Bethany Obrecht, Owner/Founder of Found My Animal, started making dog leashes, collars and accessories in 2007 to raise awareness about rescue dogs. “Rather than show sad ads about dogs that need homes, I wanted to celebrate animal adoption and inspire people to do the same exact thing,” Obrecht says.
Speaking of inspiration, she recently relocated her business into a newly renovated warehouse building in Midtown Kingston. You could too!
Like many enterprising business people, Obrecht first worked out of her tiny garden apartment in Brooklyn. “I was very stubborn, would not take ‘no’ for an answer. I just powered through and began selling to a few stores. I am really passionate about two things: animal welfare and rescue dogs, and about the way we make our products by hand. A few cool things happened along the way—we were featured on The Today Show and The Martha Stewart Show, got coverage in The New York Times, Martha Stewart Living and other publications—and the business grew from there.”
Found My Animal’s signature leashes, collars and other pet apparel and goods are Obrecht’s way to have a creative conversation about rescue dogs, and her packaging and actions both speak to her mission. She donates a percentage of her proceeds to rescue operations, and contributes leashes to high profile causes. If you tune in to The Hallmark Channel’s annual “American Rescue Dog Show” in February, Found My Animal leashes are featured, and she donated 550 leashes to the Humane Society Gala in NYC last December. Obrecht also sponsors a van that transports dogs that need homes from Florida to New York.
“A Big, Beautiful Studio”
Over the years, she moved her business operations from her apartment into the Old Pfizer Building in Bed-Stuy. Four years ago, she and her husband and their two boys began spending more time in their home in High Falls. “As a mom, I wanted my sons to have grass to run on and be boys, and I wanted to live upstate. I was done with Brooklyn.”
Last year, Obrecht, her husband and the kids had just finished swimming at the YMCA in Kingston, when she noticed an advertisement on the building across the parking lot. “I called the number, spoke with Scott Dutton (the owner and architect who is renovating the former Fuller Shirt Factory building) and he said, ‘I think we’re perfect for each other’.” She toured the space and agreed: In July 2018, Obrecht relocated Found My Animal into a big, beautiful studio, a change that has been beneficial in every way.
Photo Credit: Chris Kendall
She got a lot of assistance from the Ulster County Career Center (UCCC), and says Janet Rigaux was really supportive. “I had to hire and rebuild an entirely new production staff. I trained ten local employees, and am excited to have a strong start on 2019. One of our workers is from Gateway Industries, and we have an intern from the Youth Program at UCCC, too. Although the idea of moving the whole business upstate was really scary, it’s been very successful. We’re making beautiful products, and they’re better than they were because we have designated stations for packing, organizing supplies and for our entire process. Before, space was too tight and there was no rhyme or reason to the process.”
“Scott is just a great guy, and is so supportive,” Obrecht adds. “He helped me, and you wouldn’t get that in Brooklyn. When I drove up to the building to move in, he was waiting. He had an excavator to unload my machines, and the place was all set up. And,” she adds, “working here is inspiring. A lot of people are doing the same kinds of things here in this building and in the surrounding communities.”
Surrounded by Like-Minded Creatives
“There’s a lot of opportunity to grow your business in Ulster County, and to have a more peaceful life,” Obrecht says. “I get to enjoy the beauty of the surrounding area. Even though my job is always going to be extremely stressful, here I get to come home to my rescue goats, my dogs, my kids, and six acres of land. I’m very happy. I’ve met a lot of great people—like-minded, creative people—and there’s a lot of creative talent here. I always say to people, ‘you just have to believe in yourself, work hard and don’t quit. You can’t quit, just don’t quit, and you’ll be fine’.”
Photo Credit: Chris Kendall
The former Fuller Shirt Factory—a 67,000 SF building in Midtown Kingston—welcomes niche manufacturers, artists, photographers, wellness professionals and others, and more than a dozen tenants are currently secured.
Roughly 15,000 square feet is still available in a variety of spaces, each with its own electricity, heating/cooling and security. “We have several tenants committed to move into the second floor this spring, including a fashion designer, fragrance designer, two graphic designers, a Pilates studio, and an accountant. I’m excited about this interesting mix of creatives and professionals who are choosing to be located in Midtown Kingston,” Dutton says. “I anticipate the building will be completely occupied by the end of 2019, with the third floor/Phase 2 spaces ready for tenants this fall. Spaces include several that are 300-800 square feet and one large space that’s about 8,000 square feet.”
Once renovations are complete, the historic building will also house a fully equipped photography studio, event spaces, and a museum honoring the textile trades that once dominated Kingston. Visit http://fullerbuilding.com or call Scott Dutton at (914) 388.2461 for more details.
If you’re interested in relocating or expanding your business to Ulster County, call 845.340.3556 to speak with the staff at Ulster County Office of Economic Development. We can help with your staffing needs, grant applications and funding incentives, business planning, finding a site and more.
Ulster County Career Center (Ulster Works)
521 Boices Lane, Kingston, NY 12401
Phone: (845) 443.8066
Website: https://www.ulsterworks.com
Found My Animal
Phone: 845.443.7743
Website: http://www.foundmyanimal.com
Main Image - Photo Credit: FoundMyAnimal.com
