(Narrator: George M. Davison (aka Mr. D), CEO and Founder of Davison)
Meet Kay Thompson. She’s from Michigan, and out there, the winters can be tough. Especially on her dog’s paws. Imagine being her dog and having to go out into the blistering cold snow just to go to the bathroom. You’d be freezing your paws off!

(Inventor: Kay)
Their paws dry out and it hurts, especially when they get the salt, and then in the snow it kind of just starts fizzing and burns. My dogs are really the main inspiration for my idea. I never realized how their paws do get so messed up.

(George M. Davison (aka Mr. D), CEO and Founder of Davison)
You know most of us just assume that a dog’s paw can just withstand all kinds of harsh environments, but the truth is, it just can’t.

(Narrator: George M. Davison (aka Mr. D), CEO and Founder of Davison)
Wet snow and ice mixed with salt can get into the padding of a dog’s paw causing discomfort and infection. There have been dog booties in the past, but mainly just for sled dog races to protect their paws from freezing.

(Jason, Creationeer)
So Kay’s dogs were going out in the wintertime in the rain and the snow and they would come inside the house and they would have damaged paws and they would hurt themselves.

(Narrator: George M. Davison (aka Mr. D), CEO and Founder of Davison)
Kay’s idea was assigned to Jason. The team was challenged to create a new paw protecting product that was cost effective to make, would charm dog lovers, and could squeeze in to a company’s product line.

(Jason, Creationeer)
So we decided to go with the obvious solution, dog booties, and it just really went from there.

(Narrator: George M. Davison (aka Mr. D), CEO and Founder of Davison)
So Jason’s team came up with a pair of dog boots that laced up like a shoe, had padding for comfort, and a waterproof lining. They were called protect-a-paw.

(Dan, Licensing)
So we chased a few companies with the protect-a-paw concept but the idea just wasn’t attractive enough to win any executives over.

(Narrator: George M. Davison (aka Mr. D), CEO and Founder of Davison)
And then we had to call Kay and give her the bad news.

(Dan, Licensing)
She was rejected by several companies, and for any inventor or any entrepreneur, hearing “no” is a hard thing.

(Inventor: Kay)
I may have pretty much given up, but Davison didn’t.

(Jason, Creationeer)
Just when we thought all hope was lost, we were contacted by a pet company looking for a product like Kay’s. They liked her idea, just wanted something a little more fashionable but something that will still protect the dog’s paws. So I have to get the team together, so I’ll talk to you later.

(Narrator: George M. Davison (aka Mr. D), CEO and Founder of Davison)
The original design was transformed in to new boots and they were made out of leather and wool, with an adjustable strap. This improved the look tremendously. We ended up calling them Pugz.

(Inventor: Kay)
[I was] very happy, I think that’s a very good name for them too, Pugz. The name and the display and everything is a good concept.

(Narrator: George M. Davison (aka Mr. D), CEO and Founder of Davison)
Kay’s idea looked better, but would it hold up in the cold?

(Jason, Creationeer)
The idea here is to test in the ice and snow to learn what it’s like for a dog to be out in the cold weather without anything to protect its paws, but then at the same time we’re going to come back in and we’re going to also test it with the Pugz boots on, to see how much better it is for the dog. So in order to do this, I’ve got a perfect dog to go out and test with, and then I’ve got a not so perfect dog to go out and test with.

(Clay)
I hate my life.

(Jason, Creationeer)
Okay! You ready to go out? You ready to go out and try this? Let’s see, paws look great. How about you boy, ready to go outside? Make sure we have the full effect. Okay, come on here we go. Yeah, it’s nice and cold out there. Enjoy the cold weather. Okay.

(Clay)
The ice, are you kidding me?

(Jason, Creationeer)
Clay looks cold.

(Clay)
It’s pretty bad. It’s really bad.

(Jason, Creationeer)
You know, it really looks pretty cold out there.

(Clay)
I’m ready to go in.

(Jason, Creationeer)
Boy, I’m glad I’m not out there.

(Clay)
Please? Really? Thank you! Oh boy, oh that’s terrible.

(Jason, Creationeer)
Yeah, I’m sure it is. Thank you so much for doing that, you are a good boy. You really are a good boy and a great sport for trying that.

(Clay)
I think I need extra sick time.

(Jason, Creationeer)
I don’t know about that. Come here Clover! Come on; let me see your paws. Yeah, they’re nice and cold. Freezing cold! How about Clay’s paws? Yeah, they’re pretty cold too.

(Clay)
Feel my feet!

(Jason, Creationeer)
No, that’s okay.

(Clay)
Don’t you want to feel them?

(Jason, Creationeer)
I don’t want to feel them.

(Clay)
I think you want to feel them.

(Jason, Creationeer)
I don’t want to feel them. Okay so next, let’s try it with those boots on! We’ve got Pugz on Clover; we’ve got Pugz on Clay. Now let’s go out and have fun in the snow and see how much different it is when we wear Pugz.

(Clay)
I could stay out here all day! I give them a thumbs up!

(Jason, Creationeer)
Now, see this time they actually look like they’re having fun. Both of them. So what do you think, Clay, is it better with or without the Pugz?

(Clay)
Oh there’s no comparison. If I were a dog, and today I am, I would want the Pugz.

(Jason, Creationeer)
So another successful test Clay?

(Clay)
Another successful test.

(Jason, Creationeer)
High five! Oh that’s great. Okay. Get cleaned up and back to work, alright?

(Dan, Licensing)
The new design was great. We presented Kay’s idea to the Hugs pet company, and they fell in love with it right away.

(Inventor: Kay)
Just like a lot of other things, it’s an emotional roller coaster. You just have to hang in there when you’re at the bottom of the hill, because before you know it — you could be soaring back up to the top.

(Narrator: George M. Davison (aka Mr. D), CEO and Founder of Davison)
Kay’s Pugz idea was a success. We cut a deal with the Hugs pet company and Pugz are on their way to the stores.

(George M. Davison (aka Mr. D), CEO and Founder of Davison)
Hey, this is great news for Kay. She has got the product of a lifetime and it is going to help all these dog lovers out there that have these pets that they love. They’re going to be able to go out in to these harsh winter environments, and they’re going to be able to be protected, so everybody is a winner here. We wanted to show Kay our appreciation, so we invited her to Inventionland to join us in celebrating the success of her idea.

(George M. Davison (aka Mr. D), CEO and Founder of Davison)
Hey guys! They brought Pugz to life, so actually, way to go guys, way to go.

(Inventor: Kay)
Thank you so much. Hi. Thank you. Oh my goodness. This is wonderful. Thank you so much. Now, I really am in shock.

(George M. Davison (aka Mr. D), CEO and Founder of Davison)
What do you say we get some cake and throw a party? You guys ready?

(Inventor: Kay)
I just still don’t know if it’s sunk in yet. Looking at that check will make it sink in.

(Dan, Licensing)
The Pugz have been a huge success, and it’s a great story for Kay. She faced some uphill battles with this product idea, but ultimately we have a hot item that’s out there selling in the marketplace. Everybody’s got a smile on their face, so that’s what counts.

(Jason, Creationeer)
This product is so cool. I’ve seen hundreds of videos on YouTube where people have bought these shoes, taken them home, put them on their dogs, filmed it randomly, posted it, and in every one of these that you see, everyone is laughing hysterically.

(George M. Davison (aka Mr. D), CEO and Founder of Davison)
I mean these are the things that we dream about. These ideas, no one knows where they come from. And we are going to end up with a great product that has fashion and function at the end of the day.

(Inventor: Kay)
Yes, I do think of myself as an inventor of something very helpful to dogs to protect their little paws. It’s been a big dream come true.

Disclaimer: Davison’s services are provided for an upfront fee paid by the clients. The use of Davison’s services typically does not result in a license, sales of the product, or profit to the inventor.

Copyright: Davison, George Davison Studios