About us

It all started with a pushy dog named Zelda.

Kurgo founders and brothers, Kitter and Gordie Spater, grew up exploring the woods in Vermont along with the family dogs. Their entrepreneurial spirit and love of dogs motivated them to create Kurgo—although the brand’s inspiration is credited to Kitter’s dog, Zelda.

Zelda had a dangerous habit of jumping into the front seat during car rides. After one too many close calls, Kitter built the first prototype of what would later become the Backseat Barrier in his garage. Since then, the Spater Brothers have grown Kurgo into a leader of travel and safety products that aim to solve the many problems dog owners face every day.

The Kurgo brand can be summed up with just one word: go. This forward motion informs everything we do: the products we make, the causes and ideas we are passionate about, and the impact we hope to have in our customers’ lives.

We believe your dog is more than just a pet. She is your best friend, family member, hiking partner, and brewery tour buddy. You go everywhere together—maybe it’s to the ends of the earth, maybe it’s to the end of your street. We want to help you go safely, comfortably, and happily together. That’s why we specifically design our products to make adventuring with your dog easier than ever before.

We want our products to enhance your journeys with your pup through simple, durable, and need-based designs. We believe it’s the greatest honor when someone invests their money in something we made, so we strive to honor our customers by creating consistently high-quality products backed by our lifetime warranty.

Dogs have always been central to our lives, and we know how important they are to you. We hope you’ll let us help you go even further together.