October 3, 2019
Hey there, Andrew from our Customer Stories. I wanted to share a fun story that just came across my desk. After all, it's not every day you interview a dog.
Pork Chop the Pug from Fluff Trough invited me to the home office of his business today for an impromptu photo shoot with some new stickers he ordered for an upcoming event. A pug of few words, Pork Chop observed his new stickers and directed my questions to Debra Mastic, Fluff Trough inventor who also happens to be his owner.
Debra is quick to point out, however, that Pork Chop is the inspiration for the Fluff Trough.
It's rare that a sticker jumps off our production line and lands an interview in a matter of days, and that's why this is such a fun story to share. Debra's founders journey started as a way to make Pork Chop's eating more comfortable after he was diagnosed with vestibular disease. Eating from a bowl on the floor made him dizzy, and there wasn't anything on the market that fit his feeding needs. She worked with a product engineer to create the first prototype of the Fluff Trough on her 3D printer at home using food-safe epoxy to safely test the bowl with pets.
Once she had the final design, she 3D-printed it in food safe epoxy and started the product testing. Pork Chop loved it. The Fluff Trough became his happy place, and feeding time was enjoyable again
Debra knew she had a success on her hands, so she poured time and money into developing a manufacturing system and then launched a successful Kickstarter campaign that was fully funded in 24 hours, which is a testament to the power of her potential market. Now Fluff Trough is a growing business that's ready to expand product offerings, all from this first innovative, non-toxic and food-safe elevated feeder designed for flat-faced breeds, handicapped pets, and pets with medical issues. Check out the The Fluff Trough KickStarter page to see what it takes to win at KickStarter.
At that point, The Fluff Trough was born. Now the product is in mass production, with the final version of the Fluff Trough made from food safe materials (since its plastic and FDA approved silicone). Both the insert and base are dishwasher safe. The base of the bowl (where the food is placed) is 5 inches from the ground. The bowl has a wide surface area to help promote slower eating and the taller sides help reduce mess at meal times. Just watching Pork Chop sniff these fun new stickers when they were in the bowl demonstrated the more comfortable neck position.
In advance of a Pug Nation Rescue of LA event (the 8th Annual Pugtacular Spooktacular) where she is a sponsor, she ordered two different stickers to help promote the brand while on site. She also donated a box of Fluff Troughs to Pug Nation Rescue of LA, and she is donating more at the event.
There are two different sticker designs on two different material types. There's the glossy die cut sticker with My Fluff Trough is My Happy Place design and the Never Leave Me Unless You're Getting Me Food kiss cut sticker. They will make great souvenirs for fans at the event, and then these stickers will work as promotional items to help spread the Fluff Trough message throughout the dog world. These designs are simple and whimsical, truly inspired by Pork Chop himself.
We'll be following this story as new Fluff Trough products hit the market, and we'll update our readers about how Pork Chop and other pets are loving their Fluff Troughs. If the current "Happy Customers" page on their website is any indication, there are going to be many, many satisfied pets and pet owners.
