Today we’d like to introduce you to Daphne MacKenzie.
Hi Daphne, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
My journey started the day I took my kids to the mall and they asked if they could go in the pet store. I love looking at cute animals so in we went. We walked through the whole store and then came the “can we get a dog?” questions! Having seen all the dogs I was confident in my response. I told them we could get a dog if they had an all black, male, German shepherd. Very specific!! Well, they had one! It was sleeping behind a Siberian Huskey! (I grew up with Siberian Huskey’s!) Needless to say we walked out with Hunter! I started making these treats for him in 2007 when lots of dogs and cats were getting sick from eating store bought treats. Hunter was part of our family and I didn’t want to risk losing him at 7 years old. We had to say goodbye to Hunter a couple months before his 15th birthday. My daughter had two dogs so I continued to make them and in Feb 2016 while making them I decided that I wanted to do something in Hunter’s memory. I handed out samples to family/friends with dogs and they were a hit! In March 2016 I had my business going, in Nov 2016 I landed my first two stores!! In Oct 2017 I quit my job of 20 years to focus on building the business. I am a vendor at shows to get my name out there. We donate baskets to fundraisers, sponsor rescues for their events and give back when and where we can. Ten years later we are still here!
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It has not been smooth! The first couple years were stressful because this is a tough niche to get into. I started doing very well and then Covid hit. Michigan was shut down for in person shows for two years and my company took a big hit. I am very thankful that we are still in business and my heart goes out to those who had to shutter their business because of the pandemic. I have not fully recovered financially from the shutdown. My saving grace was my husband designed, and my family helped build, a commercial kitchen behind our garage in 2018. My biggest struggle now is marketing. Hiring a firm is very expensive and I just don’t have enough time in the day to bake treats and do everything else associated with running a business. My daughter works with me and she is a huge help. I couldn’t do this without her!
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Hunter’s Healthy Treats was formed because of the love for our dog. My daughter and I make all natural pet treats using quality, human grade, ingredients. We do not use corn, wheat or soy in our treats nor do we use artificial preservatives or ingredients. What sets us apart? Our treats are soft baked which makes them ideal for dogs with dental issues. Dogs with Megaesophagus are able to enjoy our peanut butter treats. Because we do not use corn, wheat or soy in our treats, dogs and horses with allergies have eaten our treats without any issues. Our treats are a limited ingredient treat so they are good for dogs with food sensitivities. Our treats are not just for dogs! Horses, cows, goats, pigs, rabbits, monkeys, a hermit crab!! and humans have eaten our treats (just to name a few)!!
What am I most proud of brand wise? I am proud of the reasons that set us apart from other brands. I have received feedback from customers who say their dog is so picky but loves our treats! I got an email from a customer who was so happy her puppy with megaesophagus could eat our peanut butter treats. The messages from people saying our treats are the only ones their dog will eat! I take pride in making a quality treat that people can feel good about giving their fur baby and it makes my heart so happy to hear how much our treats are loved.
We make three flavor treats, Peanut butter (which does not contain hydrogenated oil, salt or sugar), Pumpkin with cinnamon added to it, and Sweet Potato. They come in three different size treats and a crumb topping. The crumb topping is great for stimulating a dogs appetite be it from not feeling well, old age or it’s just too hot to want to eat. It is also good for a lick mat and topping yogurt or ice cream!
If you order from out website, we offer a discount on variety packs as well as savings on a subscription order so you never run out!
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
My favorite memories were when my Dad would take all of us on vacations to different states. He would stop at historic places along the way. It was a lot of fun and we got to explore our world!
Pricing:
- 6 oz treats $9.99
- 13 oz treats $16.99
- 6 oz variety 3 pack $28.47
- 13 oz variety 3 pack $48.45
Contact Info:
- Website: https://hhtreats.com/
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/huntershealthytreats
