“Once upon a time, childhood was simple. Today, it’s tough to be a kid sometimes. Trouble the Dog teaches children about resilience. He has an amazing energy kids can feel and helps them hope, dream, and believe. Trouble helps kids with their ‘troubles,’ big or small. One hug and you’ll see.”
When Sheila Duncan sent me a Trouble the Dog® plush toy so that I could write this post, I knew as soon as I took him out of the box that he wasn’t meant for me. Instead, he was meant for a young girl I know.
The youngest of six children, she was born during a time when her parents were dealing with their oldest daughter’s illness, which almost proved fatal. The family was under chronic stress and worry while they worked with doctors to figure out treatment plans and shuttled back and forth to the hospital.
Thankfully, her older sister miraculously recovered and family life returned to normal. This young girl, however, had absorbed the stress. From an outsider’s perspective, it was easy to see: a late walker and talker, she was also shy and anxious.
However, she loves my dog Rocky and enthusiastically pets him when he visits. She had also begun telling her parents she wanted a dog, so Trouble’s arrival was perfect timing!
Right before writing this post, I visited the family and brought Trouble. I knelt down at her level and held the plush dog behind my back.
“Dianna has something for you,” said her father.
When I handed Trouble to her, she instantly took him and held him to her chest. It was love at first sight. I shed a few tears, and then shed a few more when I wrote Sheila later that day, “Trouble is now doing his job. Thank you!”
“An angel in disguise” . . . indeed. It never ceases to amaze me how God works in His own way and time through miracles and blessings.
Trouble’s origin story
“In 2006, my twelve-year old niece Kendra Duncan had lost several people close to her due to cancer,” says Sheila. “She was at my house when the St. Jude telethon came on; she said she wanted to help children and instantly drew Trouble the Dog.”
Her niece expanded the drawing to a comic book about a puppy that been abandoned and then adopted in NY, along with other characters. Trouble now had a story.
“Trouble, however, wanted to pay it forward. We then worked with an artist and she did a coloring book based on the story, along with a medallion for children to rub to make themselves feel better,” says Sheila. “And it did. Then one day, a neighbor said, ‘You need to go further with this; I have a friend who owns a toy company.’”
Sheila talked to the company owner, who agreed she had a good idea, and suggested she pair Trouble the Dog with a children’s book. He also introduced her to a manufacturer in China.
At this point in her narrative, I interrupted to say, “Oh my gosh!! My son used to have a plush Clifford the Big Red Dog toy and a book signed by Normal Bridwell. His father paid a small fortune for both on a PBS televised auction!”
Unfortunately, I haven’t a clue what happened to either one. But suffice to say, we loved Clifford!
Sheila decides to manufacture in the USA
Fast forward to December 1, 2007, when 1,500 plush toys arrived at Sheila’s house.
“This original delivery was well-done,” says Sheila. “The woman I worked with in China was great, but her replacement was not. Over time, quality became inconsistent, so I began researching how to make Trouble in the United States.”
None of the big plush toy manufacturers wanted to take on the project, but Sheila persisted and found a small woman-owned cut and sew manufacturer, American Bear Factory.
The owner has worked with Sheila to keep pricing as low as possible through cost-efficient production methods; for example, Trouble’s eyes, nose, tongue and tag are sewn rather than embroidered.
Sheila originally priced Trouble at $18, and then raised the price to $54 when she moved to her U.S. manufacturer. But with costs rising significantly in the last year or so, she had to double the price.
Trouble, however, is worth it – and her customers agree, judging by the reviews.
Trouble becomes a therapeutic tool
I’m not the only one with a teary-beautiful Trouble the Dog story. Sheila hears them all the time. Trouble is soft and cuddly, and wants to be hugged, versus being stiff and over-stuffed. Even as an adult, you know that by simply holding him, he’ll make you feel better.
Sheila had originally published three Trouble books, but she and her marketing person decided to simplify and focus the website on Trouble the Dog. The decision was also based on the incredible stories she was hearing and the fact that Trouble is being utilized as a therapeutic tool.
“I was working a Shriner’s show,” she relates, “and a woman came to the table and told me her story. She and her husband adopted a boy from Catholic Charities where he was given a Trouble dog along with a book as a coping mechanism. Trouble became his instant confidant.”
The family, says Sheila, was so grateful, they raised money to buy 503 dogs to give to children in foster care.
“It was their son’s idea,” says Sheila, “because he knows what it’s like. He wanted kids to have the comfort of Trouble when they were moving from place to place. He always says, ‘People need to know Trouble is a magical Dog.'”
Inspired by the generosity of her late entrepreneur father, Ken Duncan, Sheila decided to form The Kennek Foundation to expand her reach as the requests for donations and visits from Trouble the Dog began to increase.
Through generous donors, Sheila donates Trouble dogs to first responders – police officers, fire fighters, and hospital personnel – who then give them to children to help ease stressful situations. Heck, there’s even an annual motorcycle ride!
Since Trouble’s creation in 2006, Sheila has worked tirelessly to raise awareness of the issues children and their families face in today’s world.
“As you learned through your own experience, Trouble is not simply a plush toy,” she says. “He’s a proven coping mechanism for children going through tough times. Kids can feel his calming energy.”
She goes on to say, “Trouble is a global treasure with unlimited potential. Who knows, maybe the stars will align, and with the right ally, Trouble will soon become the next Clifford . . . or Snoopy!”
If you see the same potential, you can contact her through the Trouble website. (See links below.)
At first, I thought Trouble was an interesting Made in USA story, which it is. I did a great deal of research about the plush toy industry and could have cited facts and figures throughout this write up. Instead, I found a wonderful story of hope, inspiration, and love for our children – who so need it.
Thank you, Sheila Duncan, for all the work you’re doing. I’m quite inspired and am thrilled to share your story. I also love that Trouble is made right here in the United States. ❤️
Links
Trouble the Dog website – You can buy a dog (or two) and a dog house, or send a Trouble dog to a child in need.
For adults and seniors — You can also purchase a Trouble dog for adults in the hospital or hospice or who simply need a comfort buddy. (Love this!)
The Kennek Foundation – Sheila Duncan’s non-profit.
Trouble is also featured on Made in USA sites, including USA Love List and the Alliance for American Manufacturing.
Full Disclosure
I’m not paid nor asked to write about products or the companies that make them. All links in this piece are FREE — meaning, they’re not sponsored or paid for.
I share these stories because my mission is to keep manufacturing jobs stateside. This mission is my way of giving back. We like to think our “small” choices won’t make a difference. They do.
