Creativity inspired by man's best friend.
I'm not much of a word-smith, but here's a little bit about me and my journey. I've always been a creative fella and I used to do quite a bit of wood working. A while ago I was diagnosed with MS and I have a few other health issues that limit my mobility. While I'd still love to woodwork, it's just become a bit too physically challenging for me. So I sold my woodworking equipment, bought an industrial laser and built a humble office space in my garage.
I received my laser in July 2022 and I spent a year learning the ins and outs of the machine. I opened my Etsy shop in early 2023. My shop gained little, if any, attention for the first 5 months. Then in September 2023, a rescue group approached me and asked if I'd donate one of my Rottie Badges for their online auction. I enthusiastically donated several badges and others items. I also pledged to donate 40 percent of all my Etsy sales to the rescue during the auction. The auction was a huge success, resulted in my first Esty sales and generated hundreds of dollars for the rescue pups. I've since done many additional auctions with various rescue groups across the country.
I originally started with just a few Rottie car badges and I have been continually adding new breeds to the lineup. Most of the new breed badges have come from customer requests and I'm always open to ideas and suggestions. Having the ability to be creative and raise funds to assist rescue groups has enhanced my life greatly.
We got our first Rottie, Samson, in 2010. I cannot put into words how wonderful he was. He did so much to change the perception of the breed. He did shows at Cub Scout meetings, church groups, schools and was even featured on our local news and performed at a football game half time show. At the age of 6, he was diagnosed with lymphoma and we said goodbye shortly afterwards. It was one of the hardest things I've ever had to cope with. If you're reading this, you're likely a dog person and you can relate. We've since lost our Ryker (6), Freya (5), Thea (10) and Daisy (9). It's devastating and never gets any easier. We currently share our lives with Sieger, Macie (Moo Moo) and Jema. We never take them for granted; we give them the best lives we can; and we simply just enjoy every minute we have with them.
My step-son, Michael, has recently joined me on my business journey. Michael is a former U.S. Marine and he keeps me inline. I'm afraid to make mistakes or he'll make me do push-ups. Haha. All kidding aside, Michael has learned the laser and software much faster than I ever imagined. Michael replies to most of the messages we receive and he handles all of our social media accounts as well.
Thank you so much for stopping by our shop. I'm humbled by all of the support and positive reviews. I have met so many great doggie people. Do me a favor after you're done here and go give your pup a great big hug:)
