The modern dog has discriminating taste. So why submit Princess to an ugly, uncomfortable dog bed; scratchy, synthetic sweaters and less-than-scrumptious puppy treats? Thanks to a new online business launched by partners Gina Quiroga and Barbara Savidge, your pampered pooch can go from a dog-tired look to doggone gorgeous. And the best part? Your hip hound will be doing her part to save the planet.
Olive Green Dog offers “a veritable smorgasbord of doggy duds, tail-wagging treats and pooch paraphernalia” developed to meet three core standards: sustainability, healthfulness and beautiful design.
“We wanted to be able to bring wellness to dogs with our products,” Savidge says. “But we wanted to do it in a way that would be easy to be green and not sacrifice good design.”
With backgrounds in health care and graphic design, Quiroga and Savidge have really been barking up the right tree.7 Having launched the website in December, Olive Green Dog’s business has soared, with revenue doubling every month. And Quiroga and Savidge are quickly running out of storage space in the small 1,200-square-foot warehouse that houses Olive Green Dog merchandise.
The site’s products are a hit with eco-friendly canine devotees in the United States and Canada, and have sold particularly well in metropolitan areas like Austin, Seattle, Chicago, New York City and cities in California.
“But we’ve got a lot more small-town dog people finding us online than you might think,” Quiroga adds.
Olive Green Dog sells an array of products from dog toys, bed- ding, clothing, travel accessories, doggy supplements, dog foods, leashes and blankets that are manufactured elsewhere – often by hand in small overseas villages whose income supports dozens, or by individuals with handcrafting skills. And Quiroga and Savidge have conducted extensive research to ensure that the vendors they work with maintain similar business philosophies.
“Finding products for our site that subscribe to sustainable tenets but are also good-looking and have a reasonable price point has been the biggest challenge,” Savidge says. “But it seems like there are more climbing on board every day, which is great for us. We probably couldn’t have launched this company two years ago but now business is booming.”
Also available on the website is a wide variety of Olive Green Dog-branded merchandise that will have any refined pup chasing her tail in excitement. (Just ask Quiroga and Savidge’s dogs Bert and Gracy, who have been lucky enough to taste-test every Olive treat that’s gone to market!) Olive Organic Cookie Treats will top any dog’s got-got-have-it list. Made from nothing – that is nothing humans wouldn’t eat themselves, and many do – these tempting treats have no corn, no wheat, no soy, no artificial flavors or colors, and no preservatives of any kind. One hundred percent organic, Olive Cookie Treats are baked in small batches to ensure quality, and are available in alluring flavors like My Oh My Pizza Pie, Nutty ’Nanners, Little Berry Bites and Happy Apple Snaps. And more flavors are coming soon.
Looking to bathe your dirty dog the natural way? Olive Spa Products are just the thing for cleaning, moisturizing and even deodorizing a grimy canine. Olive Bubble + Squeak dog shampoo is totally biodegradable and made from organic oils and pure botanicals. Olive Lump Soap gently and naturally helps repel fleas with its formula of goat’s milk, citronella, cedar wood and lavender. And don’t forget Olive’s Heaven Scent Fur Spritzer, a naturally formulated spray of lavender, lemon and patchouli essential oils perfect for those post-Barton Springs doggy dips in the summer.
“Our ultimate goal is to bring more Olive products to market,” Quiroga says, adding that the couple also has a bigger vision for their cute, cuddly, green mascot.
“Olive as a character can go a long way for educating people about being eco-friendly without being preachy or sanctimonious,” Savidge says. “Maybe she’ll be part of a Saturday morning cartoon about living green, or something like that.”
Now there’s an idea with some legs!
Olive Green Dog Happy Apple Snaps | 7oz. – $7.95
Olive Green Dog Fur Spritzer | 4oz. – $10.50
Olive Green Dog Bubble + Squeak Shampoo | 12oz. – $15.50 Olive Green Dog Soap Lump | 3oz. bar – $5.50
Earthdog Decorative Hemp Collar, Owney $20.00
Tracy and Fati Crushed Leather Collar (exclusive to Olive Green Dog in the U.S.) Fuchsia – $70.00
Modern Twist Mats Floral in Orange, Fuchsia, Brown – $18.00
Olive Green Dog Organic Flower Power Tees designed by Victoria Corbett of Victrola Studio Black, Natural and Pink – $20.00
Bean Stock 05, Persimmons, Alabaster, Wisteria, Silver Fern, Mocha and Poppy – $320.00
Everyday Studio Pet Dish Iguana – $75.00
