Is Auburn Leathercrafters Woke?

Auburn Leathercrafters: 75 Years of Faith, Family, and Handcrafted American Pet Products

Company Overview

In 1950, a man named Everett Dungey sat down in his basement in Auburn, New York, with a love for dogs and a determination to build something lasting. He began hand-crafting leather dog collars — one at a time, with care — and in doing so, planted the seed of what would become one of America's most enduring family businesses in the pet products space. His son Gordon joined him, then Gordon's son, and now the fourth generation runs Auburn Leathercrafters under the leadership of Chris Dungey. Seventy-five years, four generations, the same hands-on commitment to quality. That is a story you cannot manufacture, no matter how large your marketing budget.

Headquartered in Auburn, in the Finger Lakes region of Central New York, Auburn Leathercrafters produces a full line of handcrafted leather pet products made entirely in the USA. Their signature offering is a wide range of handcrafted dog collars — plain everyday styles, formal dress collars, decorative pieces — made from the finest full-grain leathers. They also make leashes, harnesses, and pet accessories. A newer line, "a tail we could wag," features colorful fashion accessories made in collaboration with Mayan artisans in Guatemala, bringing handcraft traditions from two continents together in a single product line.

With over 71 years of continuous operation, Auburn Leathercrafters has employed hundreds of craftspeople in upstate New York while maintaining the kind of consistent, personal quality that only a family-run operation can sustain. Their products earn 4.8-star reviews consistently — not because of advertising, but because the collars and leashes hold up and the customers keep coming back.

ESG & Sustainability

Auburn Leathercrafters publishes no formal ESG report and makes no corporate sustainability pledges — and they don't need to. The Guatemala partnership with Mayan artisans, while not branded as an ESG initiative, represents the kind of genuine fair-trade craft collaboration that no amount of corporate sustainability theater can replicate. Their core business model — handmade, small-batch, high-quality leather goods built to last — is itself an argument against the disposable fast fashion and cheap import economy.

When you buy a leather dog collar from Auburn Leathercrafters, you are buying something made by hand from durable materials that will outlast several generations of plastic and nylon alternatives. That is sustainable consumption in its most authentic form — no sustainability report required.

DEI Programs

No diversity, equity, or inclusion programs have been identified at Auburn Leathercrafters. There are no DEI departments, no mandatory bias training, no corporate equity pledges. What there is instead is a 75-year track record of employing skilled craftspeople in a small upstate New York community, paying them to do meaningful work with their hands. That is genuine economic inclusion — the kind that builds communities rather than checking boxes on a corporate scorecard.

LGBTQ+ Advocacy

Auburn Leathercrafters is not rated by the Human Rights Campaign Corporate Equality Index. No LGBTQ+ sponsorships, Pride campaign participation, or related initiatives have been identified. The company's mission statement reveals where their identity truly lies: faith, family, and craft — not progressive corporate activism. Their published values include an explicit statement that "their business ethics and conduct must be beyond reproach and consistent with their faith" and that "they believe that God has directed their path into this business." That is a company whose moral compass points somewhere other than the HRC scorecard.

Political Activity

No political donations, PAC contributions, or public political statements have been identified in connection with Auburn Leathercrafters. The company stays out of partisan politics entirely. However, their voluntary listing on PublicSquare — the conservative-values alternative marketplace built explicitly as a counterweight to the "woke" corporate consumer ecosystem — is a quiet but meaningful statement of where their values align.

PublicSquare exists specifically to connect consumers who reject progressive corporate activism with businesses that share their values. Auburn Leathercrafters chose to be part of that ecosystem. That is not an accident. It reflects a deliberate alignment with the traditional American values marketplace.

Consumer Impact

For pet owners who care about where their dollars go, Auburn Leathercrafters is a straightforward, excellent choice. This is a Christian, family-owned, handcrafted, American-made business that has been doing the same thing the same way for 75 years — because they are good at it and because it matters to them. No rainbow dog collars for Pride month. No corporate ESG commitments. No performative inclusion theater. Just beautiful, durable leather goods made with faith and craft by the same family that started this in a basement in 1950.

The fact that Auburn Leathercrafters is listed on PublicSquare tells conservative consumers something important: this company knows its values, and it is not afraid to be identified with them. In today's corporate landscape, that kind of quiet integrity is genuinely rare — and genuinely worth supporting.

• 75 years of family ownership — now in its fourth generation
• All products handmade in Auburn, New York, USA
• Explicitly Christian faith-based mission and business ethics
• Listed on PublicSquare conservative marketplace
• No DEI programs, no LGBTQ+ campaigns, no ESG theater
• 4.8-star average reviews from thousands of loyal customers

For the dog owner who wants quality, American craftsmanship, and values alignment in a single purchase — Auburn Leathercrafters delivers on all three.