2024 - Volume #48, Issue #6, Page #09
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She Bakes Healthy Treats For Dogs
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As human consumers have shifted toward purchasing locally wholesome foods for themselves, they also want real food with human-grade ingredients for their beloved pets. That’s opened up business opportunities for home bakers like Rau.
After caring for her mother for years before she died in 2020, Rau wanted to find something to bring in income and get her out of the house occasionally. Besides her mother, she and Riley were also grieving the death of Sam, a 15-year-old black lab/border collie. Riley seemed to be constantly begging for treats, and as Rau sought healthful treats, she discovered a dog treat bakery. That led to an online course with Diva Dog Bakery that includes recipes and guidelines to help entrepreneurs meet regulations and develop sound business plans.
Rau uses her home kitchen for baking and one of the bedrooms in her rural Dewitt, Mich., home to store the ingredients, molds, equipment and two dehydrators for her business.
She contacted the Michigan Department of Agriculture for information to learn about regulations for her business.
“With dog treats, you need to send samples to an analysis lab. They give you the crude protein, crude fiber, fat and moisture content for the label,” Rau says, which also includes the ingredients.
She follows the recipes from the online course but puts her own spin on them. She uses farm-fresh eggs from her friends and purchases only organic cinnamon (Ceylon), which she uses in her own healthy diet. She bakes her treats in fun shapes, such as her blueberry muffin treats and peanut butter bones.
Since no preservatives are used, all the treats are dehydrated to give them a 2 or 3-mo. shelf life in sealed bags or longer when frozen. Since starting in 2023, Joyful Paws Bakery has had many regular customers at the three farmers markets Rau attends each week through October, along with holiday events. A couple of area stores also sell her treats.
So far, the farmers markets have worked out best. Licensing limits her to sales in Michigan only. She set up an online account, but shipping costs make it more challenging.
Rau also decorates cupcakes and cakes for canine birthday celebrations, so she stays busy year-round. She would also like to set up regular subscription deliveries.
Rau says Joyful Paws Bakery keeps her busy with baking, dehydrating and going to market. It’s brought in additional income and ensured Riley always has plenty of healthy treats.
“She won’t eat a store-brought treat,” Rau says. “She sniffs at it and walks away.”
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Joyful Paws Bakery, DeWitt, Mich. (ph 517-525-1935; joyfulpawsbakery@gmail.com; Facebook: Joyful Paws Bakery).
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