Biting satire -- Trump doll gives pet toy company 'yuge' lift [View all]

Calvin, Fuzzu co-founder Sarah-Lee Terrat’s dog, plays with a Donald Trump chew toy at the company’s Williston headquarters Wednesday. JEB WALLACE-BRODEUR / STAFF PHOTOS

WILLISTON — A Vermont pet-toy company with roots in Waterbury Center has been growing by leaps and bounds since starting up a year ago, thanks in large part to the previous experience of its owners, an emphasis on creativity and high quality products — and to President Donald Trump.

“When Trump decided to run, it was like a gift from the pet-toy gods,” said John Lika, co-founder of Fuzzu, which started in Waterbury Center before moving in February to its current location in a Williston industrial park. “We just had to start up again.”

Lika founded Fuzzu (pronounced fuz-zoo) with wife Anne Lika, both of whom live in Essex, and Waterbury Center designer Sarah-Lee Terrat. The three 60-somethings had worked together at the Likas’ previous pet-toy company, Fat Cat, which they grew for 13 years before selling the business in 2007. Lika said a long noncompete agreement kept them out of the industry for years after that, but the stars seemed to align as the presidential election started to percolate.

“The timing was perfect,” said Terrat, whose home design studio was the initial Fuzzu headquarters. “We had been wanting to start a company and do it our way.”

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