Victoria native turns to entrepreneurship with organic dog treats | Business

A Victoria native is helping dog parents spoil and celebrate their pets with handmade dog treats.

Antoineka Norman took on a passion for making dog treats from scratch when she began to realize she didn’t know what a lot of the ingredients in her own dog’s food were. She was also pregnant at the time and said she needed an outlet for her creativity. She began by experimenting with different recipes she found online.

She now offers her own handmade dog treats online and at local farmers markets in Austin.

“I started letting my dog try the treats I would make, and then we moved on to allow other dogs to try the treats,” Norman said. “We received good feedback, and that made me want to focus more on sharing simple ingredient dog treats.”

Norman has taken a unique approach to making dog treats. She uses a lot of simple, organic ingredients many of which are plant based. She said she doesn’t use any type of salts, sugars or preservatives or anything that could be potentially harmful to dogs.

Norman said she uses ingredients like pumpkin, which is good for diarrhea, and grain free mixtures such as chick peas and flowers that are edible for dogs. She also uses dog-friendly fruits like bananas and apples. Norman is currently looking into using some meat based products for the dog treats she makes.

“I’m also working on expanding to meat based products, and when we do that, I’m hoping that we will be able to connect with local farms in the area to make sure that everything is sustainably sourced, and we’re also trying to support other small businesses,” Norman said.

When she first began making the treats, it was a sort of trial and error mission.

“It was pretty much trial and error. My dog is the first that gets to try the treats I make, and some of them she wasn’t a fan of,” Norman said. “My dog is the taste tester, so if she likes them then I will continue to make that recipe and offer it for people to buy.”

Part of Norman’s mission is to help dogs with sensitivities and allergies have a treat that they can eat and be happy. So far, Norman said she has received positive feedback and that most of her customers’ dogs really enjoy the treats. Norman said the dog treats she makes are simple and for dogs to really enjoy.

“Treats don’t have to be made in the factory or mass produced to create a quality treat,” Norman said. “Not only do I have the dog business going on with the bakery, but I’m also a part of a nonprofit, which is Operational All Paws. The nonprofit is focused on creating pet essential kits for dogs that are awaiting adoption and foster, and I’m also a part of a pet pantry that helps provide a central hub of pet supplies to the less fortunate.”