Born in New York City in 1952, Arnie Costell grew up much like any boy did in his time – a good kid, a sports fan, a dog lover, and a son who adored his mom. What made Arnie different were his inventive mind, his passion for baseball, and a left arm that could launch a pitch like a rocket.

At the tender age of 19, Arnie was drafted in the first round by the Detroit Tigers organization. He spent the next few years pitching for a series of professional baseball organizations, including the Tigers, the Houston Astros, and his boyhood idols – the New York Yankees.

When Arnie retired from his professional baseball career, he went back to school to earn his degree in Psychology from the State University of New York at Stony Brook. He then began a successful business in the garment industry as a piece goods salesman before launching the marketing firm Mar Developments, where he invented and marketed the Putt Miser, a device that helps train golfers in the difficult skill of putting.

As an avid animal lover, Arnie has shared his life with seven different dogs since his childhood. Yet only his “sheepador” Watson touched his life in an extraordinary and completely unforgettable manner.

Watson and Arnie met in 1982, after Arnie answered an ad for sheep dog puppies. Although Arnie had originally picked out another dog from the litter, when he returned to pick him up, only Watson, the runt of the litter, was left. Arnie fell instantly in love with the little black and white mass of fur and fluff. He took Watson home, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Arnie and Watson formed a special bond instantaneously. Watson became Arnie’s constant companion, and both seemed to know what the other was usually thinking. Arnie treated Watson like a member of his family; together they’d go to baseball games, the beach, on long walks, and try to help each other meet as many members of the opposite sex as possible. Through the years, they became inseparable. When wildfires ravaged Arnie’s Malibu home, he prayed on the drive to inspect the damage that losing everything else would be an even trade if he found Watson alive. When he arrived, Watson was there, sitting amidst the smoldering ruins, unharmed.

As Watson grew older, he developed hip dysplasia. His hindquarters became unstable, and he could no longer walk or eliminate well. Arnie was concerned about his four-legged friend as he watched him slip into a depressive state that also affected his physical health. To assist his companion, Arnie devised the Bottom’s Up Leash™, an ingenious device that supports a dog’s hindquarters as they move, and also helps them walk again. This timely invention was a success, and Watson soon regained his dignity, his positive outlook, and his quality of life – as well as an extension of it.

After seeing Arnie and Watson’s leash in action, other dog owners with similar problems approached them on obtaining this functional apparatus. Arnie first made leashes for a deserving few; but after assessing increasing demand, he realized that many dogs who were loved by their owners as Watson was needed the Bottom’s Up Leash™ to help care for their pet’s lives.

So, with dogs like Watson in mind, Arnie founded a company – Watson’s Senior Pet Supplies. Watson’s original hand-sewn leash proudly hangs in the company’s Santa Monica, CA headquarters. Of course, Watson has gone to that great pet spa in the sky. But his spirit, love and enthusiasm for life endure within the company that Arnie credits him for inspiring.

Dogs of all ages and physical capabilities can benefit from the many other helpful products created and marketed by Watson’s Senior Pet Supplies. Other insightful trademark products include a canine auto safety harness, all-terrain pet shoes for dogs, and washable diapers for dogs.

Watson’s Senior Pet Supplies is committed to meeting the challenges of aging pets and their owners by creating premium, proprietary and revolutionary products, and building community through timely educational and informative content. Watson’s sole aim is to provide pets and their owners with a better quality of life.