FRANKLIN — For one dog in Milwaukee, life is pretty good. Mumble is the face and namesake for a dog treat and chew toy company.
"He constantly gets a royalty as far as treats go off the shelf. Like he's got his own stick pile over there," Bradley Will, his owner said.
Mumbies is a dog chew toy and treat company based in Franklin. It was started by Bradley Will in August 2023. They make all-natural dog chews and treats. Ten percent of proceeds go to local rescues and shelters.
"These rescues and shelters are severely under-resourced, and I know a little can go a long way," Will said.
Will started the company after looking for alternative toys for his dog. Mumble could chew through just about anything. That's when Will experimented with a type of wood called coffee wood. Mumble loved it. That's how Mumbies was born. All of the toys are made with upcycled coffee wood. For the dog that can bite through anything, this is for them. And customers love it.
"And we just crossed about a million dollars in sales in about 28 months, which has been a huge blessing," Will said.
Ultimately, Will wants to financially support shelters and rescues through product sales. That money helps house pets and prevents dogs from being euthanized due to overcrowding. The mission and the product resonate with his customers. Business has been steady, and orders keep coming in. But then a shipment arrived that wasn't exactly what Will was hoping for.
"So we had a big order we had placed, one of our biggest orders," Will said. "You know, chews were compromised. The quality was compromised."
Watch the story to see more of Mumble and the dog chews that will be donated...
The toys had cracks. Some were big, and others were small. Regardless, the chews were still safe and usable, but not appropriate to sell.
"If we were going to sell this at retail value, it would probably be a little over $25,000, maybe a little bit more. I don't like saying that. It's a lot for a small business."
So Bradley did the next best thing. He's donating all the boxes full of defective toys. On Saturday, Will is hosting a private giveaway at his Franklin warehouse. He invited about 50 rescues, shelters, and similar organization to come by and pick up a box full of items. For places like Roxz’s Resource in Milwaukee, these donations are invaluable.
"If we don't get donations from the community, this is gone. We can't help the pet families in the community that desperately, I mean desperately, need this right now," Vicky Van Lare, the founder of Roxz's said.
The non-profit gives away free pet food and toys to thousands of people each year.
"We go through it so fast," she said.
This unexpected donation will help keep Roxz's mission alive.
While the donations are primarily for non-profits, some items will be available for the public at the grooming salon, Pet Love. To learn more and get in contact with Mumbies email bradley@mumbies.com
It's kind of a when life gives you lemons moment. Not ideal, but they're able to make a difference for dozens of organizations.
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