Support Ethical Pet Goods — Save Gone to the Dogs
Our Story
We started Gone to the Dogs with $6,000—$3K each.
No investors. No seed round. Just belief.
Belief that a pet brand could be different.
That how things are made—and who makes them—matters.
That love for animals, for the planet, and for people shouldn’t be separate things.
Most businesses our size start with hundreds of thousands of dollars.
We started with a month’s rent and a pile of reclaimed rope. And somehow, we built something real.
Gone to the Dogs is a AAPI women-owned, POC-led, Brooklyn-based small business that makes ethical, handmade dog goods. About a third of our products are made in-house by women and queer makers. The rest come from deep partnerships with artisan cooperatives, nonprofits, and social enterprises around the world—groups in fair-trade agreements, ensuring craftsmanship in exchange for livable wages and safe working conditions.
Every item we make is ethically sourced and sustainably made—because we believe business should fight for equity, not rely on exploitation.
Gone to the Dogs is led by co-founders Santos Agustin and Jennifer Wong, supported by a small team of women and queer makers in Brooklyn and over 200 artisans across our global partnerships.
Our Impact
Every product we sell is a thread in a much bigger story.
In 2024 alone, we:
- Supported over 200 artisans in Bangladesh, Cambodia, Nepal, Peru, and beyond with sustainable income
- Reclaimed over 400 pounds of textile waste
- Collaborated with multiple non-profit rescues in New York
- Hosted recycling and mending workshops in our shop
- Helped thousands of pets live their best, most joyful, earth-friendly lives
We’ve been featured by the New York Times, New York Magazine, Better Homes & Gardens, Bustle—and in 2024, we were honored by the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce as one of just four small businesses shaping the future of our borough.
And we did it all without losing our values.
Why We’re Fundraising
We’re raising $75,000 by mid-August to stay alive through the summer—and to keep the lights on for something much bigger than just our Brooklyn shop.
This will help us:
• Cover rent, utilities, and fulfillment
• Pay our local and international artisan teams fairly
• Restock our bestselling products
• Fund packaging, shipping, and holiday market pop-ups
• Refresh our website and marketing so we can actually compete
Our stretch goal is $111,000 by the end of 2025.
That’s what we need to finally breathe. To build smart systems. To stop surviving from quarter to quarter—and operate from a place of sustainability and purpose.
Gone to the Dogs was built on partnerships—with artisan groups and social enterprises around the world. Tariffs and global instability are threatening the very relationships that shaped this business. This campaign helps protect those livelihoods—and keep our model alive.
What’s at Stake
Costs have gone up across the board—including rent, utilities, labor and healthcare costs, and shipping and tariffs.
To stay afloat, we’ve taken out emergency loans—quick fixes that now swallow almost every dollar we bring in. It’s not sustainable. And without help, we’ll have to close our shop. That’s the hard truth.
But here’s the other truth:
We’re not giving up.
We’re retooling our retail strategy.
We’re launching new pop-ups and holiday markets.
We’re building a wholesale program from the ground up.
We’re applying for grants. We’re tightening every bolt.
The Opportunity
Pet parents in the U.S. spend over $100 billion annually on their animals.
We’re carving out space for the people who care how—and by whom—those products are made.
This campaign isn’t a bailout.
It’s a bridge.
From where we are now… to the future we’re fighting for.
Why It Matters
This isn’t just about cute leashes and recycled toys.
It’s about proving that ethically sourced, sustainably made products—crafted by people who are paid fairly and treated with dignity—deserve a place in the market. That this kind of business can not only exist, but thrive.
If you’ve ever walked into our store and felt like you belonged...
If your pet has ever carried one of our toys like it’s the best thing they’ve ever owned...
If you believe a business can be small, ethical, handmade, inclusive, sustainable, joyful—and still survive in this world...
We need you.
Thank You
We’ve built something beautiful with very little.
With your help, we can keep going—and make it last.
To everyone who’s supported us over the years—whether by shopping with us, attending a workshop, or just cheering us on: thank you. Your belief in this business has gotten us this far. Your support now means the world to us, and to the people and pups whose lives are better because Gone to the Dogs exists.
With love, grit, and dog hair on everything,
Santos & Jenn
