As we step into a new year, I wanted to take a moment to speak to you directly, honestly, openly, and from the heart about what it truly means to be a part of SwiftPaws.
This year has been challenging in so many ways, for so many small businesses. It’s also been one of our most rewarding. Both of those things can be true at the same time.
SwiftPaws is a small American manufacturer. We’re a five-person team, and every product we make exists because of years of research, engineering, testing, trial and error, and a deep belief that pets deserve enrichment that satisfies their natural instincts.
We manufacture as much of SwiftPaws in the USA as we possibly can. Our circuit boards are made here. The components that go onto them are assembled here. The custom aluminum housings for our Pro-Alpha machines are made here. All of our outdoor kits are assembled in my hometown. We make these choices intentionally because we believe investing close to home matters, not because it’s easier (it’s not), and not because it’s cheaper (it definitely isn’t).
This year, we had so many moments that reminded us why we do this work. We were honored to win Best in Show for Pet Tech Innovation at the Global Pet Expo, a huge validation of the hard work and care our small team puts into every product. We also launched Pounce!, our smallest and most affordable kit ever, after hearing from so many cat parents who wanted an indoor version perfect for smaller pets. Pounce is the first kit not made by us, but it does signify a balance between wanting to do as much in the USA as we possibly can and wanting to offer our customers the most affordable products we possibly can. Listening to our community and offering something new because of your feedback has always been important to us.
Of course, with all the attention and visibility that comes from being featured on Shark Tank and shared widely on social media, we’ve also had our share of challenges. Knockoffs and copycats appear on Amazon and elsewhere, and while they don’t compare to the original SwiftPaws experience, they’re a reminder of the impact our products have and the care we put into every detail.
Worse even than the knockoff products are the scammers that “clone” our website, stealing our photos, and even my own likeness and videos, running fraudulent ads on Facebook and other social media sites, taking people’s money, and never shipping anything to them. We get those customers emailing us with fake order numbers asking when they can expect their order to ship. All we can do is recommend they call their credit card company to report it and hope the scammer hasn’t stolen their card information. This is the harsh reality that exists in our world today. Competition in the markets is healthy; scams, fraud, and dangerous fakes that don’t meet regulations for sale in the US are not.
Over the holidays, I received a phone call that really stayed with me. Someone had purchased a knockoff version of our product and was frustrated – the product wasn’t as fast as expected, their pet was faster than it, and the video they saw didn’t match reality. They weren’t a SwiftPaws customer, but they found my number and called.
I listened. I tried to help. I expressed my frustration of not always being able to keep the knockoffs at bay. And at one point, they said, “I get it I work for a small business too.”
That conversation reinforced what we’ve always known: buying a product is one thing, but buying from the company and people that created it is something entirely different.
When you buy from SwiftPaws, you’re buying from real people. You’re getting support, accountability, safety testing, and ongoing improvement. You’re getting a team that answers the phone whenever possible – because we genuinely care about your pets’ experience and your satisfaction. We don’t always get it right, but when that happens, we do everything we can to make it right.
We’ve invested hundreds of thousands of dollars into R&D, tooling, engineering, IP, and manufacturing – because building real, high-quality, American-made products takes time, patience, and intention. This year, we’ve just reached profitability for the first time, marking an opportunity to start making up for years and years of investment.
People often don’t realize how long it takes for businesses to reach sustainability. Many of the companies we rely on today spent years – or even decades – in the red before reaching profitability. When you build physical products, prioritize quality, hire real people, and refuse to race to the bottom, growth is steady, deliberate, and (hopefully) long-lasting.
And so, despite the threat of tariffs, knockoffs, ad fraud, and fake scam sites, we’re still here. Still building. Still improving. Still innovating.
All of that’s because of you.
Your support – your orders, your reviews, your emails, your stories – keeps this company moving forward. Every time you choose SwiftPaws over a cheaper “fake”, every time you support a small business, an American-made team, you’re helping us do this the right way. You’re helping us push the boundaries of pet enrichment, innovation, and care.
As we move into the new year, I want you to know how deeply grateful I am. For your trust. For your patience when we’re backordered (like right now on several products), and for believing in SwiftPaws.
We’ll keep showing up. We’ll keep refining and improving. And we’ll keep building products we’re proud of – for you and for your pets.
Thank you for being part of the SwiftPaws pack. I hope this year brings more joy, more connection, more play, and more moments that truly matter – with the pets and people you love.
With sincere gratitude,
Meghan
Founder & CEO, SwiftPaws
