4Paws Empire is a New Zealand home-based dog gear business founded by Damon and Glenna, alongside their two golden retrievers, Leo and Karly. Neither founder had a background working with dogs professionally — Glenna's background is in law and policy, and Damon's is in design — but both grew up loving dogs and found the New Zealand market for dog harnesses limited, unable to find a harness they were truly satisfied with.
After three years of planning, 4Paws Empire was established in 2022, operating out of spare rooms and the garage of the founders' home. The business started by attending local markets before growing its online store, building steadily on positive customer feedback along the way.
The range now covers harnesses, leads, collars, accessories and treats, with a particular focus on durable, adventure-ready gear such as the Adventure Harness and Biothane leads and collars, including custom embossed options. The brand continues to expand its product range with the aim of bringing dogs and their owners the best possible gear, while remaining a small, founder-run operation at its core.
4Paws Empire is a home-based New Zealand dog gear business founded by Damon and Glenna, alongside their two golden retrievers, Leo and Karly, who the founders jokingly credit with running the show. Neither Damon nor Glenna came from a dog-industry background — Glenna's career was in law and policy, Damon's in design — but both grew up loving dogs and struggled to find a harness in New Zealand they were genuinely happy with.
## From Frustration to Business In 2019, the pair realised they hated their jobs and loved their dogs more than anything, and started noticing just how limited the New Zealand market for dog harnesses really was. That frustration turned into a plan: after three years of preparation, 4Paws Empire officially launched in 2022. True to its scrappy beginnings, the business still operates out of spare rooms and the garage of the founders' home rather than a commercial premises.
## What They're Known For 4Paws Empire's product range centres on durable, adventure-ready gear, including the Adventure Harness (now in its second version, with a newly released Scarlet colourway) and a growing biothane line — long lines, collars, and custom embossed biothane collars. The biothane range in particular reflects the brand's focus on hard-wearing, easy-to-clean materials suited to active dogs and their owners. Beyond the core harness, lead and collar range, the store also carries accessories and treats.
## The Growth Story The business began by attending local markets before building out its online store, growing steadily on the back of positive customer feedback rather than large-scale marketing. That grassroots approach has stuck — the founders describe themselves as proud of how far they've come while remaining committed to bigger goals, still run as a two-person, two-dog operation at its core.
## Shopping With 4Paws Empire The store ships internationally, with pricing and currency automatically adjusted to the shopper's country or region, and accepts a wide range of payment methods including Visa, Mastercard, American Express, PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Shop Pay, Union Pay, Bancontact and iDEAL Wero. Businesses interested in stocking 4Paws Empire products can apply to become a stockist directly through the website.