Business View Magazine | July 2020

19 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE JULY 2020 VIRGINIA COMPANY TURNS DOG APPAREL INTO MASKS TO PREVENT COVID-19 G OODE, Va.–And now for some good news! Pup Scruffs, which launched in March as a dog-apparel company, rebranded its merchandise to be masks for people when the pandemic hit the country. As a result, sales have skyrocketed. In the beginning, Pup Scruffs made designer neck wear for dogs, offering 40 different designs and fun dog-inspired patterns, said Katie Bernotsky, one of the owners of the company. However, because it launched at the end of March when most people were concerned about the coronavirus disease, the owners realized it wasn’t a good time to launch dog apparel. Bernotsky and her husband, Bob, began wearing the neck wear as masks to prevent the virus, and started to get compliments about them. People wanted to know where to buy them. So, the owners decided to sell the neck wear as neck wear for dogs and as masks for people of all ages. The company offers 10 sizes for dogs and three people sizes – adults, children, and toddlers. By refocusing marketing efforts, the company’s sales quadrupled overnight and Pup Scruffs are shipped all over the country. “We have received so much positive feedback from customers that these masks have been OPENING L INES