A new product called The Leadon is set to take the pet industry by storm as it aims to revolutionise pet safety and security.

The man behind The Leadon is James Dunne who rescued Summer, an ‘indoor’ cat, five years ago.

The Leadon is a new type of animal leash which allows pet owners to connect their animals within gardens without having to stand and hold the leash.

James Dunne reveals how he came up with the idea for The Leadon.

“After rescuing Summer, I wanted to give her a better life,” said James. “Before I managed to adopt her, she had only seen four small walls or a cage. When she finally came out of her shell, she expressed an interest in going outside, something totally alien to her. She didn’t know the outside world, like cars, dogs, roads, foxes or any of the many other hazards that face our animals every day.

“So, I came up with The Leadon. It can either be a fixed-point connection, for example high on a wall or if you want more freedom for your animal, you can thread a cable through the designed loop on the Leadon, which will enable the Leadon to slide along that cable allowing more distance/freedom for that animal. 

“The Leadon is designed to be outside and has a reinforced cable rather than the standard cord that is widely used. This cable stops any chance of the animal being able to chew through and escape. The Leadon can only be used with a harness and never a collar.

“The reason I decided to move forward and produce The Leadon as a commercial product was because a friend saw The Leadon attached to Summer and said straight away that she wanted one for Lola, her Bichon Frise dog. 

“The Leadon is based on an external washing line but that’s where the similarities end. We tried a washing line at the start but it didn’t last two days, so we have upgraded everything internally, from the main pillar to the spring and added the cable connection function on the top of the Leadon. We have also reinforced the cable, which stops any chance the animal will be able to chew through and escape.”

Summer has been using The Leadon every day for the past four years, purring when she sees the harness and waiting patiently until its fitted and the Leadon is attached.  

James added: “I have now in place a factory to manufacture in China with contracts and NDAs in place. We have applied for patents, design rights, trademarks and also copyright. I personally sourced the factory and they have produced all The Leadon prototypes for me in record time as they believe in The Leadon. 

“I am also appointing a business partner in China to assist with any issue that may arise in the region but we don’t anticipate any as everybody is excited about the product. We have now made 1,500 units and the first stores to receive the product were two well-respected pet stores – Tyler James in Ilkley and Posh Paws in Harrogate.”

The product is now available for pet owners to buy online at www.theleadon.com. 

“Our goal is to go worldwide with The Leadon,” said James. “With Australia now starting to ban cats from being outside the need for The Leadon is definitely there. I am also speaking with a company in the Arab Emirates who have now received their first 20 units to test the market.

“We are currently in the process of bringing out a catalogue of the various products we will be listing and that should be done this week and available on the website.

“Some people have expressed concern regarding The Leadon, saying there is potential for an animal to climb trees and get suspended whilst using the product. Because the animal is in a harness it will be safe and sound as it has happened to Summer on many occasions. The Leadon can only be used with a harness just like any leash and never a collar – collars are potential choking hazards.

“While The Leadon offers a secure way for your pet to enjoy outdoor time, we recommend supervising them while they're using it. Ideally you should to keep an eye on any animal attached to any leash.”

For more information email James Dunne at james@theleadon.co.uk