Two South Florida businessmen are selling their light up dog collars and leashes, allowing owners to deck out their pooches and keep them safer at night.
Richard Crouse bought a Dog-E-Glow leash and collar for his Yorkie, Teddy. Now, the dog can't wait for his nightly walk, strolling down the street wearing his bow-wow bling.
”Just because of the lights and the obvious benefit of people being able to see, I'm instantly more relaxed when I am walking around with him,” said Crouse.
The blinking lights makes the pair more visible to drivers, and attracts attention from other pet owners.
”They see it and they immediately think, 'Hey, that's a great idea. We need to get one.' So they like it,” said Crouse.
The high visibility collar and leash combo was the brainchild of business duo Brandon Bal and Greg Brauser.
Both are dog owners with an eye on safety and school spirit, so they created collars in college colors.
”It's a cool looking pattern, a design you want to keep on your dog during the day as well as the functionality of LEDs for safety and visibility at night,” said Bal.
The pair says Dog-e-Glow lights can be seen from 1,000 feet away and the replaceable batteries will last 150 hours. The college version of the collar is $26. A leash is $30.
“I feel really good paying that amount for it because the other ones don't offer the same type of safety aspect or nice designs,” said Natalie Mikolich as she walked her dog Dunkin.
”People just love it. Dogs are like family these days and people just want the best for them. They see something that's fun and cool and also keeps them safe they love it,” added Bal.
Dog-e-Glow’s sales revenue this year are expected to be about $2 million from online purchases and 400 retailers nationwide.
Meanwhile, Crouse is expecting another collar and leash soon to replace Teddy's current one, a gift from his University of Miami alum daughter.
”I'm a Gator, so I'm hoping for Christmas this year I get the Gator version of it. We're going to do a little replacement because I'm the walker so it gets to be my collar," said Crouse.
Dog-E-Glow has over 50 college styles now and are adding more all the time. They have also reached and agreement with Disney and Marvel Comics for more collar options, and harnesses for smaller dogs will become available next year.
Bal and Brauser are also in talks with major pet retailers, which will be a big boost for them.
Check out Dog-E-Glow's website for more information.