Radio Systems Corp., the pet products company founded by Randy Boyd in Knoxville more than 30 years ago, is suing a competitor in U.S. District Court.
The complaint filed in November alleges unfair competition and false advertising by Texas-based Protect Animals With Satellites, which manufactures the Halo Collar.
Boyd, president of the University of Tennessee System, founded the Radio Fence Corporation in Knoxville in 1991 and changed its name the following year to include products like bark collars and remote trainers.
Boyd sold Radio Systems Corp. in June 2020 to Clayton, Dubilier & Rice, an international private investment firm, but continues to serve on the board of directors. Radio Systems remains headquartered in Knoxville and produces over 4,600 pet products under brand names such as Invisible Fence, PetSafe and SportDOG.
What does Radio Systems Corp. suit about PetSafe competitor allege?
Both Radio Systems Corp. and PAWS offer GPS-based pet containment systems that use a GPS receiver collar designed to keep a dog inside a perimeter defined using a mobile app, the complaint states. The complaint alleges PAWS unlawfully advertises its Halo Collar containment system by using false and misleading statements, including a recent advertisement boasting that the newest Halo Collar is the most accurate GPS-based system on the market.
