Vote for Advisory Board Member Dr. Julie Buzby's ToeGrips!
Dr. Julie Buzby, Grey Muzzle Advisory Board member, has developed ToeGrips for dogs, assistive devices which enable instant traction and confident mobility. She has applied for a $25,000 business grant from Wells Fargo for growing a small business, and The Grey Muzzle Organization is her choice to receive an additional charity grant. Public voting is incorporated into the final selection of 5 grant winners. You can vote once per day until the contest ends on June 30th.
Read her submission for the grant:
"As an integrative veterinarian, many of my patients are senior dogs whose quality of life is linked to their mobility. While numerous options exist for treatment of pain and arthritis, no practical, ergonomic solution existed for the age-old problem of dogs slipping and struggling on hard-surface floors . . . until now. Dr. Buzby’s ToeGrips are my company’s patent-pending, nail-based traction aid for dogs.
A dog’s natural mechanism for gaining traction is by engaging the nails, which are designed to dig into earthen terrain like soccer cleats. But on hard-surface floors, when a dog utilizes his nails to avoid slipping, the problem is exacerbated. Simple yet revolutionary, Dr. Buzby’s ToeGrips are the solution I’d longed for my entire career. ToeGrips are natural rubber rings that slide onto dog's nails to grip the floor in a way that a dog’s hard toenails cannot. This results in instant traction and restored confidence. After witnessing this product radically transform the lives of my patients, I was compelled to make ToeGrips commercially available for all at-risk dogs. The flood of heart-warming testimonials from owners of elderly, disabled, and therapy dogs has cemented my resolve.
For nearly twenty years, I have practiced veterinary medicine with the goal of serving both animals and people. This same ideal is reflected in my business. The mission of Dr. Buzby’s ToeGrips is to provide mobility, stability and confidence to dogs, and peace of mind for the people who love them. Customers in over 40 countries have purchased ToeGrips, and we wholesale direct to hundreds of veterinary hospitals worldwide. In 2013, less than one year after launching the product, ToeGrips were picked up for distribution by Midwest Veterinary Supply, which is arguably the largest veterinary distributor in the United States, servicing over 24,000 veterinary hospitals.
As a volunteer advisory board member for the Grey Muzzle Organization and avid advocate for senior dog rescue, I am privileged to help homeless dogs by donating ToeGrips for fund-raising campaigns. Growth and success will allow us to more generously support homeless senior pets nationwide, as well as provide hope and help to as many slipping dogs (and their people) as possible."
About Dr. Buzby: After graduating from veterinary school, Dr. Julie Buzby earned certification by the American Veterinary Chiropractic Association in 1998, and by the International Veterinary Acupuncture Society in 2002. As an integrative veterinarian, Julie seeks to blend the best of Western medicine, alternative therapies, and creative tools for maximum wellness in her patients, the majority of whom have grey muzzles.
After years of frustration watching her patients struggle on hard floors, Julie developed Dr. Buzby’s ToeGrips for dogs, assistive devices which enable instant traction and confident mobility. She is passionate about educating clients on a multimodal approach to improving the quality of lives for senior and special needs dogs.
