything is different in America. It’s the highest level of professionalism—like the NBA in basketball,” Janita said on the TV show “Animal World.”

KIKA GROUP, UAB, which opened a branch in the United States in 2021, is once again celebrating international recognition this year. After working intensively in the new market throughout the year, the team set off at the beginning of autumn on its longest “expedition” to date, lasting as many as five weeks. During this time, they travelled by car and plane across 14 states, covered more than 7,000 kilometres, and took part in five exhibitions, where both pet care products developed in Lithuania and dogs from the “Tauro Kennel” breeding kennel, which belongs to the group of companies, achieved success.

The dogs of the “Tauro Kennel” breeding kennel, owned by KIKA GROUP, UAB and raised in Lithuania with exceptional love and care, continue to bring recognition to Lithuania. At the European Dog Show held in Herning, Denmark, in 2023, they achieved record-breaking results: as many as four dogs won European Champion titles.

At the very beginning of 2023, Asia hosted one of the largest dog shows, “Philippine Circuit 2023”, where the KIKA GROUP, UAB team took part. The team presented pet products developed in Lithuania under the “Nature’s Protection” and “Tauro Pro Line” brands, alongside dogs from the “Tauro Kennel” breeding kennel, which belongs to the group of companies.

The dogs returned home with two guaranteed Philippine Champion titles and are awaiting the final show results, which will reveal the total number of awards won. Meanwhile, the pet products developed in Lithuania and presented at the show received exceptional attention not only from customers lining up in queues, but also from Philippine television.

At the European Dog Show held in Hungary, which brought together 16,000 participants from around the world, Lithuania was represented by 206 participants. The highest award in his category went to Tauro Benjaminas, a Pomeranian Spitz, who became European Champion.

However, as Janita Januškauskaitė-Plungė, founder of the “Tauro Kennel” breeding kennel, reveals, a good dog alone is not enough to win such a title.