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How a Squinting Dog Inspired a $3 Million Company When their border collie had trouble seeing during a game of fetch, Roni and Ken Di Lullo invented Doggles, tinted sport goggles for dogs.

By Jodi Helmer

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Labra-dude-le: Obi sports Doggles designed by Roni Di Lullo.
Labra-dude-le: Obi sports Doggles designed by Roni Di Lullo.
Photo© Leah Fasten

Roni and Ken Di Lullo knew something was off when their dog Midknight kept missing the Frisbee during a game of fetch. In 1997, during a visit to the dog park near their San Jose, Calif., home, the couple noticed that Midknight was squinting. "He seemed to be sensitive to sunlight," Roni recalls.

On a lark, Roni retrofitted sports goggles to fit the border collie. In addition to improving his Frisbee performance, Midknight became the talk of the dog park. People were so amused by the goggles that Roni created a website to showcase photos of the pooch modeling his eyewear. "People love to see a dog wearing glasses," she says.

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