Why Did We Create PAWNIX?

Colored explosions drip across the night sky. Their reflection’s dance along the water, across the bay.  The sound from the fireworks reverberates in our ears while our eyes drink in the night's wonder. Then, at ground level, a white streak enters and exits our field of vision, in the blink of an eye.   It takes us a second to realize, another dog has just run away due to the loud 4th of July firework show. All of our family members start to yell, "EMMA" my dog's name. Everyone's heart stops, and we all feel weak and helpless.  Emma has just become another statistic. A run-away. In a panic, we all set off in the direction that Emma went.   After what seemed like hours, we found my furbaby, Emma, down the street.  Thankfully, she had been taken into a garage by a neighbor, to ride out the rest of the firework show.

The statistics about dogs that run away during the 4th of July are high and very sad.  There is a 30% increase of lost pets during the weeks surrounding the 4th of July. According to Lost Pet Statistics, 14% of the 63 million dog owning households in America will run away within a 5 year span.  Dogs being scared by loud noises is one of the top four reasons dogs run away. With my invention of noise-cancelling headphones for dogs, we will reduce the number of dogs that run away due to all kinds of loud noises.

Like many dogs, Emma is scared of all kinds of loud noises.  Alarms, Motorcycles, Thunderstorms, Fireworks, etc. The Journal Of American Veterinary Medical Association reported 30% of dogs suffer from some type of storm anxiety; and 86% of dogs with thunder phobia develop separation anxiety.  

After I got her back, we tried calming oils and treats, doggie shirts, playing soothing music, nothing worked for Emma. One day, while we were traveling for our old corporate research and development job, an idea popped into my head.  During the plane's loading process, the stewardess on the airplane started slamming the overheard baggage compartments to get them to shut over large bags. This happens on most flights, and because it is a loud noise, Emma jumps a little every time it happens.  I was wearing my own Noise-Cancelling headphones, so she decided to try to hold the human headset to Emma's ears. It was bulky and awkward, but it worked. Emma stopped being jumpy, and settled down and got comfortable for take off. I let Emma lie down in them the rest of the flight.  That was the first day of the development process of PAWNIX Noise-Cancelling headphones for dogs. Comfortable headphones for dogs to eliminate the loud noises that trigger them, and in turn their pet parents.