When Maria “MK” Katayama brought home her boxer, Nina, in 2019, she quickly became obsessed with dressing her up in playful floral accessories—little pops of joy that clipped onto Nina’s collar. What began as a fun creative outlet soon evolved into something more meaningful.

With a background in law enforcement, MK was all too familiar with the heartbreak of lost pets. She’d seen firsthand how difficult it was to reunite missing dogs with their families—especially when microchips weren’t updated or ID tags lacked contact information. Determined to find a smarter solution, she initially tested out a GPS-enabled dog collar. But it came with limitations: the collars weren’t interchangeable, were bulky, and required frequent charging—yet another task in her already demanding schedule.

An idea sparked: if she used Apple AirTags to track her luggage, why couldn’t she use one to keep track of Nina? She envisioned a way to combine safety with style—a practical, easily swappable accessory that securely held an AirTag while reflecting her love of design. Thus, FurePET’s first signature product was born: a minimalist AirTag holder accented by floral details.

To bring her vision to life, MK partnered with a collective of women artisans in Brazil, who handcraft each flower accessory using sustainable leather and artisan techniques. This collaboration not only supports ethical production but also celebrates creativity, culture, and community.

By 2022, her boxer family grew with the addition of Nina’s baby brother, Theo. With two dogs in tow, MK began noticing deeper gaps in the pet industry—especially around wellness. In 2025, Nina was diagnosed with a mast cell tumor. After her recovery, MK became laser-focused on optimizing her dog's health through nutrition, transparency, and preventative care.

She quickly realized how difficult it was to verify the source or quality of ingredients in most pet supplements. Why, she wondered, should pet parents settle for less when humans have access to clean, high-performance wellness products?

That question led to the expansion of FurePET—a curated line of paw balms, wild-sourced fish oils, functional elixirs, and grooming essentials designed to support pets from the inside out. Each product is thoughtfully formulated with transparency, efficacy, and design in mind—because dogs deserve the same high standards we demand for ourselves.