A California couple decided to take the tragic death of their dog and turn it into a booming business.
Paul and Pamela Mott launched Coyote Vest in 2015 after their late dog, Buffy, was snatched up by a coyote at a local park in 2014.
‘I turned around and there’s my small dog in the mouth of a coyote being carried away. I’ve never seen her since. Disappeared. Gone… it was the worst day of my life,’ Paul told NBC 7.
The $110 vest’s design comes equipped with removeable chrome spikes and spikes for the neck and back. Nylon bristles called Coyote Whiskers are also available to attach to the vest.
The couple’s small business has grown so big that they’ve since expanded to a larger operating facility in the Scripps Ranch neighborhood of San Diego and have sold more than 10,000 products to pet owners across the globe.
The Coyote Vest is designed to protect the neck and back of an animal from predators
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Paul and Pamela Mott launched Coyote Vest in 2015 after their late dog Buffy was snatched up by a coyote at a local park in 2014
The vest itself is designed to protect the neck and back of an animal, which according to the company’s website, ‘are usually targeted during an attack.’
The spikes and stab-resistant materials are made to withstand sharp canine teeth like that of a coyote.
The spikes are made of hard plastic that with enough pressure, are sharp enough to hurt, but not sharp enough to handle.
Each vest also comes with an adjustable waist belt and collar that can fit any dog, and even cats.
A leash can also be connected directly to the vest. Reflective features are also included on the product to make your pet more visible in the dark.
The waterproof vest is also machine washable and pairs well with the brand’s Coyote Whiskers, Hawk Shield and Everyday Spike Collar that are sold separately.
The whiskers serve as a way to protect the tiny animals as they are stiff enough to irritate the eyes and mouth of a predator. Although there are spikes around the neck of the vest, additional spiked collars are also sold.
Paul pictured with the couple’s late dog Buffy. He witnessed a coyote grab the pup by the neck at a park in 2014 and he never saw her again
The vests come in different sizes for a variety of pets, including both cats and dogs. There are also an adjustable waist belt and collar on each one
The whiskers serve as a way to protect the tiny animals as they are stiff enough to irritate the eyes and mouth of a predator
The day that Buffy died, Paul was at the park with the pup and his two other dogs, Sparky and Scooter.
In a Facebook post after the dreadful attack, Paul said he turned around to see the coyote ‘carrying Buffy by the neck’ away from the park. Paul couldn’t find Buffy after she was taken, and the couple had to cope with their sudden loss.
Paul had considered just keeping his dog’s home and locked away from harm, but he told ABC News he later decided that he wasn’t ‘going to stay home and be terrified.’
A customer posted to the company’s Facebook as she posed with her dog dressed in one of the Coyote Vests and said: ‘I live in San Diego where we have fearless coyotes.’
‘I feel it’s just a matter of time before my 7lbs, 2 yr. old yorkie, Charlie, was a meal for a predator,’ she added.
Another happy customer said that the product was ‘an absolute must have’ in a review she wrote on the brand’s website as her nine-month-old Papillon posed in a neon orange vest.
The Coyote Vest and Spike Vest both sell for $109.95.
‘All I can say is if you love your dog you should let them know as often as you can and you should enjoy their company as often as you can,’ Paul said.
He warned people to be ‘very afraid of coyotes’ and compared them to the Angel of death that comes with ‘no warning.’
The vests and accessories such as the Coyote Whiskers, Hawk Shield and additional Spiked Collars are sold separately
Spiked vests are also sold for cats on the site
In early May, a 10lb Maltese with three teeth saved his brother-pup from a coyote in a Southern California backyard as a coyote attempted to snatch the pup.
Vinny, an 11-year-old pooch, sprang into action when he heard his brother Harley yelping in the corner of their yard after a coyote jumped the fence.
Harley had been in the coyote’s mouth his owner says and danger was looming on the other side of the fence as another coyote was just feet away.
Despite his age and physical state, Vinny did not hesitate to chase after the coyote in the yard in video taken on their owner’s backyard surveillance camera.