Patent Attorney and Founder
Press the on-off button on the side. You’ll feel it vibrate.
One at a time, though, we don’t want to overwhelm her. Pull the trigger, and she’ll go wild. Keep it back a bit.
“Go get her, Piper!”
I gave it a try. “Oh wow, this is so cool. Oh my gosh!”
“Kevin’s doing it now!”
I finally stopped. “Okay, that’s enough for now. Piper deserves some water.” I led her out. That dog got quite the workout.
“Kevin, why didn’t you give it a go?”
“Put ten bucks on it and I will,” he said. “Funny what money will make you do.”
Megan explained where it all started. She’d learned about it as a competitive dog sport, kind of like agility. Last year alone, over 50,000 dogs entered lure-chasing events. People love it. They compete for points, titles, and special invitations.
“And what are the dogs chasing?”
“A plastic bag,” Megan said with a smile.
They use pro-grade equipment. This version is called Fast CAT, a straight-line race.
Sales were solid, $750,000 so far this year, aiming for $1.5 million by year’s end. Lifetime sales: also $1.5 million.
But profits? Not so much.
Last year, they sold $425,000 and lost $380,000. Supply delays early in the year meant they didn’t restock until June. From June to December, they hit $425,000.
Megan kept all her employees, even hired more. That’s commitment.
Most of the cash went into buying materials and assembling everything locally. Some parts have a minimum order of 1,000 units.
“I don’t get why you assemble here instead of offshore,” one of the Sharks asked.
“I’m open to looking into it,” Megan replied.
Her main goal: improve the lives of as many dogs as possible.
The Sharks liked it. Lori struck a deal. By 2023, sales topped $2 million. They launched a new product, Chase, at $299 for a more affordable option.
From a patent standpoint, the system is protected. The patent was filed in 2014 and granted in 2020 after a long back-and-forth with the USPTO. It covers the pulley and drive setup in detail.
On the trademark side, they own several registrations, including “SwiftPaws” and “Chase,” plus a logo mark. They could expand protection into retail services for broader coverage.
The team sees room for growth, both in products and international markets. They already have a trademark in Australia, hinting at expansion plans.
It’s a good example of how a niche idea can find a market, protect itself legally, and still keep growing.