![\"From](\"https:\/\/www.send2press.com\/wire\/images\/25-1017-s2p-Winged-Retriever-800x600.webp\")
Image caption: From Loss Comes Legacy: How a One-Eyed Retriever Inspired the Launch of Winged Retriever.<\/em><\/p>\n
More than gear, Winged Retriever is a living tribute. Ivy\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
A Life Shaped by Creek, Blind, and Breath<\/strong><\/p>\n Abner\u2019s love of Labs and waterfowl hunting began at age twelve on Grand Lake St. Mary\u2019s, Ohio. Over decades he trained a line of dogs \u2014 Champ, Cindy, Sam, Brutus \u2014 and hunted hundreds of sunrises. Then Ivy Jo arrived: \u201cShe was wild, stubborn, and had more drive than any pup I\u2019d ever seen,\u201d Abner says. Training her was \u201clike wrestling a tornado wrapped in fire,\u201d and that fire became her greatness.<\/p>\n Weeks before Ivy\u2019s 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. \u201cShe\u2019d gone completely blind on one side,\u201d Abner recalls. \u201cBut when the doctor said she could still hunt, I knew she would. She\u2019s built for it.\u201d<\/p>\n Against all odds, Ivy returned to the field weeks later. On her first hunt back she completed three flawless retrieves. \u201cIt was like nothing had changed,\u201d Abner says. \u201cExcept now I saw her differently \u2014 she wasn\u2019t just retrieving birds. She was retrieving her purpose.\u201d<\/p>\n A Retrieve That Defined Her<\/strong><\/p>\n That season, Ivy\u2019s 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\u2019t see and bringing them home by scent and instinct. \u201cShe did it with one eye, in waves taller than her, chasing a bird she refused to lose,\u201d Abner says. \u201cThat\u2019s when I knew she had something rare. Something you can\u2019t teach.\u201d<\/p>\n Her grit inspired the name Winged Retriever \u2014 a symbol of dogs born for pursuit, relentless in the face of the impossible.<\/p>\n Forged in Honor: Hand-Built Collars<\/strong><\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n \u201cEvery detail had to matter,\u201d Abner says. \u201cThis wasn\u2019t just about making something for dogs. It was about honoring what they give us: loyalty, grit, and heart.\u201d<\/p>\n The first collection, available now at https:\/\/wingedretriever.com\/<\/a>, is dedicated to Ivy; each piece carries her legacy.<\/p>\n A Film That Tells the Story<\/strong><\/p>\n To honor Ivy, Abner partnered with Dorsal Outdoors, Orvis, and Deer Creek Lodge to produce \u201cIvy: The Heart of A Blind Duck Dog,\u201d a short documentary set against Kentucky\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n \u201cThis isn\u2019t just my story,\u201d Abner says. \u201cIt\u2019s every hunter\u2019s story who\u2019s ever looked into their dog\u2019s eyes and seen determination looking back.\u201d<\/p>\n About Winged Retriever<\/strong><\/p>\n 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 \u2014 the one-eyed Labrador whose courage defines the brand \u2014 Winged Retriever represents loyalty, resilience, and the pursuit that never ends.<\/p>\n To view \u201cIvy: The Heart of A Blind Duck Dog\u201d and explore the collection, visit https:\/\/www.wingedretriever.com\/<\/a>.<\/p>\n VIDEO (YouTube): https:\/\/youtu.be\/EesqjhdMVNk?si=n_ZbwJRNbaBOhFAq<\/a><\/p>\n MEDIA CONTACT:<\/strong> HAMILTON, Ohio, Oct. 17, 2025 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — 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.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10153,"featured_media":130255,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[974,1,346,20,40],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-130262","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-pets-and-zoos","category-business-news","category-movie-filmmaking-news","category-ohio-news","category-video-news-release","has-post-title","has-post-date","no-post-category","no-post-tag","no-post-comment","has-post-author"],"acf":[],"views":2651,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.send2press.com\/wire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/130262","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.send2press.com\/wire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.send2press.com\/wire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.send2press.com\/wire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10153"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.send2press.com\/wire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=130262"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.send2press.com\/wire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/130262\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":130267,"href":"https:\/\/www.send2press.com\/wire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/130262\/revisions\/130267"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.send2press.com\/wire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/130255"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.send2press.com\/wire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=130262"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.send2press.com\/wire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=130262"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.send2press.com\/wire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=130262"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nThe Grow Agency
\nMatt Peterson, CEO, The Grow Agency
\nMatt@thegrow.agency<\/a>
\nWebsite: www.TheGrow.Agency<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"