A new firm based in the neighborhood manufactures premium dog beds and accessories.
PEOPLE OFTEN JOKE that there are more dogs than children in San Francisco. Statistics show it’s true: There were about 115,000 children under age 18 living in the city in 2016, according to the American Community Survey. San Francisco Animal Care and Control estimated that at the same time, there were about 120,000 to 150,000 dogs.
One local, Rose Shattuck, has launched a new business she hopes will make good on that reality.
Shattuck is the founder of The Foggy Dog, a two-year-old brand of premium goods for dogs headquartered in the neighborhood. She got the idea for the company when she couldn’t find a dog bed for her goldendoodle, Utah. “I couldn’t understand why every dog bed had paw prints or was khaki colored,” she says. “So I found some upholstery fabric that I loved and hired a seamstress from Craigslist to make my dream dog bed.”
Then she realized she was on to something. So Shattuck left her role as vice president for merchandising at Minted — an online design marketplace for stationery and art with a shop at 1919 Fillmore — to focus full time on The Foggy Dog. The product line now includes dog beds, collars, leashes, toys and accessories. Her passion is to make pet products that are not only functional, but also beautiful. “At Minted, I was surrounded by amazing design every day,” she says. “I wanted to bring that same level of fresh, modern aesthetic to the pet industry.”
Living in the neighborhood, Shattuck was surrounded by other “dog moms” in their 20s and 30s who were dissatisfied with the choices they had when it came to their pets. She realized there was a market for attractive, made-in-the-U.S. pet products that appeal to a more modern customer. “People are having children later in life, and their dogs are their babies. Pet parents want the best for their fur kids,” she says. “And there isn’t another brand right now that seems to serve their needs.”
A Stanford business school graduate, Shattuck had to learn how to manufacture products. She was determined to produce her goods locally. Fabric used in Foggy Dog products is cut in Oakland, then sewn in San Francisco.
“I love that I get to work hand-in-hand with my production partners,” she says. “I’m on the phone with one of my factories every day. I am much more involved in the design and development than I could be if I went overseas.”
Producing locally has a myriad of other benefits, including smaller minimum order quantities — usually 100 units per style — and a smaller carbon footprint. Instead of shipping containers overseas, a Foggy Dog employee picks up finished goods from the factory on the way to work. Perhaps most importantly, it means faster turnaround times. Instead of three to four months to source overseas products, The Foggy Dog’s entire production process can take as little as three weeks. Shorter turns and smaller minimums mean the company can be nimble.
“We can make 30 units of a bandana just to see if it’s a hit,” Shattuck says. “If so, we’ll order more fabric and ramp up production.”
After two years, The Foggy Dog is on track to post just under $2 million in annual revenue, with sales mostly driven through its website. It also sells through a number of brick and mortar retailers, including pet stores and national brands including Anthropologie.
The headquarters in which Shattuck and her five employees store inventory and fulfill orders, at 2505 Bush Street at Scott, is open by appointment. Contact The Foggy Dog at woof@thefoggydog.com or 415-993-1130.
Filed under: Locals, Retail Report