Their journey began when their dog, Buddy Leroy, developed severe allergies. Five years later, Calvin and Audrey Morrow are building Dawg Team Apparel USA into a full-service destination for Memphis pet families.
Nationwide — When Calvin and Audrey Morrow’s beloved dog, Buddy Leroy, began suffering from severe allergies, they found themselves doing what countless devoted pet parents do: searching for answers and spending whatever they could to help him feel better. There was $500 here, $800 there, along with trips to different places for Buddy’s food and care. Eventually, they learned that Buddy was allergic to several things, including grass and chicken.
The experience left the couple with a question that would change the direction of their lives: If we are going through this with our dog, how many other pet parents are going through the same thing? That question helped inspire Dawg Team Apparel USA, which has grown over the past five years into Memphis’ only Black-owned full-service pet grooming storefront and mobile grooming operation.
What started with one family trying to solve a problem for the dog they loved became a business designed to serve other pet families. Before opening their Memphis storefront, the Morrows paid close attention to the surrounding community. They saw an area filled with pet owners and recognized an opportunity to create something more comprehensive than a traditional grooming shop or pet boutique. They wanted to create a trusted local destination where pet parents could access products and multiple services under one brand.
Today, Dawg Team Apparel USA offers mobile and in-store grooming, self-service dog washing, boarding, pet food and treats, supplements, apparel, accessories, licensed sports apparel, and other pet-care products and services. “We didn’t start this because we simply wanted to open another business,” said Calvin. “We started from our own experience with Buddy. We knew how frustrating it was to love your dog, know something was wrong, spend money trying different things, and still be searching for answers. We kept thinking about how many other pet parents must be experiencing the same thing.”
Behind the growth of Dawg Team was a sacrifice many customers never saw. For the company’s first five years, Calvin continued working a full-time career while he and Audrey simultaneously built the business. Then, in August 2026, their family experienced an unexpected turning point. After taking leave surrounding the death of Audrey’s father, Calvin returned to work and learned that his position had been eliminated.
The news could have represented a devastating professional setback. Instead, it underscored the importance of what the couple had already spent years building together. Long before Calvin knew his employment situation would change, he and Audrey had created an asset of their own, a company born from solving a real problem their family had personally experienced.
“For five years, we were building while I was still working full time,” Calvin said. “You never know when life is going to change. This experience reminded us why ownership matters and why building something of your own can become bigger than you ever imagined when you first start.” Now the couple sees the unexpected transition not as the beginning of Dawg Team, but as the beginning of its next chapter.
Their story carries a broader message for aspiring entrepreneurs who may believe they must choose immediately between a career and entrepreneurship. Calvin and Audrey built gradually, continued serving customers, and developed the business before circumstances required Calvin to make an unexpected career transition. At the center of everything remains Buddy Leroy, the dog whose health challenges sparked the original idea.
What began as one Memphis family looking for better answers for their dog has become a growing Black-owned pet-care business serving other families throughout the community. For Calvin and Audrey, however, the vision extends beyond simply operating a successful neighborhood store. They want Dawg Team Apparel USA to demonstrate what is possible when entrepreneurs identify a genuine customer problem, build around service, and continue developing an enterprise they own.
“We want Dawg Team to be the kind of place we were looking for when we were trying to figure things out for Buddy,” said Audrey. “Pet parents love their animals like family. We understand that because this entire journey started with ours.”
About
Dawg Team Apparel USA is a Black-owned full-service pet retail and services company based in Memphis, Tennessee. Founded by Calvin and Audrey Morrow after caring for their dog, Buddy Leroy, the company offers mobile and in-store grooming, self-service dog washing, boarding, pet food and treats, supplements, apparel, accessories, licensed sports apparel, and other pet-care solutions.
Be sure to visit their official website at DawgTeamProducts.com
Also, visit their location at:
Dawg Team Apparel USA
420 N. Cleveland Street
Memphis, TN 38104
For business inquiries, contact (901) 310-4773 or support@dawgteamproducts.com
For press inquiries, contact Team Vision Media at support@TeamVisionMedia.com
