Welcome to Planet Dog By Jane Singleton “Planet Dog is simple,” according to Stephanie Volo, President of Planet Dog. “Founded by two Ben-&-Jerry’s-eating and Patagonia-wearing kind of guys who happen to love their dogs like family—Planet Dog is committed to its mission.” It is a small company doing big things; it conceptualizes, innovates, and develops premium products for dogs, and it’s creating a huge paw print in the dog world. “Dog owners identify with our mission,” said Alex. “Our mission is to amuse, explore, support, create, educate, celebrate and philanthropate … all in the name of the dog.”  Established in 1997, Planet Dog has humble roots. In the beginning, Alex Fisher and Stew Maloney, co-founders of Planet Dog, had no office, no life, and worked out of Alex’s apartment, according to Volo. From their first conversation about building a company to be the planet’s source for all things dog, Fisher and Maloney knew they wanted to build a socially responsible company that both celebrated and enhanced the lives of dogs and their people; and one that would improve the world around them by giving back. Two years later in 1999, there were three employees (including Alex and Stew), three canine product testers, with 82 stores carrying their product line. But by the year 2000, the company’s success allowed them to establish Planet Dog Foundation, The mission of the Planet Dog Foundation is to promote and celebrate programs in which dogs serve and support their best friends. “The dogs in our lives are close to our hearts and help make us whole,” said Fisher. “They give us wet kisses when we walk through the door. They have a natural capacity to make us feel cared for and unconditionally loved.” “But when working for people in need, the dogs we celebrate are capable of so much more,” he said. And there are many roles they are filling to help make our lives and the planet happier, healthier, and safer:  therapy dogs, service dogs, search and rescue dogs, bomb sniffing dogs, and police dogs to name a few. And this is where the Planet Dog Foundation is raising the bar in canine-related philanthropy.   Planet Dog’s 501(c)(3) organization boasts an ambitious track record. For the past six years the Foundation has awarded 21 grants totaling more than $75,000 to support working dogs and canine service organizations that are enhancing and saving human lives. “We want to pave the way for heightened awareness of the significant contributions to our society made by dogs,” Alex told us. “We want to encourage others to act on behalf of these wonderful partners.” This view of the reciprocal relationship between people and their dogs flows throughout the company, from its Foundation’s grant work to its product designs. Planet Dog’s Orbee-Tuff® TUG toy just won the Bronze Medal in the Best New Product award category from Pet Age Magazine at the HH Backer Pet Industry Trade Show held in October in Chicago . The medal winners were selected by the votes of fellow retailers, so this award was considered quite an honor by Planet Dog, considering there were over 4,000 other companies represented at the show.  But it was the Orbee-Tuff “Orbee” Ball that put Planet Dog on the map. As with all their Orbee-Tuff products, it is infused with mint. “Dogs absolutely go full-body-wag bonkers for mint,” Alex said. “After all, given the choice, would you rather chew something that smells like an old tire or a breath mint?” It is this thoughtful consideration of our canine companions that sets Planet Dog apart from the rest. To quote Fisher, “In addition to spending many months in the lab developing a material that would make the most durable, pliable, chewy, buoyant, bouncy toys on the market, we took the time to make them easy on the eyes and pleasant to the snout.” Alex and Jen are obviously dog lovers and love Labrador Retrievers in particular. “We share the same hobbies with our Labs—they are a great breed for the lifestyle in Maine where we live. They love the beaches and hiking trails as much as we do. All of us at Planet Dog love our dog companions just about as much as we love anything.” For Planet Dog, every day is a “Take Your Dog to Work Day.” The company celebrates dog companionship daily with dogs outnumbering employees in their office 25 to 21. Planet Dog encourages other businesses to follow their lead and allow employees to bring their well-behaved dogs to work instead of leaving them at home. “I love my job and having dogs here in the office is a big part of that,” states Jeff Cloutier, a member of Planet Dog’s Product Development Team. “Having my dog Hobbes at work with me not only enables me to take time to relax, play with the dogs, and get some fresh air, it also reminds me of the big picture. No matter how big the pile of work on my desk is, Hobbes always gives me reason to smile,” said Jeff.  Planet Dog’s products are tested by Hobbes and the other dogs that romp and lounge about the office like royalty. Arlo, Atlas, Chauncy, Jack, Ollie, Meka, Daisy Mae, Hazel, Zeda, Pirate, Luka, Porter, Vinny, Tanya, Casco, Sushi, Shiner, Rosie, Magnet, Trixie, Macky, Kya, Lucy, Buster and puppy Abby join Hobbes on the Planet Dog product testing team. With 25 dogs at Planet Dog headquarters, the Dog House (Planet Dog’s warehouse), and the Company Store, the company can assure customers that their products have undergone extensive testing! “Nothing tests a product like a good old-fashioned, tail-wagging, happy-slobber romp,” Alex said. “It’s our way of ensuring all our customers get products they love.” Alex explained that catching the human eye is half the battle in sales, so everything Planet Dog designs is meant to do just that. For example, the fleece toy line in the new Planet Dog for Pups Collection mimics the established color palette and shapes found in early childhood development toys. “The design of our packaging speaks to our customers—it is beautiful, informative, and smart,” Alex said. With a master’s degree in Fine Arts from New York’s Bard College, Alex is well suited to his role as Chief Creative Officer (COO). Creative copy writing for Planet Dog catalogs, packaging, and website all demonstrate the COO’s art and humor. And the company’s awards and rounds of “appawse” from dog lovers and professionals alike validate Planet Dog’s vital position in the dog world. In Alex’s words, “In our business, it’s a dog’s world, and we’re doing everything in our power to keep it that way.” Volo, also known as Top Dog, spoke of the future. “As for challenges, there are many:   to produce a better product, both for the consumer and the environment, to continue to offer the finest and most generous customer service, to remember to groom ourselves on occasion, to innovate like rock-stars, to continue to grow in the areas of philanthropy and to continue to have fun.” And that tail-waggin’, happy-slobber rompin’ fun is what makes the world go ‘round. Thank you Seeger for your inspiration to Planet Dog.