Meet Allison Hogue: Owner, Maggie & Molly Earth-Friendly Pet Toys

We had the good fortune of connecting with Allison Hogue and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Allison, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
A couple of years ago, I started moving towards a low/zero waste lifestyle. I try to reduce my impact on the planet by buying less, buying used, using up what I have, etc. I have four pets, though, and they have been the most difficult in terms of finding ways to reduce waste. I did start buying food in metal cans only (no plastic!), switched to an environmentally friendly kitty litter, and bought anything that *did* come with plastic in bulk (buying in bulk at least means there’s *less* plastic involved). Toys, however, were hard. Luckily, I’ve slowly started seeing the pet toy industry offer some environmentally friendly options that are made out of natural materials, but there’s still a ton of plastic and synthetic materials down those toy aisles at the pet store. After seeing someone else start a business making things like cotton rounds, unpaper towels, etc. from ethically sourced materials, I wanted to do the same for pets!

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
As the owner of Maggie & Molly Earth-Friendly Pet Toys, I am dedicated to using upcycled and environmentally-friendly materials in all of the toys I make. One of the first toys I made was a cat kicker made out of a throw pillow and a pair of jeans from Goodwill! I go to the thrift store periodically to see if I can find anything that could be made into a toy; sometimes I even buy things on eBay that are pretty impossible to find thrifted (tennis balls, for instance). Other than using upcycled materials such as those, I use wood, cotton, jute, sisal, etc. I’m actually just starting to focus on making pet toys; I started the business in early 2020 and was in the process of buying materials and supplies when COVID-19 hit the states. I just didn’t feel good about making pet toys when so many people needed face masks. I spent the first few months making them for free, and once face masks started appearing on the shelves at actual stores, I started charging a bit for them. So, it’s been a slow start getting to the original intent for the business, but I appreciate the opportunity it gave me to become a better seamstress! Now that I’m selling pet toys, I sometimes get videos or photos from a customer of their pet playing with them, and it absolutely lights up my heart to see a happy fur baby. The fact that they’re happy playing with an earth-friendly toy makes it even better. A lot of what I have on my Etsy shop right now is cat toys, but that’s because I’ve been testing toys with my pups to make them as durable as possible! I’ve come up with some great designs and will be adding them to the shop soon. Other things I plan to make soon are catnip infusers for toys, doggie bow ties & bandanas, & maybe even collars. Lastly, I want my customers to know that I really do love animals. I donate a pet toy to a shelter for every 10 toys sold, and I also do my best to help Athens & Atlanta pets find their furever home by sharing their photos on my social media pages.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I moved to Athens in August 2019 and was just starting to find all the cool spots in the city when COVID-19 hit. But, I quickly found that Clocked has the best burgers and The Rook & Pawn is such a fun place — it’s a board game cafe! I also really love the Creature Comforts brewery; such a nice place to have a drink and hang out. I didn’t get a chance to go there before the pandemic, but I can’t wait to go to Cine, which is an art house cinema. (I’m a film professor…) The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I started moving towards a low/zero waste lifestyle after listening to an episode of a podcast called By the Book; it’s a podcast where the hosts live by a self-help book for two weeks. The episode was based on Zero Waste Home by Bea Johnson, and it really got me thinking about my impact on the planet. So, the hosts — Jolenta Greenberg and Kristen Meinzer deserve some credit! I wouldn’t have even started down this journey without them, which means the business wouldn’t exist either!

Website: http://www.etsy.com/shop/maggiemollytoys

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/maggiemollypettoys

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Maggie-Molly-Earth-Friendly-Pet-Toys-112956576889114

Image Credits
Allison Hogue