I designed a nose guard for my dog and gave it away. Now 500 dogs wear one

Omri Hillel developed a 3D‑printed nose guard after his pitbull Billie was diagnosed with discoid lupus erythematosus and kept licking topical ointments and sun-exposed skin. He iterated through thirteen prototypes, posted the file publicly, then began selling under the name SnoutCover when owners asked for ready‑made units. Over the first year he personally printed, assembled and packed every piece from a single shed printer, fulfilling 395 orders to 16 countries and helping more than 500 dogs overall. Shipping delays and lost parcels forced him to resend units at his own cost and to professionalize packing and fulfillment even while keeping production hands‑on.

Product development remained driven by real cases and photos: strap placements were redesigned to stop slipping without pinching, the rigid Shield was reinforced for paw‑pulling, and custom shapes were created for breeds like Bull Terriers. A softer, breathable Care model was invented for ointment time and sensitive noses that need ventilation rather than full UV blocking; most owners use both Shield (for sun) and Care (for indoor/ointment). Tutorials for fitting and training accompany sales. As a birthday update, the free MakerWorld Shield has been rebuilt in S/L/XL with reinforcements, and every October order includes a clip‑on UV indicator for quick sun awareness.