The BarkerFun Treat Clincher is an important part of our enrichment program.
It allows us to customize the care we provide our dogs to make their stay with us as positive as possible. We feel this is a must have in our organization.
There are several reasons we like the Treat Clincher. First, by keeping the “chew item” stationary, we no longer have to wonder if there are any highly valued items hiding in the kennel. We can monitor exactly what is in the kennel and safely retrieve it when needed. Secondly, this greatly reduces the risk of our dogs choking on a splinter. We only use highly durable items in the Clincher and we can see exactly when we need to change out or remove the item. Third, the Treat Clincher allows us to provide all of our dogs enrichment opportunities even when staff and volunteers are busy doing other things. And last, but not least, the durability of the Treat Clincher is incredibly important. Having a tool that breaks when used just creates more potential danger for our dogs. The Treat Clincher’s sturdy design means we don’t need to worry about our dogs ingesting a piece of plastic from a broken unit.
Says Tom Van Winkle, CEO Hinsdale Humane Society
Full article on the Hinsdale Humane Society website blog]]>
Photo by Dave Weinstein
Read full article 'An Eichler Owner Wins for a Dog Design' in the Eichler Network Dave Weinstein Blog
]]>
Designed by the sister and brother team of Susan Mravca and James Mravca within their family business BarkerFun, The Treat Clincher is created to be an elegant product that pet owners could use for the lifetime of their dogs.
]]>BarkerFun is very proud to join design giants such as Oxo, Ferrari, and Google as a Good Design Award winner for 2021.
The Treat Clincher, invented by the sister and brother team of Susan Mravca and James Mravca within their family business, was developed for functionality and sustainability.
“We rejected the pet industry’s throwaway culture,” said Jim Mravca. “We wanted to create an elegant product that pet owners could use for the lifetime of their dogs. Our pets are members of our family and this speaks to their permanence in our lives.”
The Treat Clincher is a safe and effective way to allow dogs to chew on bully sticks, bones, or other treats while pet owners have the freedom to go about their daily activities, whether joining zoom meetings, completing an exercise routine, or just having dinner with friends.
Constructed from solid aluminum and stainless steel, the Treat Clincher holds treats up off the ground in its patented “clincher”. Suitable for both indoor and outdoor use, it is safe to use on fine furniture and strong enough for outdoor picnic tables.
“No more holding a pizzle stick with your hands or pliers,” said Susan Mravca, who came up with the idea for the Treat Clincher after spending hours holding bully sticks for her puppy. “No more slobber on your carpets.”
The Treat Clincher solves a serious safety problem while creating time for dog owners, as their pets stay safely engaged with a treat.
The Hinsdale Humane Society has been using the Treat Clincher in their kennels as part of their enrichment program for their rescue dogs. “The Treat Clincher greatly reduces the risk of our dogs choking,” says Tom Van Winkle, CEO of the Hinsdale Humane Society. “We only use highly durable items in the Clincher, and we can see exactly when we need to change out or remove the item. We feel this is a must-have in our organization.”
About the Good Design Awards
The Good Design Awards is the world’s most prestigious, recognized, and oldest design awards program. It was founded in Chicago in 1950 by architects: Eero Saarinen, Charles and Ray Eames and Edgar Kaufmann, Jr. and has continued for 70 years.
The product won over the jury not only through their aesthetic, but also thanks to their functionality. “With their designs, the award winners are setting the highest standards in their industry,” said Christian Narkiewicz-Laine, Architecture Critic and Chief Curator of Good Design.
]]>