The dog treat business is a saturated industry. Not only are there over 630 options in the country but more than $30B in annual revenue is made up of pet food and pet snacks!

While many successful brands started in very unique ways, a few weeks ago we were honored to invite three young entrepreneurs on a Girls with Dogs Podcast episode…

BROOKE HAVEN AND BRADLEY  

are nine and seven years old. I met them through my husband (the unofficial Mayor of our area) last year. They live close by and the family often stops to pet the Boys and talk to Lee when they’re out and about.

One day they dropped off a sandwich bag filled with homemade dog treats. We thanked them profusely and later that day, I tossed them in the trash #sosorryyall because I had no knowledge about the ingredients. 

They returned a few weeks later with another bag, which forced me to have the talk about the biscuits. I explained the dangers of some commercial peanut butters and dogs sensitivities to certain types of flour and suggested additional research before making more. 

They returned to tell me what they’d learned, and we talked a great deal about them, their business dreams, and dogs.

I was surprised to learn that they didn’t even have a dog.

Brooke Haven went on to explain – 

When I was 3 years old, a dog that was unprovoked bit me in the face, it was quite traumatic, however I have never let that dampen my passion and love for all dogs. However, ever since that experience, my parents have been very hesitant about owning a dog or even petting one. Although I keep praying that they are warming up to the idea of eventual dog ownership.  

I WAS MOVED BEYOND WORDS

but intrigued to know more, so I leaned in, got comfortable and listened intently.

Brooke Haven then told me – 

I have always felt a special connection with dogs.  When we moved to Charleston, we met our neighbor who has two Labrador Retrievers.  I continued to ask her all sorts of questions about her dogs, which led me to learning more about a dog’s diet and nutritional requirements.  Understanding my love for dogs, my neighbors started asking me to walk their dogs. That is when I began writing up a contract for service and that is what led to me becoming the founder and CEO of BTBH Elite Dog Services. 

THEIR ENERGY IS CONTAGIOUS  

and after a few more encounters with these two remarkable kids, I found myself all in. They did their homework, learned about organic ingredients and got busy…

After hearing about the new operation, I got busy too – designing a logo for their company, and creating 5X7 postcards with full disclosure of all the ingredients so they could staple it to their goodie bags.

Before long, they had three recipes – 

• Baize-A-Rama Biscuits
• Woof-a-licious Dog Biscuits
• Lovey-Dovey Dog Biscuits

Their reason for expanding inventory will astound you – 

During the Pandemic I came to the realization that there were people in our city who were struggling financially.  So, if they had trouble feeding themselves, how could they feed their K-9 friends?  That is when I really started diving deep into my research and testing recipes.  

They’ve even incorporated a giving back policy – 

Our company has a policy that we only accept donations. And with each donation, all proceeds go to the local Humane Society.  Our K-9 friends are always there for us, so why can’t we be there for them, especially in times of need.  

On any given Saturday – you can find them at a local dog park or busy corner…

AVA’S PET PALACE  

is owned and operated by a young phenom who has entered the pet retail space and captivated that community!

Ava of Ava’s Pet Palace is a force to be reckoned with…

Before I tell you a little about Ava, let me ask you a question – 

What were you doing at the tender age of six?

I can wrestle up a memory or two, but writing a job (she couldn’t spell the word business) plan wasn’t one of the two. Ava drew her proposal out with crayons!

At eight years of age, she was still asking – her parents said yes and she attended her very first craft show. Skip to the age of ten and her dog treats were hanging on racks in pet stores!

THERE’S MORE  

to this inspirational fourteen year old business professional, who calls herself the Chief Pet Officer of her own company #Icantevenimagine has a website, endorsed by too many to list, featured in an article by the Today Show, and thousands of followers on social media.  

Her shop features –

• Dog and cat treats
• Gift cards
• Accessories
• Merchandise

HAD TO ORDER SOMETHING

after talking with her on the Podcast. I purchased the three bag treat bundle of – 

• Gone Bananas
• Peanutty Paws
• Cheeze Pleeze

I think Jaxson could smell something in the box, he guarded it while I looked for scissors…

Happy packaging (that’s what I thought) with the hot pink colors, a message on the inside of the box, pet themed stickers and a personalized postcard!….

As you can see from the open bags, they tried the Peanutty Paws right away and then just because, I gave them a Gone Bananas on top of their dessert! Jaxson was super excited…

Ava believes all pets are royalty and I for one (I know you do too) agree. Her pet treats are made in small batches with simple, organic real food ingredients. 

Congratulations to Brooke Haven. Bradley and Ava! I admire their ingenuity, drive, and vision at such a young age. I thank them for their inspiration and for making my world happier, my dogs world a whole lot sweeter and hopefully your world a little brighter. A special shout out to the parents – for their patience, support and the use of their kitchens 🙂

Vision with action makes a powerful reality ❤️