At 4 Paws Yorkshire we're more than just a brand, we're a family who truly cares about their pets. Our story started out of love for our family dogs Hollie, Poppy & Albie. Our mission was to create a blanket that was 100% waterproof, super thick and cosy, durable for playtimes but didn't compromise on the aesthetics. A blanket that could truly be mistaken for a normal throw but all the while protecting your home and car.
Our 14 year old family dog Hollie (on the left) sadly became incontinent due to a couple of seizures, we wanted to find a way in which to keep her comfortable in her usual spot on the sofa. Poppy (on the right) is our 12 year old Lab who, like all dogs, loves to get muddy on walks! Beth's sister introduced little Albie (below) you will have seen a lot of him on our website and social media. Being a puppy he would have the accidents and wee in and around the house (which wasn't ideal).
Hollie is a little reserved playing with Alb's but he seems to bring out the puppy in Poppy and she loves to see him!
Why did we decide to design our own blanket?
We search high and low for waterproof blankets that stayed waterproof after washing. This was near enough impossible but not only that they were not made to a standard that lasted. All dogs love to play and need something that's durable and is going to stand the test of time. As you can see from the photo below a lot of the blankets were crazy colours and just didn't add to the aesthetics of our home. We wanted to something that blended into our home that you could mistake for a human throw. Most of the blankets we did have the waterproof lining was like an old fashioned picnic blanket lining that rustled when moved or was hard.
So, we set to work... and boy was it work! We wanted to create something we were truly proud of and that ticked all the boxes. It took us a long time to get to the finished product.
We decided to go with a greige edging which was double the thickness to anything we had previously had and added double stitching to make it a lot more durable.
We went back and forth with our manufacturer about our waterproof lining. It HAD to be noiseless, no one wants to hear noise when they're watching Coronation street! We also needed this to be 100% waterproof and stay that way after washing
Our soft, grey FLANNEL material was a must as we hadn't felt something so premium. Again this took a good while for us to find!
Last but definitely not least, the cream SHERPA, feels like clouds in a blanket form. This was just a no brainer! It is just the most cosiest material!
We had the blanket tested to British industry standard, and.... 'IT COULD'NT BE ANYMORE WATERPROOF IF IT TRIED' Were the exact words from the lady we called to explain what the test report meant (as we had no clue what all the graphs and numbers meant)
October 3rd we Launched!
We were nervous & excited all wrapped into one! Since then we have had so much love and positive feedback from customers and countless repeat customers which is incredible, we are truly so grateful! One lady messaged and it has just stuck with us 'It's a blanket i never knew I needed' and until Hollie became incontinent we never really knew or thought about waterproof blankets and how much of a game changer they are! No more wet dog smells seeping into your car seats, no more scratches on the sofa, no muddy paws on the bed or any little accidents can be quickly dealt with by putting the blanket in the wash!
We will keep you updated with our journey and what's next... as this is just the beginning and we have some very exciting things to spill!
Until then,
Thank you for supporting us,
Beth & Dave
