Q&A With the Founders of Pet Teek

What is a Pet Teek™ Pet Carrier?
It’s a stylish, fabric pouch that rests comfortably on both shoulders and has a sliding support band across your back. This chiropractor-recommended design allows you to carry your small pet snugly and safely against your chest (and close to your heart!), freeing your hands while you travel, shop, or walk larger pets.

Isn’t it a little unusual to carry your pet? Shouldn’t they be walking?
We’re not talking about strapping on your St. Bernard or your Newfie! We’re talking about dogs and cats up to 25 pounds. So many pet owners are already carrying their small pets in uncomfortable over-the-shoulder totes, or in caged cases. The Pet Teek™ is also ideal for pets with disabilities and chronic diseases, such as missing limbs, arthritis, diabetes and heart disease. Studies have shown that wearing a baby in a carrier is beneficial for bonding and development--

But these are cats and dogs...
At Pet Teek™, we believe that our pets are our babies and recognize that they, too, benefit from the comfort of hearing our heartbeats, which allows them to bond with us while also getting the sensory nourishment they need and deserve. Would you carry your baby in a cage? Pocket book? Bag? In fact, the design of our pet carrier is derived from the Baby K’tan Baby Carrier, which we also invented.

The inventors of Baby K’tan are the same folks behind Pet Teek?
That’s right. The Baby K’tan Baby Carrier was developed by my husband and me, along with another couple, all of us living in Florida. We have a son with Down syndrome and our friends have a child who required heart surgery when he was four weeks old. We four parents – a day trader, a biologist, an aeronautics salesman, and an attorney -- were driven to invent Baby K’tan when none of us could find an existing baby carrier that suited our babies’ needs.

So, as people who understand that a pet is as loved as a child, it was an obvious transition to adapting the Baby K’tan to create the Pet Teek™ Pet Carrier?
Exactly. Furthermore, pet products are not held to the rigorous industry standards that children’s products are. Our customers are relieved to know that, unlike any other pet carrier, the Pet Teek™ has been tested and approved to meet the highest child safety standards set forth by the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) and the Federal Hazardous Substances Act (FHSA).

Don’t you have to sacrifice all fashion sense to wear your pet?
Not at all! Pet Teek™ comes in five great t-shirt colors, made out of 100% natural cotton, has a matching bandana for your pet, and can be worn in three different positions, so you and your pet can travel in style.

How is the Pet Teek™ different from other pet carriers?
Other than the back-saving design and the unparalleled safety testing? Well, the most obvious is that your pet is strapped to you rather than hanging off your shoulder or shoved in a carrying case! But Pet Teek™ is much easier to put on than all the other pet-carrying products out there. No snaps, no buckles, no clasps, no bulky material, no metal, no plastic. Slip it over your head and go! Our unique design consists of just two loops of machine-washable fabric and the back-support band. Tada! Your hands are free and your little guy can view the world from a safe height, knowing you’re right there beside him.

What do veterinarians have to say about your product?
Veterinarian Alison Birken, D.V.M. of Miami, FL found the Pet Teek™ Pet Carrier to be “ideal for nurturing and bonding with small pets, fostering a sense of security, and especially useful in helping adopted puppies adjust to their new surroundings and bond with their owners.”

Why does Bernadette Peters like Pet Teek™ so much?
Bernadette is a committed animal advocate and we are so grateful for her support. Bernadette chose Pet Teek because it is a unique carrier that offers outstanding baby quality standards, looks and feel. Along with Mary Tyler Moore, Bernadette founded Broadway Barks, a nonprofit that focuses on the plight of homeless animals, and educates pet owners on responsible pet ownership. A portion of Pet Teek™’s proceeds goes to Broadway Barks.