It All Started With Dutch

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Dutch passed away from an intestinal blockage after ingesting pieces of a tennis ball over time. His sudden loss left me without answers — and filled with questions.

Began researching similar incidents. Discovered there were no dissolvable, safe alternatives for dogs on the market.

Sketched first conceptual Dutch Ball logo — using Dutch’s face as the emblem.

Began university outreach (Cal Poly, Case Western, Johns Hopkins, MIT, UC Davis, etc.) to explore food-safe, pH-sensitive, or dissolvable materials.

Filed provisional patent for Dutch Ball to begin IP protection and early development.

Began drafting formal trademark application for “Dutch Ball.”

University and veterinary feedback begins coming in. Dutch Ball enters its first stage of scientific collaboration.

Submitted the Dutch Ball Capstone Prospectus to Case Western Reserve University for consideration in their 2026 spring program.

Received confirmation from Case Western’s engineering department that Dutch Ball is being discussed internally as a potential spring capstone project.

Advanced R&D coordination continues; Case Western expresses interest in moving forward pending faculty selection.

Submitted a Project Pitch to the National Science Foundation (NSF) for consideration under the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program.

Preparing early documentation and R&D framework for university collaboration and upcoming grant milestones.