No plush toy will ever be indestructible. But Ellen Lawson, owner and founder of Fluff & Tuff, thought the toys her four dogs loved developed holes too quickly and weren’t made as well as she’d like. So in 2010, Ellen launched Fluff & Tuff by working with a children’s toy manufacturer who could create tough toys made from high-quality fabrics. Each Fluff & Tuff toy uses a Tuffweb™ liner and double-stitched seams to prevent holes.
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Designs Realistic-Looking Toys to Delight Dog Owners
Once Ellen’s decided what type of toy she wants to design, she spends hours looking at hundreds of images online, so she can decide what that animal’s distinguishing features are. Fluff & Tuff toys aren’t replicas, but Ellen works to make sure that every toy looks completely natural and doesn’t look like a caricature of that animal. Then she works in partnership with a designer to create a series of mock-ups until she’s created a toy her own dogs—Pitbull-mix Georgia and hound-mix Harry—love. To find out more about Ellen’s design work you can read about it on our blog.
Complies with Standards for U.S. Children’s Toys
Ellen works with a children’s toy manufacturer, so she can meet Fluff & Tuff’s high standards as well as the standards for U.S. children’s toys. Each toy is made with all-new materials, independently-tested to be non-toxic, and scanned for any foreign bodies that might accidentally enter the toy during the manufacturing process. She also includes details, such as embroidered eyes rather than hard eyes, to increase the safety of every plushie.
Philanthropy
Ellen and her husband Chris, co-owner and founder, established the Fluff & Tuff Charitable Foundation whose mission is to support animal welfare organizations. One of their annual fundraisers is their Holiday Charity Toy where they donate 100% of the proceeds of sales between October and January of a specially selected toy each year. In 2017 donations were made to Houston Pets Alive, Florida Keys SPCA and Code 3 which support dogs and cats in hurricane-devastated areas. They also host a one-month donation campaign, #igiveafluff, using social media to encourage pet owners to share a picture of their animals enjoying their toys.