For the Love of Dogs & Country

Protecting Pets With Safe, Quality American-Made Products!

Americans love their pets. In fact, products for Fluffy and Fido generate a whopping $16.2 billion in sales in the United States every year.

With the horrific news not so long ago that America’s beloved pets were dying from eating pet food made with tainted ingredients imported from China, we need to take a long, hard look at where all our pets’ products are coming from. And that includes products like collars and leashes, as well as food.

Since 1950, Auburn Leathercrafters, owned and operated by the Dungey family, has been making safe, quality pet products right here in the United States. The company, located in the Finger Lakes region of Central New York State in Auburn, NY, currently employs 34 workers (other than family members).

Anita Dungey, owner/president of Auburn Leathercrafters, says her company’s customers appreciate the quality craftsmanship of their handmade products, which use only the finest full-grain leathers and materials.

While Dungey says her company, unfortunately, hasn’t been able to use 100% domestic materials, the vast majority of raw materials they use are from domestic sources, which is a plus for the company and the environment. “We have found that, by sourcing domestically, we have less waste in both time and materials,” she says.

Though the company’s dog leashes, collars and other items may not be the cheapest you’ll find on the shelves, Dungey says they will definitely be the best and her company guarantees it.

“Real value comes from a quality product that is designed to last. Even though it may cost a little more, we know our customers won’t be disappointed,” Dungey says. “That is why we stand behind every product we make.”

Like founder Everett Dungey always said: “It is better to explain why your product costs more than to explain why your product failed.”

The Dungey family is extra busy these days, not just promoting their own products, but also helping protect other products made in the U.S.A. Last year, Anita stumbled across a piece of legislation that would have lifted tariffs on the products they make. She wrote letters to her representatives and other government officials in Washington about her concern for this bill. Thanks to her efforts, and those of concerned business owners across the country, the proposed tariff suspensions were lifted on her company’s products – and those of more than 500 other businesses, possibly saving a lot of American jobs.

As for the company’s “green initiatives,” Dungey says: “I guess you could say our green initiative is to keep things simple and to not waste our resources, whether they be time, money, or other resources.”

The company has two Web sites: one for retail customers at www.collarsandmore.com and wholesale customers can shop at www.auburndirect.com.