Local Entrepreneur Is Vying to be Top Dog in Walmart Contest

It's hard to be top dog in a tough economy, but local entrepreneur Lindsey McGraw is more than willing to buck the odds with her best friend, partner, and brand ambassador: Sharkey, a bull terrier and the model for McGraw's invention, the Doggy Dickey.

The product - a novel neckwarmer for short haired, thin coated, and senior dogs - was entered into an online contest sponsored by called "Get on the Shelf." The product with the most votes will be offered by the big box retailer, and McGraw is hoping she and Sharkey will make the cut in the contest's first round.

McGraw, a Darien, Conn. native and now a South Amboy resident, adopted Sharkey from a pet shelter. She noticed during her romps with Sharkey and the Somerset County Dog Hikers Meet-up that dogs without a lot of fat or thick coats suffered in the winter during long walks.

That was when she developed the idea of the Doggy Dickey. Manufactured in the US and put out under McGraw's new brand, American Dog Apparel, the anti-pill fleece neckwarmer fits over any collar or harness and under any coat for added neck and chest protection against winter weather, it comes in three colors and in a variety of sizes to fit terrier-sized canines all the way up to Great Danes. 

McGraw and the personable Sharkey, the Doggy Dickey spokesmodel, shot a video and entered it into the "Get on the Shelf" contest. 

The competition, needless to say, is stiff. McGraw, and she says, Sharkey, are hoping that local residents will cast a vote for the Doggy Dickey by visiting the Walmart's contest site. 

The first leg of the contest for the top ten products is open through April 7, and well wishers can vote once a day for their favorite product.

McGraw, who is studying Pet Product Design at the Fashion Institute of Technology, said she'll be launching the Doggy Dickey this fall at local pet stores. She's hoping area dog lovers will vote for her product so she can get it 'on the shelf' and onto Walmart shelves. 

Go to the 'Get on the Shelf' website to cast a vote via Facebook or texting. For more information on the Doggy Dickey, visit the Facebook page for the product or the American Dog Apparel website.