by RENEE PATRICK Cascade Business News Feature Writer
The Vir-Chew-Ly Indestructible Dog Leash was designed with one goal in mind: to keep dogs safe. Made from plastic-coated, flexible steel wire rope and durable hardware, inventor Joslin Larson recently moved her operations to Prineville in order to keep manufacturing costs low and to be closer to family.
Founded in response to losing her beloved sheltie to a chewed leash, Larson was determined to prevent others from experiencing similar heartache. At 12 years old, she watched as the leash, already frayed, broke and the dog ran into the street to be hit by a car.
When she brought home two Australian shepherd puppies twenty years after losing her first dog, they immediately began chewing on their leashes. She knew she needed to act. Cobbling together pieces and parts from her local hardware store, the Mutt Gear leash was born.
With a motto of: Keeping dogs safe one leash at a time, Larson found a booming market for strong and simple dog leashes. The national chain, Big R, now carries Mutt Gear. She will be doing in-store demos at the Redmond location and is finalizing a promotional video that will run on a continuous loop in all of the Big R Oregon stores.
“I’m thrilled to have the leashes in Big R, which has always been one of my favorite stores. They have a great pet section and carry a massive amount of pet-related products,” said Larson. “Having done an in-store demo there recently I am excited to get to know more of the great people who shop there.
“Central Oregon is becoming a place where many specialty pet products are produced, and it’s always been a very dog friendly community. I’m excited to be part of that…It feels good to be of service to people and to animals. If we are going to take them under our care we have a responsibility to keep them safe as best we can.”
The Vir-Chew-Ly Indestructible leash can hold up to problem chewers, teething puppies and leash destroyers. It is virtually chew-proof, break-proof and tangle-proof; it can be secured to a post or tree and adjust in length to make a quick, short lead. The leash does not wear out and comes with a lifetime guarantee.
“What I found out is that dogs don’t have the right incisors to cut steel,” Larson commented. She uses aircraft cable that can withstand a weight load of more than 2,000 pounds, ensuring even the biggest dogs stay safe.
Mutt Gear’s leashes come in five colors and an assortment of sizes with a price range of $20 for a four-foot training lead to $36.50 for a 5 1/2-foot lead. Each leash includes a spring-lock attachment that allows owners to securely attach their dogs to posts or trees. Also available is a coupler that allows two dogs to be connected to the same leash as well as replacement leash handles.
“It takes me about four minutes to put one together,” says Larson, who can make about 200 leashes a week. The pace makes it difficult for her to keep up with the growing demand, but her impending patent will make it possible for her to crank out 200 leashes an hour. The new hardware design, along with a new hydraulic press, will allow her to hire workers to do the manufacturing while she focuses on expanding her market.
Larson began the business after her career as a hairstylist ended when she was hit by a car; injuries and pain prevented her from continuing her work. A year later, broke and in the midst of the economic recession which took a toll on several properties she owned, Larson took a leap of faith and started manufacturing and marketing her leashes.
What makes her start up business story unique, is that she has never taken out a loan or used a credit card to finance the business. Starting the company in the red, she created a cash only enterprise. “It was incredibly painful. I was on food stamps at one point, lost a house to foreclosure, had a job cleaning business offices in Portland, but I worked my butt off, knocked on doors and did everything I could think of…I had an amazing amount of help from people giving me their time and expertise,” Larson said.
“The experience taught me out to be financially solvent and in the black. I’m not a millionaire, but am super motivated to make a really good product and make it in the U.S. I will not ship out the production to a foreign country. I need a job and others need jobs; if I can create business and have people working for my company, it’s all the better.
“My goal is to be part of the local community, hopefully to be involved at the business level and become a part of my local chamber and be a part of how business is shaped in the area.”
Mutt Gear is available in 500 specialty pet stores and other retailers nationwide, including Whole Foods, New Season and the worldwide chain Three Dog Bakery and on Amazon.com.
info@muttgear.net, www.muttgear.net, 866-586-2103.
