Inside The Secret Lives of Pets With Allen Simon

by Natasha Wolff | January 11, 2021 3:00 pm

Inventing items that will make a pet owner’s life a little easier has been Allen Simon’s expertise for nearly 50 years. The current CEO and president of PetProducts.com[1] got his start working retail at a pet store in Brooklyn before opening his own business called Four Paws in 1970. Simon saw a space for himself in the pet industry where he could be creative and innovative while helping pet owners. “I manufactured and invented over 200 products, including the original and world-renowned Wee-Wee Pads and the Allen Pooper Scooper,” says Simon. “Over the years, we grew into one of the largest manufacturers in the pet industry.” If you have a puppy, you definitely have a box of Wee-Wee Pads[2] on hand for training accidents.

A pink dog leash from PetProducts.com

Thriving in the world of pet products, Simon sold Four Paws in 1997 to Central Garden & Pet for nearly $60 million, and stayed on board for the next 15 years. His next venture was a one-stop shop for products, research and reviews called PetProducts.com[3], and over the past year, he’s focused his efforts entirely on this new ecommerce hub. “People love their pets and consider them part of the family and like to spoil them[4],” he explains. “We started selling pet products online about six months ago, and it has been growing rapidly ever since.” The site caters to household pets, including dogs, cats, snakes, birds and fish.

In a world where ecommerce reigns supreme, PetProducts.com has found its niche. The brand also has an ongoing relationship with the television series New to the Street[5], where top pet products available on PetProducts.com are highlighted. “It has helped our business tremendously,” he says.

Over the last six months, PetProducts.com has grown especially fast, allowing pet owners to shop for everything from a stylish new outfit for their dog or food for their cat from the comfort of their own home. As for the future of PetProducts.com? Simon tells us, “We plan to keep growing the company and serving the public.”

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