The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Pet owners’ determination delivers safe treats for canines
Alecia Nosse is spreadin’ the lovin’ one cookie at a time — Coco’s K9 Cookies, that is.
Nosse, of Concord Township, is among dedicated dog treat bakers sparked to do their duty based on multiple recalls of unsafe canine food products.
In 2014 alone, more than a dozen food commodities for animals have been recalled, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
“The recalls prompted me to see what I could do because I didn’t want to take the chance of feeding these to my dogs and getting them sick,” Nosse said. “I’m not a fan of mass-produced treats. I don’t know what’s going on in those factories.”
With Coco, a 2-year-old chihuahua-pug mix and Layla, a 3-year-old boxer, serving as official taste-testers, Nosse fixed and mixed various combinations of recipes until hitting on a winner that made her pups’ tails wag furiously with excitement.
“I can get Coco to do anything when I say the word ‘treat,’ ” Nosse said. “Not only am I training them to do certain things, I’m providing them with good nutrition.”
A base of rice and oat flour makes them gluten-free, and the addition of organic peanut butter and unsweetened applesauce deliver appealing taste without added sugar. Best of all, she’s assured they’re safe.
Nosse confesses to being a label reader when it comes to choosing food items for family members, and she’s just as conscientious about what’s served to her dogs.
After receiving an influx of positive feedback from friends and neighbors with whom she shared the treat, Nosse decided to begin a business from which others could benefit. Working with the Ohio Department of Agriculture, the products were submitted for analysis and approved.
Injecting a bit of fun into the nutritional noshes, Nosse recently personalized an order from a pet owner hosting a birthday bash for her dog, Bailey. Each treat is stamped with a distinctive “B.”
Amy Leonard of Carlisle Township in Lorain County started up a nutritional dog treat business after one of her canines refused to chow down on a certain food product, which later was found out to be recalled.
“I was sick and tired of spending money on dog treats and then finding out down the road there were recalls,” Leonard said. “They can only eat what we give them and put into their bowls.”
She added that if she cared enough to make her own treats, she believed others would appreciate her going the extra mile and wouldn’t mind paying for them.
Her business, X-ta-C Biscuit Bar, started up in 2013.
Leonard said that unlike some treats which smell like the cardboard in which they’re boxed, the all-natural food items she creates “smell like the flavor they are.”
Among top sellers are her Venison Stew Puppy Pops resembling a large lollipop. The “pop” portion is comprised of bran flour mixed with pureed carrots, green beans and parsley, with ground venison jerky serving as the “stick.”
“It looks like a sucker, but won’t cause a blockage like a rawhide,” she said.
Both Nosse and Leonard actively involve their businesses in community efforts. Nosse is participating in a fair on Oct. 11 at Pilgrim Christian Church in Chardon to help raise funds for a new steeple. Leonard will be helping out at the Monster Mutt Dash on Oct. 12 at the Cuyahoga County Fairgrounds.