Ever wonder where the dog ears in our logo came from? Here’s the story.
Years ago, my godfather Slim Humphries was at a wedding and spoke to a vet mate of his. Slim said he was looking for a new best mate, a red cattle dog.
A few weeks later the vet mate rang Slim, he had seen a notice at the Boonah IGA that read ‘RED CATTLE PUPPY NEEDS NEW HOME’.
That red cattle dog was Cody.
A local breeder had sold Cody to an elderly lady who accidentally jammed Cody's little tail under a door. Sadly, her tail was broken but the pensioner couldn’t afford the vet bill. Cody needed a new home.
Slim made the call and settled on a price of $80.
While Slim built and renovated houses, Cody made herself useful by bringing back dropped tape measures and hammers. During their time together, they built 20 houses, renovated several, and fitted out 15 restaurants and pubs.
After a long day on site, Slim, Cody and the infamous black cat would enjoy a rum and packet of BBQ chips together (she didn’t mind salt and vinegar either).
Cody rode motorbikes, jetskis and ride on mowers. She spent nights in 5 star hotels after being smuggled in a cardboard box and told ‘No barking!’.
Her ear went limp after a bingle with a cat while Slim was in hospital. Nurses kept her fed and watered but her ear became infected and went limp. That ear is the TradeMutt logo we know today.
Cody passed away at the age of 17 in 2010.
Her ashes lie in a timber box that Slim made. It sits on his bedside table, honouring his command; come, sit, stay.
When Dan and I knew we wanted to start a business, without having a name, I already had the logo I wanted in mind. It was the Red Dog Design logo that Slim used for many years while running his own business, a scribble that he did one night while enjoying a rum and watching Cody take a breather after a big day. Her ear had been limp for some time but her opposite ear was sitting up as if she was listening to something. Fast forward to 2018, Red Dog Design was no longer and the logo was no longer in use. A call to Slim was made and his blessing given, any way to keep her story alive is fine by me.
The TradeMutt Cody Tee is a tribute to the dog who put the Mutt in TradeMutt.
- Ed
