There is something undeniably special about the bond between a person and their pup. And for Phoenix-based LOVEDOG founder Laurie Stephens, that love has always extended far beyond the dog at her feet. It is at the heart of a luxury pet lifestyle brand built around design, craftsmanship and a greater purpose.
“I’ve loved dogs fiercely for as long as I can remember, and I always knew I wanted them to be part of my everyday life,” Stephens says.
Originally, she envisioned LOVEDOG as a luxury subscription box for dog moms. But as she began sourcing products from overseas and assembling the boxes, she realized something was missing.
“I was ordering pieces from China, adding other products to the boxes, and it just felt empty to me… I didn’t like not having control. I didn’t like the fact that my customer service was not in my hands, and I really wanted to keep things here in the United States. For the brand to be very personal.”
That became the starting point for something more. Stephens began selecting the fabrics herself and designing each piece, eventually bringing a designer onto the team to help design and sew LOVEDOG’s collections in small batches. Today, LOVEDOG’s handcrafted accessories are made in Arizona and include harnesses, collars, bows, leashes, bandanas and home accessories.
“I am inspired more by fashion and interiors than by traditional pet products,” Stephens says. “Dogs are increasingly part of our everyday lives; we take them to lunch, shopping, traveling and into so many of the spaces we occupy, so naturally, they become an extension of us.”
For Stephens, dressing a dog can be another form of personal expression. A beautiful collar or patterned harness can say something about the person holding the leash just as much as it says something about the pup wearing it. Stephens personally chooses every fabric, gravitating toward timeless florals, beautiful textures, unexpected and romantic prints, along with the brand’s signature black-and-white stripes.
“Fashion is such a personal way for a woman to express who she is and how she feels, and I think that extends to the dog she loves,” she says. “Dogs give us this wonderfully fun, less serious way to express ourselves, our sense of humor, what we care about, what we find beautiful, every little bit of who we are.”
Giving back has been part of the brand since its beginning, with Stephens intentionally creating a business that could support the rescue community while celebrating the dogs who have already found their homes. Today, LOVEDOG works almost exclusively with Heart of Infinity Rescue, a nonprofit that pulls dogs from euthanasia lists and, in just the last 45 days, has rescued 65 dogs.
LOVEDOG and Heart of Infinity Rescue frequently collaborate on community events, with LOVEDOG donating 20 percent of sales at pop-ups and 100 percent of proceeds from targeted fundraising events such as Pictures with Santa. The brand is also helping sponsor a workshop designed to give fosters and prospective fosters a better understanding of dog behavior and the tools needed to be successful.
That idea connects to the original vision. Stephens wanted the brand to be more than beautiful products; she wanted it to serve as a reminder that loving one dog can inspire us to care about all dogs.
And perhaps that is where LOVEDOG’s fashion-forward approach becomes especially meaningful. A stylish collar or harness becomes more than an accessory. It becomes part of a shared community among people who believe dogs deserve to be loved, protected and given the chance to find home.
“My favorite part of what I do is meeting people and their dogs, hearing their rescue stories – or simply the story of how their new baby came into their lives – and seeing the excitement when they put that first LOVEDOG harness or collar on them.”
Stephens hopes those encounters will continue to build something bigger than a brand – a community of dog lovers who recognize one another wherever they go. LOVEDOG is hosting a pop-up shop at Kierland Commons starting October 1. Find out more here: lovedogusa.com.
