Pawty in a Box

Does the idea of throwing a birthday or anniversary party for your dog seem silly? We don’t think so, either!

When we first heard about Mandy Diaz’ company, Pawty in a Box, we were intrigued. And, then excited. I mean, how cute is the idea of throwing your bestie - the most deserving of them all - a party to celebrate his/her special day.

Mandy launched her Miami-based company on Valentine’s Day, 2014, inspired by her own dog, Nouba, and her desire to throw him a party after hearing of someone else doing the same for their dog. Unable to find the kind of cute accessories she was looking for, Mandy decided to create them herself.

Each kit comes with invitations, party hats, bowls, treat bags and other accessories. Boxes are available in two sizes.

KB: When you launched your company, what did you think the response would be?

MD: The question I really asked myself was, ‘how many dog moms like me existed out there, that celebrated their pups?’ Many call us crazy dog moms, but I don’t really like that expression. We are not crazy, we just know how to express that love and let everyone know how much we love our dogs while we are at it!

KB: Were you surprised at the response?

MD: Absolutely! The response has been great. In the beginning, it was a challenge because the product did not exist in the market, so trying to create the need and explain why consumers needed it was definitely a challenge. It has definitely been a learning process! When somoene would open the boxes, I held by breath and watched carefully for their expressions, but I have recieved nothing but love!

KB: When did you realize that you were really on to something?

MD: After attending and exhibiting at Global Pet Expo in Orlando. Not only was there no other product like mine, but design-wise, I also knew I was within a small group of companies that were really pushing the envelope to cater to stylish and trendy dog parents who, not only wanted a quality product, but a prodcut that fit their lifestyles and looked great on their social media pages as well. After all, many of our clients have Instagram pages for their pups; our boxes make their special celebrations a beautifully styled “Pawty.”

KB: How did you find running the business end of things - did you have a sales or marketing background when you started?

MD: Actually, yes. My career began in producing events for the nightlife industy in Puerto Rico. We curated experiences for the attendee, from the flyer/promo to the actual event itself, everything was themed out. Years later, I switched to the vendor side of event production, still working on the design aspect of the event, but in a different manner. I am in sales as well. It is a career that I love and has opened many doors for me, including this new venture in my life. Having a creative outlet has always pushed me further, and now that I get to create a beautiful product that celerates the life of a dog, I mean, it’s absolute perfection!

KB: How many pawty kits do you offer?

The new, unicorn-themed decor.

MD: We currently have six themes and will be launching a seventh one shortly! The first five have some kind of dog icon and a beautiful color palette to compliment any customization. They are all ready for customization if our clients want to bring in additional items like cakes and cookies. For example, we had a client request a Sex & the City theme, so they purchased our Black Tie Pawty Kit and we recommended carrying the theme through to the food - the birthday cake had the NYC cityscape, the cupcakes had fun themed toppers, and the cookies were Cosmopolitans. We have received many requests for a Unicorn theme, so this was the first specific theme we launched, and our next will be a vibrant donut theme. I really can’t wait for everyone to see it!

KB: Do you design all the boxes?

MD: Yes, I do, being in the events industry and loving fashion, we are always looking at how trends are changing the market. With this in mind, we will continue to design looks that are unique and exclusive to the brand while being bold, fun, and happy!

KB: What are your plans for the future/expansion?

MD: I would definitely love to expand the collection and offer items within each themed box that go beyond the party, but I am taking it one step at a time and really focusing on party decor. That’s what I do best and what I am sticking to for the time being.

Nouba passed away in 2016, but his legacy lives on as the star of the Pawty in a Box logo. This is Mandy with her new dog, Beau Handsome.

“Nouba used to go to daycare, and one day his “teacher” said that a lady was having a birthday for her dog. Since I worked in event planning, I looked at her and was like “Wait, I’m celebrating his birthday, too.” Let’s be real, this other dog mom could not “out birthday” me - I’m the event girl! So I whipped up a party in no time with the help of friends and family. That’s when I realized there wasn’t anything on the market for birthday parties for dogs - much less anything pretty that I would purchase. And, that’s where the idea came from! ”