Pet accessory brand receives recognition from FedEx

In a heart-warming and inspirational video, Founder and CEO Barton O’Brien explained his journey of how BAYDOG came to be what it is today. He started making accessories based on what would make his life easier as a dog owner. O’Brien gained momentum and inspiration after his BAYDOG Pack and Go bag won an award for ‘best new product.’ 

The former Marine Captain turned hedge fund managing director took a big chance and quit his job as he “no longer wanted to work for someone else,” and then “left his job without a plan.” One thing O’Brien knew for certain was that he wanted a dog, which later inspired his company.

The risk-taking move paid off as the US canine accessory brand recently secured a grant of $30,000 (€‎27,547) from global delivery service FedEx. The prize was awarded as part of the 11th annual FedEx Small Business Grant Contest.

Only 10 US businesses out of 8,200 participants were chosen in 2023’s winning list. BAYDOG was the only pet-related company to be shortlisted as a prize winner.

In addition to the FedEx prize money, BAYDOG was awarded an additional $20,000 (€‎18,476) veteran grant from the United States Automobile Association (USAA) Small Business Association, a financial services firm that serves veterans and their families.

Why did FedEx choose BAYDOG?

In an interview with GlobalPETS, the CEO explained more about the contest and how he believes BAYDOG made it to the winning list. 

As part of FedEx’s application process, the firm submitted a video and business data. For O’Brien, this is where BAYDOG’s dedication stood out, as they are fully committed to supporting “brick-and-mortar” retail.  

“Unlike most pet brands that are fighting each other for direct-to-consumer online sales, we don’t allow BAYDOG to be sold on Amazon, Chewy, or any third-party web platform,” he said.

The future 

The company plans to invest in its product development by “expanding several existing products with new SKUs, as well as launching some completely new designs that are still in the development phase.”

One product O’Brien mentioned to GlobalPETS is a line of all-weather dog boots. As the company is based in the US state of Maryland, they experience extremely hot weather in the summer, which can burn a dog’s foot pads. 

Therefore, they are creating a boot that can protect the dog’s paws from heat, as well as functioning to protect them from snow, ice, and rock salt.

A modest approach 

Unlike most businesses on the rise, BAYDOG is not looking for “big box stores or large distributors.” Instead, the modest company will “continue doing what has worked for us so far,” using independent retailers as their partners while providing them with “the best customer service.”

 “It sounds cliché, but we don’t look for customers; we look for partners. We’ve been successful because we build solid, long-term, mutually beneficial relationships with our partners based on trust, service, and going the extra mile,” said O’Brien.

To date, the majority of BAYDOG’s sales come from independent stores in the US and Canada and a few small chains, including regional distributors Zeigler’s and Southeast Pet. O’Brien stressed his company “will never use large, nationwide distributors as we could lose the ability to protect the brand on behalf of our retail partners.”