Kickstarter: Love Dogs, Modern Design and Supporting Small Businesses?

This project is close to my heart as it is created by my brother (Billy) and his girlfriend (Michelle).  They launched their Kickstarter campaign on the best modern design dog toy and I would love it if you would check it out here.

As I dog owner myself, I know how unattractive dog toys can look, Billy and Michelle have really created something that is useful but looks like a part of your home.  How they would describe it:

“We created a puzzle dog toy called The Odin to fill our need for a toy that was durable, fun and also beautiful.  The Odin gives dogs the mental and physical stimulation they need while looking great in your home.  We also made the toy modular so you can attach 2 together and make it a new toy toy.

We made this because we think the design sense applied to other things in our homes isn’t being focused on one of the most important parts of our homes, our dogs.  Dog toys stand out like sore thumbs, they should feel more like a part of our home.”

We would love your support and you can donate any amount to support the business or for $25 you’ll get a toy if they success on making their goal!  If you’ve never heard of Kickstarter, it’s a brilliant website that enables people to “kick start” their business.  You post your idea/product/business and create a goal that will enable you to produce or start your business.  By getting backers to support you, you can start production or your business idea once the goal is met.  It’s like pitching for investors but online with real people.

If your a lover of dogs, modern design and small business, please check out the full video and details here.  And Odin’s personal Facebook page which people love is here.

And a bit of background on Michelle and Billy:

Michelle didn’t start out with dreams of making dog toys, but after graduating with a Masters in nursing and working as a nurse practitioner in primary care she realized her real passion was for animals. She quit her job with the seed of the idea of making a better puzzle toy, which is her dog’s favorite kind of toy.

Billy never was a dog person until his sisters both got dogs and introduced him into the world of wagging tails. He instantly knew that dogs would always be in his future and when he met Michelle, was excited that they both wanted to get the same kind of dog, a Pembroke Welsh Corgi. 

Raising Odin from 3 months to 3 years has been rewarding beyond measure, teaching him life lessons on a daily basis and giving him reasons to smile at all times. Up Dog Toys is his way of giving back to what Odin and other dogs have given to the world. When Billy isn’t running Up Dog Toys, he’s a web developer and created an app dedicated to Odin called Corgi Fetch for iOS

Once again check out their full Kickstarter campaign here. Thank you for reading and supporting!