Protect Your Pets!

Back in 2013, Jesse and Aiden Emilo went for a walk with their dogs under Wyoming’s big blue sky. The pups were decked out in handmade, cool-looking goggles. Many people they passed stopped them to ask questions. “No,” Jesse and Aiden said, “They’re not for fashion.” The goggles were to protect their pups’ eyesight.     

That was the beginning of Rex Specs, the company the couple co-founded. In 2013, their dogs Yaz, an Alaskan husky, and Tuckerman, a German shepherd, developed eye problems. Just like humans, dogs can get eye diseases that worsen with long exposure to the sun’s ultraviolet rays. Their vets suggested using something like sunglasses. Jesse and Aiden searched online but couldn’t find exactly what they wanted. That’s when they decided to make goggles themselves.

In 2013, Jesse and Aiden Emilo took their dogs for a walk under Wyoming's big blue sky. The pups were wearing cool-looking goggles. The Emilos made the goggles themselves. Many people stopped to ask about the goggles. "No," Jesse and Aiden said, "They're not for fashion." The goggles were to protect the dogs' eyesight.    

That was the beginning of Rex Specs. The couple founded it together. They did it for their dogs: Yaz, an Alaskan husky, and Tuckerman, a German shepherd. Both dogs had both developed eye problems. Long exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays could make their conditions worse. Vets thought the dogs should wear something like sunglasses. Jesse and Aiden searched online but couldn't find exactly what they wanted. That's when they decided to make goggles themselves. 

Rex Specs soon took off with orders from the locals who had seen Yaz and Tuckerman testing the goggles. Today, the products come in a variety of colors and sizes. All Rex Specs block harmful ultraviolet light, to prevent and protect existing eye-related medical issues. But the goggles also protect the dogs’ eyes from flying hazards such as whipping branches or airborne dirt, rocks, pollen, and seeds.

Jesse loves that Rex Specs are helping dogs in need. “It’s also great to see people having so much fun with the product,” he says. Rex Specs’ Instagram account has more than 60,000 followers. People post pictures of their pets in the specs daily. These posts range from an XL German shepherd with stealthy black goggles to an XS Chihuahua with blue-tinted lenses.

Rex Specs soon took off. The Emilos received orders from locals who had seen Yaz and Tuckerman testing the goggles. Then word started to spread. Today, the goggles come in a variety of colors and sizes. But they all block harmful ultraviolet light. This helps prevent new eye problems and stops existing ones from getting worse. The goggles also protect the dogs' eyes from dangers like whipping branches. They also keep out flying dirt, rocks, pollen, and seeds.

Jesse loves that Rex Specs are helping dogs in need. "It's also great to see people having so much fun with the product," he says. Rex Specs' Instagram account has more than 60,000 followers. People post pictures of their pets in the goggles every day. There's a German shepherd who wears extra large black goggles. A tiny Chihuahua wears extra small goggles with blue-tinted lenses.

Eyewear like the Rex Specs goggles also helps dogs working alongside soldiers and police officers in dangerous environments. In Alameda, California, explosives-detection dog Feco wears goggles when he’s on the job. He and his handler, U.S. Coast Guard petty officer Cory Sumner, go on helicopter rides sometimes. With the goggles shielding his eyes from the wind and flying debris, Feco can remain calm and focus on his odor detection responsibilities, says Sumner.

Rex Specs is now working to develop new products, including goggles for big dogs with short snouts. The Emilos want to help more dogs have a good time and receive more smiles from people!

Eyewear can also help dogs working in dangerous environments. These dogs help people like soldiers or police officers do their jobs. Feco is an explosives-detection dog in Alameda, California. He wears goggles when he's on the job. He and his handler, U.S. Coast Guard petty officer Cory Sumner, go on helicopter rides sometimes. The goggles shield Feco's eyes from the wind and flying debris. That helps the dog stay calm and focus on sniffing out bombs, says Sumner.

Rex Specs is now developing new products, including goggles for big dogs with short snouts. The Emilos want to help more dogs have a good time-and make more people smile!