Kobe was born on 29 April 2015 in a quiet suburb of North Adelaide, South Australia. He landed in Sydney on 1 July to begin life with his new human mum and two cat siblings.

Kobe lived his first year of life as an ordinary pet, with daily trips to the dog park, beach adventures and doggy daycare. However, being a livestock guardian dog, he knew he needed a job. He just didn’t know how to find a suitable one, living in the city with no livestock in sight.

Then one day a chance encounter at the dog park changed the course of his life.

It was no secret that Kobe had plenty of hair to spare, so when someone at the dog park said they wished they could use it to make a coat for their own dog, he decided to do just that. While most other dogs are celebrating graduation from puppyhood after their first birthday, Kobe spent his adolescence and young adulthood immersed in the world of textiles, learning how to turn fibre into yarn.

Two years later, after countless encounters with various suppliers and manufacturers – most of whom told him that what he wanted to do was impossible – Kobe launched Kotes by Kobe, the first ever business to recycle dog fur into clothing for other dogs.

Kobe fully expected to spend the rest of his days running his fashion label, but life had other plans! After moving to the Blue Mountains in 2019, a planned business expansion was derailed by the 2019/2020 bushfires followed by Covid.

Hiking was one of the few allowed activities during Covid lockdowns, so Kobe filled his days by exploring the many trails in his Blue Mountains home. When he realised how few dogs knew about these trails, he decided to turn his adventures into a guide book to help others explore the region he renamed Mount Kobe. Hiking Mount Kobe: A Dog’s Guide to the Blue Mountains launched a most unlikely literary career, and he never looked back.

The success of his first book spawned a merch range that included apparel, puzzles, greeting cards, prints and more.

In the following years, he added four more books to his name. Out of the many jobs he held in life, writing books was his favourite. While Kotes by Kobe allowed him to share his floof, his books let him share his soul. Learn more about his books here.

Kobe was working on his last book when he was unexpectedly diagnosed with hemangiosarcoma in September 2026. After a brief but spirited fight, he crossed the rainbow on 22 September, less than 3 weeks after diagnosis. He is now watching from the big sky to ensure his business continuity plans are carried out exactly as he instructed.