March 1, 2006

Doggie treats are a natural business

By Sean P. O'Donoghue

Ever looked at your dog as he gnawed his way through his favorite treat and wondered what it tasted like? A more important question to ask is how nutritious that treat might be? Good answers to both questions were found when I met with Pam White of Alum Creek recently. About three years ago Pam and her husband Jim started a home based enterprise making nutritious treats for dogs. Two of her pets prior to then had fallen to canine cancer. Pam, who is a school teacher, did some research into canine cancer and nutrition thereafter and it was this that led her to making homemade treats for her new pets, a golden retriever and a Newfoundland puppy.

These treats became popular gifts with her family and friends being delighted recipients of the doggie delights. All the products are carefully formulated, approved by the WV Department of Agriculture, have no preservatives and are one hundred percent natural. As their popularity continued to increase Pam decided that using her domestic oven was becoming somewhat tedious. A small business loan allowed the Whites to install a commercial oven.

The three years have seen Pam and Jim continue to expand their efforts. A friend of Pam's, Lonnie Skeens provides valued assistance. The treats are made daily from the freshest of human-grade ingredients. A special low temperature baking process is used and no preservatives are ever needed. What results is a savory treat that is bursting with the wholesome smell of real foods. Consider these: bananas, peanut butter, pumpkin, garlic, carrots, bison meat and baked liver. Sounds tempting? Well, not only Pam but also some of her customers have tasted these products and give them the seal of approval. What's fit for man is fit for man's best friend! Pam tells me she saw differences in her own dogs once they started eating these treats, their coats, oral health and all round vitality markedly for the better once they began eating these tasty rewards.

A website is now up and running. At www.doggiecafe.com customers can order direct from the Whites. Pam either delivers the products to local customers or uses priority mail for nationwide deliveries. In the coming months a store will open in the Charleston Area and will be known as Paw-Prints Doggie CafÈ. At present Pam also has her products on sale at local festivals such as the Milton Pumpkin Festival, at Tamarack and at Perdue's Grocery at the Capitol Market. The treats you will find on sale include Peanut Butter and Banana Sandwich, Garlic and Cheese Chews, Sunflower Snaps and Premium Pumpkin Patties. All the treats come in different sizes and shapes.

Pam tells me that the future will see further expansion and diversification. She is already making and selling similar products for horses and is awaiting Department of Agriculture approval for cat treats. You can be sure that you will find these products on sale in due course at the soon to be opened store. Until then paws for thought and ask yourself if your dog deserves tastier and healthier rewards. If so, you now know where to go. A healthy pet is a happy pet and happy pets have happy owners. Now excuse me while I clear away the crumbs of the Lip-Lickin' Liver Treat I just ate. And there's a cat I need to chase.