I was startled when I saw her and wasn't sure what to do. I kept driving. Then I did a U turn. By the time I got back to her, several cars had stopped. She was under one of them, shaking and scared. A few of us worked together to get her out and someone held her up and said, “Who wants her?” I heard myself saying, "I do". I brought her home and learned she was a 5 pound toy poodle. I could never find her family and she became my first rescue. I named her Gracie.

Since 2004, my husband and I have fostered 120 dogs of all breeds. I love helping animals in need. Knowing there are millions of dogs that have been abused, dumped, overbred and neglected keeps me motivated to do more. But the never ending flow of dogs crying out for help also made me angry for a long time. Finally I decided to focus some love on the problem rather than being a “mad dog” about it.

We had often purchased stuffed toys at yard sales for our dogs to rip up. I was cautious, though, to make sure they didn't swallow a hard eye or nose as they were ripping the toys up. So I started thinking about how I could make them safe enough to sell and donate the proceeds to spread some "glad" and get rid of my "mad".

Tah dah! Glad Dogs Nation was born!

This is a company committed to bringing happiness to all pets – whether they are lucky enough to live with loving families or are still in need of finding love and rescue.

Our adorable handcrafted pet toys begin as unwanted kid stuffed toys. We sanitize them using biodegradable detergent. We remove hard eyes and put cute appliques in their place. We replace the hard noses with colorful pompoms. Then we offer the toys at a price below what you’d pay in a pet store – so no one needs to shed a tear if the toy is destroyed during play.

Finally, we spread the gladness by donating 100% of our profits to Glad Dogs Foundation which funds initiatives to stem pet overpopulation, provide free toys to animals in need, and support animal welfare nationally. 

Thank you for being here and helping us make a big difference in the lives of so many dogs!

 

Marianne Ahern
President
Glad Dogs Nation
Glad Dogs Foundation