Dublin businessman 'overwhelmed' with response to pet umbrellas

A businessman whose work running poker tournaments around the world came to a standstill during Covid-19 says he has been overwhelmed by the response to his new sales line of pet umbrellas.

Glenn Doyle (29) believes the smell of wet dog could be a thing of the past with his new range of umbrellas which come attached to the lead of a dog or any small pet and keeps their fur dry on rainy day walks.

The entrepreneur from Blanchardstown, Dublin, who works with The Green Felts, launched the product a few months ago and says the support has been overwhelming.

"We are calling them pet umbrellas in order to not restrict them to dogs. However, we do know dogs will be the primary users, but we don't want other small pet owners to feel alienated.

The pet umbrella is attached to a lead. Photo: Supplied by Louise Walsh

"They are a functional item which are perfect for smaller dog sizes. They attach to the dog's lead and can be opened to cover them if it starts raining, and the umbrella canopy is a transparent plastic to enable you to see the pet at all times.

"I was working organising poker tournaments across the world when Covid brought everything to a standstill. One sport which was permitted was golf, so we staged a few tournaments around the sector with brand gear such as jackets and golf umbrellas.

"It was our supplier who mentioned the dog umbrellas which I thought would be perfect in our weather, so I ordered 50 as a trial run.

"I got loads of comments from people to say they've seen everything now and others who thought it was a joke.

Glenn Doyle works with The Green Felts, but began selling the products when his work came to a standstill due to Covid restrictions. Photo: Supplied by Louise Walsh

"However I have sold the whole 50 and another order of 250 are selling really well," Glynn says.

"The Green Felts is obviously back open again due to the lifting of Covid-19 restrictions, so I was away for a few weeks, and when I came back the amount of enquiries was overwhelming.

"The umbrella will keep the majority of rain off the dog's head and back, but their paws will still get wet. But it will cut down on the smell of wet dog as well as stop the dog shaking off all the excess water, often onto the owner," he adds.

Glenn can be contacted on Instagram at @pet_umbrellas_ ireland.