HAMILTON, Ohio /Massachusetts Newswire – National News/ — For outdoorsman Bret Abner, the story that became Winged Retriever began with his Labrador, Ivy – a dog whose courage outpaced every setback, even after losing an eye to a life-threatening infection. Her determination and instinct inspired Winged Retriever, a new American brand of premium, hand-built collars for retrieving and hunting dogs launched October 5, 2025.
More than gear, Winged Retriever is a living tribute. Ivy’s story is captured in a 12-minute short documentary produced by Dorsal Outdoors with Orvis and Deer Creek Lodge in Sebree, Kentucky, available exclusively at wingedretriever.com.
A Life Shaped by Creek, Blind, and Breath
Abner’s love of Labs and waterfowl hunting began at age twelve on Grand Lake St. Mary’s, Ohio. Over decades he trained a line of dogs – Champ, Cindy, Sam, Brutus – and hunted hundreds of sunrises. Then Ivy Jo arrived: “She was wild, stubborn, and had more drive than any pup I’d ever seen,” Abner says. Training her was “like wrestling a tornado wrapped in fire,” and that fire became her greatness.
Weeks before Ivy’s second duck season, Abner noticed severe eye irritation. A visit to the Cincinnati Eye Institute revealed the devastating diagnosis: blastomycosis, a rare fungal infection that cost vision in her right eye and threatened her life. “She’d gone completely blind on one side,” Abner recalls. “But when the doctor said she could still hunt, I knew she would. She’s built for it.”
Against all odds, Ivy returned to the field weeks later. On her first hunt back she completed three flawless retrieves. “It was like nothing had changed,” Abner says. “Except now I saw her differently – she wasn’t just retrieving birds. She was retrieving her purpose.”
A Retrieve That Defined Her
That season, Ivy’s reputation grew among hunters. On a hunt in North Dakota she executed blind retrieves on land and in white-capped water, tracking wounded birds she couldn’t see and bringing them home by scent and instinct. “She did it with one eye, in waves taller than her, chasing a bird she refused to lose,” Abner says. “That’s when I knew she had something rare. Something you can’t teach.”
Her grit inspired the name Winged Retriever – a symbol of dogs born for pursuit, relentless in the face of the impossible.
Forged in Honor: Hand-Built Collars
Abner set out to build a product worthy of that spirit. Each Winged Retriever collar is hand-built in the USA, combining high-quality materials with rugged design intended to withstand the elements. The collection is designed for serious hunters and retrieving enthusiasts who demand durability and thoughtful craftsmanship.
“Every detail had to matter,” Abner says. “This wasn’t just about making something for dogs. It was about honoring what they give us: loyalty, grit, and heart.”
The first collection, available now at https://wingedretriever.com/, is dedicated to Ivy; each piece carries her legacy.
A Film That Tells the Story
To honor Ivy, Abner partnered with Dorsal Outdoors, Orvis, and Deer Creek Lodge to produce “Ivy: The Heart of A Blind Duck Dog,” a short documentary set against Kentucky’s wetlands and woods. The film explores devotion, resilience, and the timeless partnership between hunter and retriever, and has begun to resonate across the outdoor community.
“This isn’t just my story,” Abner says. “It’s every hunter’s story who’s ever looked into their dog’s eyes and seen determination looking back.”
About Winged Retriever
Founded in 2025 by lifelong waterfowl hunter Bret Abner, Winged Retriever honors the heritage of hunting dogs through handcrafted collars built for durability, performance, and beauty. Inspired by Ivy – the one-eyed Labrador whose courage defines the brand – Winged Retriever represents loyalty, resilience, and the pursuit that never ends.
To view “Ivy: The Heart of A Blind Duck Dog” and explore the collection, visit https://www.wingedretriever.com/.
VIDEO (YouTube): https://youtu.be/EesqjhdMVNk?si=n_ZbwJRNbaBOhFAq
Learn More: https://www.wingedretriever.com/
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NEWS SOURCE: Winged Retriever. Story was sourced from a press release issued by Send2Press® and used with permission. View the original story at: https://www.send2press.com/wire/from-loss-comes-legacy-how-a-one-eyed-retriever-inspired-the-launch-of-winged-retriever-a-tribute-to-grit-loyalty-and-the-unbreakable-bond-between-hunter-and-dog/
