I designed a nose guard for my dog and gave it away. Now 500 dogs wear one

A dog owner 3D-printed a nose guard for his pitbull's lupus and eventually sold 395 units to 16 countries.

Omri Hillel's pitbull Billie was diagnosed with discoid lupus erythematosus (DLE), an autoimmune condition attacking nose skin and worsened by UV. After ointment was licked off and sun was off limits, Hillel designed and 3D-printed a rigid nose cover called the Shield (originally Doguard) over 13 prototypes. He released the file free on MakerWorld and wrote up the process. When demand grew, he started selling printed, assembled covers at SnoutCover.com. To date, 395 orders have shipped to 16 countries, all printed on one printer in his shed. He later developed a breathable Care version for indoor use and ointment application, distinct from the full-UV-block Shield. The Shield was redesigned (v2) for reliability at volume. Anniversary gifts: an updated free MakerWorld file with sizes S, L, XL, and a UV-indicating leash clip free with October orders. Custom models are made for dogs that don't fit standard sizes, such as Bull Terriers. Hillel still prints, assembles, and packs every unit himself.