Naman Shrestha
Pet owners, especially dog owners, face the constant stress of having to leave their furry friends home alone when they have to go out without them. In order to tackle the issue, Todd Schram came up with a human-shaped inflatable — Gerty. The founder and owner of the eponymous company presented the business and its potential in front of the Sharks in the second episode of ABC’s ‘Shark Tank’ season 17. Allowing the Sharks to examine the emotional support doll for dogs and pets’ best friend, Todd pitched his vision and hoped that at least one of the business tycoons would come on board and help him take Gerty to the next level.
Gerty Pet’s Best Friend: Who Are They and What Do They Do?
Before getting the inspiration to bring Gerty to life, Todd Schram was in the field of hospitality technology. Given his knowledge and expertise in the industry, he also founded and owned a bar software startup company. However, he didn’t like leaving his dog alone in the house as he left for work. In order to stop his furry best friend from losing it the moment he stepped outside, he tried all that he could, including diffusers, background music, and thunder shirts, but nothing worked. Out of frustration, Todd then left a big pile of laundry on his dog’s bed, which unexpectedly helped a bit.
As he noticed that just the mere presence of something in the room worked, Todd created a figure with the help of a hoodie and an old Halloween decoration. When he saw his dog curl up right next to it, he decided to evolve his creation. After finding manufacturers to make a soft, human-shaped, and huggable version, he managed to come up with Gerty — a pet-safe, huggable, easy-to-inflate, and sturdy enough emotional support doll for dogs. Seemingly founded in 2024, the inflatable figure is designed to appear like a human, with U-shaped arms and a cartoonish face. The torso of the figure is also wide enough to allow medium-sized dogs to curl up next to it or hug it.
In order to make it stable enough, it consists of multiple air chambers on its head, torso, legs, and arms. It works even better when the inflatable is dressed in the owner’s worn clothes so that their furry friends smell them. They could even pretend to talk to it before leaving, making it easier for the pet to associate Gerty with them. Although it doesn’t move or make noise, the human-shaped figure keeps the dogs company in the owner’s absence, regulating the separation anxiety suffered by them.
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Gerty Pet’s Best Friend: Where Are They Now?
Made from soft-touch vinyl, Gerty is not only easy to inflate and use but also easy to clean. The compact size also enables you to take it wherever you go with your pet. Todd runs the company on a direct-to-consumer model, providing the product on its official website and on some of the online retailers, such as Amazon. The customers have two options — purchase the Gerty with the default face for $39.99 only or buy the Gerty with a custom face, allowing you to upload any face of your desire, for $64.99. The product comes with a set of instructions and a small repair patch.
Known for alleviating dogs’ separation anxiety when their owners leave them alone, Gerty needs no electricity or claims to work its magic. The company boasts that the results are life-changing, not just for the pets but also for the pet owners. Marketing as the number one product on the market to cure and alleviate dog separation anxiety, Gerty has been receiving mostly positive reviews from users.
