Volkswagen has revealed a limited-edition dog toy inspired by its ID. Buzz electric people carrier.
The ‘VW Kong For a Cause’ is the result of joint project with the Kong dog toy company, alongside VCA Charities pet shelters in the United States.
For every example of the VW Kong For a Cause sold, another will be donated to an animal shelter. All net proceeds from sales of the toy will go to charity, too.
If the link between Volkswagen and dog toys has you scratching your head, there is a good reason for it – and one rooted in the German marque’s history.
A rocky start to a winning idea
Inspiration for the original Kong rubber dog toy came from a mechanic’s workshop in Denver, Colorado during the 1970s.
Workshop owner Joe Markham had acquired a German Shepherd dog, named Fritz, to help protect his workshop after a spate of burglaries.
Rejected by the local police academy’s canine division due to his excessive chewing, Fritz lived up to his reputation at Markham’s workshop.
Fritz attempted to chew everything from rocks to radiator hoses, but salvation finally arrived in the shape of a rubber bump stop from a 1969 Volkswagen Type 2 Bus.
Honouring design classics
Markham realised the bump stop had the perfect consistency to resist chewing without damaging a dog’s teeth, and spent the next six years designing the ultimate canine toy.
This led to the Kong company being launched in 1976, and millions of the rubber dog toys being sold around the world.
As the modern equivalent to the classic Volkswagen Type 2, the ID. Buzz has donated its Cabana Blue colour scheme to the special Kong toy, which is sadly only available to enthusiasts in the United States.
“At Volkswagen, we believe in the power of connection between people and their pets,” said Rachael Zaluzec, SVP for brand marketing at Volkswagen of America. “The ID. Buzz embodies that spirit, and this collaboration carries forward Kong’s wonderful origin story that began with a man, his best friend and a VW bus.”
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