Today we’d like to introduce you to Deanna Bloomer.
Hi Deanna, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I have been married to best friend, Chris, for 31 years. He is my biggest supporter and also my dough maker on baking days. I am also a mom to two grown children. One thing you should know about me is I am a huge dog lover! I have always been a big animal lover, but my dogs and dogs in need have always been my heart, especially seniors or special needs dogs. I am now a dog mom to Georgia, a black lab, almost 7, Dexter, a yellow lab, almost 7, and Hope, my baby, will be 2 in the Spring. Hopey was born blind.
In the past, I was the Vice President and Adoption Coordinator for a Labrador rescue group for 9 years. Rescue can be very hard and emotionally draining at times but so rewarding. When I resigned, I took the time I needed to really hunker down and go all in on my business. I started in 2012 with a personal mission to address my dog Beth’s food allergies. We started very small with only a few treats and attended some markets and events. I realized that I wanted more than a once-a-week or once-a-month event. After my youngest son graduated high school, I started to expand my line of treats and really focused on my decorated treats. As much as we liked doing those markets and events, I’m glad I didn’t have to do them anymore unless I wanted to. My regular customers and wholesale clients keep me pretty busy. However, I would love to get more wholesale clients. We’ve come a long way, and I’m proud to say we have evolved into a unique venture crafting specialized dog treats.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
There have been lots of ups and downs over the years. Learning new regulations and updates with the Department of Agriculture. Things are always changing. The Covid lockdown was hard. People couldn’t go into local stores and see the treats so that was a very slow time for us. Our wholesale clients were not ordering very much due to slow sales in the stores. Our regular customers were not ordering much either. We just hung in there, and we were there when the customers needed us. Thankfully, we didn’t have a storefront with all the overhead expenses. We didn’t raise our prices, and I think that’s helped. Also, with any business, there is competition. The dog treat business is saturated with bakers and sellers. It’s frustrating to compete with people that are not compliant with the laws and regulations. It is quite an expense for people that do follow all the rules. It use to really bother me, but I have learned that sometimes people don’t know, and I try to help educate. I have learned it’s better to have community over competition and keep your eyes on your own paper, as they say. I no longer worry about what anyone else is doing and focus on my business.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I make, cut, and bake our treats. All of our treats are dehydrated and have been lab-tested with a one-year shelf life. Our decorated treats are all made by me. I use a sugar-free yogurt-based powder icing mix to decorate. We use a mix of natural powders and human-grade food gels for coloring. I would love to do nothing but decorate and let someone else do all the baking. I would say my specialty is homemade gourmet decorated dog treats. I have quite a few regular treats and a raw freeze-dried line. But what I’m most known for is my decorated treats.
Our freeze-dried meats are all locally sourced from Indiana farms. We have bison, beef, and chicken. We pick up, remove any fat, and cut up into bite-sized pieces for freeze-drying. This is a big challenge for someone that hates to touch raw meat even when I’m wearing gloves I do it for the dogs and cats. Our freeze-dried line is for cats, too, and they love it.
What sets me apart is not just the commitment to quality—licensed and registered with the Indiana Department of Agriculture and several other states—but the meticulous creation of artful, decorated treats that often fool people into thinking they’re human cookies…This distinctive blend of personal care, craftsmanship, and a touch of deception in the form of dog treats that look almost too good to be for dogs makes my business stand out in the market.
Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out.
You don’t have to have 10-15 different flavors of treats to start. Stick with one or two and go from there. You don’t have to carry bandanas and collars or other things to start. Figure out what’s most important to you and focus on that first. Don’t worry about your competition. There is no point in wasting energy on what someone else is doing; just focus what you’re doing. There are enough dogs and cats in this world, and there is room for everyone.
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