How two Adelaide mates were inspired by their pets to create a multi-million dollar business
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In 2019, tradie Jye de Zylva noticed this pet kelpie was out of sorts. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">His dog was significantly stressed, and sometimes even missing, when his owner would return home each day from the job site. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Jye teamed up with his mate and entrepreneur Davie Fogarty, and the pair created an innovative line of dog beds aimed at calming anxiety and stress in their furry friends. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The 26-year-olds founded Pupnaps, which is the first of its kind and is largely inspired by a unique circular design. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“The first design we settled on was one that kind of emulates a dog curling up in their mother’s womb,” Jye told NCA NewsWire.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“It’s a really common way for dogs to sleep and it gives them comfort.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The company saw a flood of success and regularly surpasses $1million in monthly sales from selling 4,000 beds a week. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Jye said the success of the company took them both by surprise. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“It took us probably six to seven months and we did our first million-dollar month, which was really exciting in terms of the success and what it meant.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">He said, “It was something that I didn't really expect in my wildest dreams; coming from being a chippie only six or eight months before that.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Pupnaps line included four different dog beds: the original dog calming bed, as well as an orthopaedic memory foam bed, an orthopaedic floor rug and a calming furniture couch.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Jye is a firm believer that the success of the company was aided by the pandemic, and pets having increased anxiety after their owners returned to offices for work. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Anxiety can really impact a dog’s quality of life, not to mention the guilt and fear that owners have whenever they need to leave their pets alone,” Mr de Zylva said.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“It’s really rewarding to create a product that has been successful but also one that is helping dogs and their owners to live better lives.”</span></p>
<p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image credits: Instagram @pupnapsofficial</span></em></p>
