Today we’d like to introduce you to Kara Pado.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Angela came to us in March of 2020 after being returned to the rescue following a diabetes diagnosis. She was initially saved from a dog-fighting ring where it was believed she was used as a bait-and-breed dog. At the time of her rescue, she was so severely abused, malnourished, and injured that she almost didn’t make it through surgery. She ended up pulling through, but what no one knew was she had been pregnant when she was saved, and the puppies did not survive the surgery. This information was still unknown after surgery for several weeks, but then she started losing weight very rapidly. She was additionally very lethargic and behaving abnormally. The first adopters rushed her to the vet for an emergency spay, where she then was diagnosed with diabetes. Unfortunately, this meant that Angela needed 2 injections exactly 12 hours apart every single day for the rest of her life. This was not an attainable thing for the family, and they had to return her to the rescue. She was intended to be a temporary foster for us until she had time to recover, but she immediately stole our hearts. By June, we officially adopted her as our own. At the same time, her diabetes was becoming increasingly unregulated, to the point we were visiting the vet almost weekly for bloodwork and adjusting the dose. I decided to start looking into pet nutrition and the quality of the ingredients going into what we were feeding her; I was immediately taken aback as many of the ingredients were undesirable (animal byproduct, corn, Titanium Dioxide). My partner, Domenic, and I started working on incorporating more fruits and vegetables into her diet, as well as fresh meats and offal. Almost immediately, we noticed her health turning around. Around this same time, my mom made some homemade dog treats for her own dogs (Gibby and Loki) and sent some home with me for Angela to try. She immediately took to them, and we finished the bag within a few days. It was the happiest we had seen her for a long time! I started doing more research into recipes, making treats at home for her, sharing them with friends and family, and getting similar reviews. We had been talking about the possibility of opening an Etsy shop for a little while but in that joking half-serious kind of way. Then, in November of 2020, my grandmother unexpectedly passed away, and the very next evening my shop was online. The impact of losing my grandma just drove something in me to just do it, imbuing my love for her into the project. I only listed 3 different treats when I started (they recommend at least 10), and I didn’t even tell anyone about it for a few days. Then I off-handedly mentioned it in to a few family members, and within 24 hours, my cousin was my first order. Myself and my family made a few posts about the new venture, and I started getting some more orders and customer feedback. Time went by, I found new recipes to try, added new products, and started to learn how to run a business. I had been in the middle of pursuing a Master’s in Psychology at the time and had previously completed a Bachelor’s of Science on a pre-medical track. Business was totally out of my scope. Luckily, I had an incredible friend from undergrad that had graduated with a marketing degree, and she agreed to help me create the foundation of my brand. As we worked on that, I kept getting more orders, eventually upgrading to also having my own website. A few months went by, COVID restrictions were loosening, and I headed off to our first vendor show. We kept on the path of online sales and attending craft and vendor shows for the entirety of the summer and fall. Through this, we were able to meet some incredible people who helped get our products stocked in stores like Rocko’s Pet Stop (Macomb) and Glamour Paws Dog Grooming (Imlay City). By December of 2021, we were able to open our very own storefront location at Lakeside Mall. Since then, I have earned 2 certifications in pet nutrition; I am an AAHA-certified pet diabetes educator and am continuing to pursue more education regarding pet nutrition. Domenic has also joined this venture, managed our store location, and primarily handled the meat-based treats we produce. Today, we run our store while keeping our products stocked in 7 different locations across Michigan, and we still travel all across the state to vendor shows, fairs, and festivals to discuss pet nutrition and market our brand.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I began this in the middle of being in a master’s program right after my grandma had died. I was also working 2 part-time jobs, so I very quickly needed to reassess my time management skills and reprioritize how I was grieving, being a graduate student, working 2 jobs, and now running a business. I also have absolutely no background in business, marketing, or finance; quite frankly, I hadn’t had a class in that subject since my mandated high school finance class. Every step of this has been either self-taught or taught to me by someone more experienced I have met along the way. Most days, I still question if I have any idea what I am doing, but I have built an amazing and supportive community of influencers, customers, marketing strategists, business owners, and more that have helped both myself and my partner learn how to improve this business and put our best foot forward.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Angela’s Treat Stash?
Angela’s Treat Stash specializes in all-natural, handcrafted pet treats and supplies. Our goal is to create pet treats that are both beneficial and enjoyable for the animal, made from ingredients that their owners are able to recognize from their own pantry. We want to provide pet owners with the knowledge we have learned about keeping pets healthy so that they can make the best decisions for their pets and improve their quality of life that much more. Being able to meet so many amazing people in the community and see the results has been such a blessing; we have been so honored to be able to help them keep their furry family members happy and healthy. Our company is dedicated to our own dog, Angela, who was once a rescue; therefore, our driving force has been giving back to the local rescue community. We have worked hard to collaborate with local rescues like Peace, Love and Paws Rescue, A Rejoiceful Animal Rescue, and Help Us, Help Them Rescue through donating gift baskets to fundraisers, sponsoring events, and even creating rescue-specific treats with their logos to regularly raise proceeds for them. Being able to work with them and support their initiatives to rescue homeless and neglected animals gives us so much joy and gratitude, so we just want them to feel the love we have been given through adopting Angela. We are also now partnered with Feeding Pets of the Homeless, so we collect donations of foods, toys, etc., and then work with local homeless shelters to distribute these to homeless people that have pets.
The crisis has affected us all in different ways. How has it affected you, and any important lessons or epiphanies you can share with us?
Without the advantages of working from home, this business likely wouldn’t even exist. I think the biggest takeaway for anyone should be, as my grandfather always says, you can always take a negative and turn it into a positive. It may take perseverance and a lot of work, but there’s always a way to create good out of something you currently perceive to be bad. I have also learned to lean on my support systems like my family and partner and not try to take on every responsibility myself.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.angelastreatstash.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/angelastreatstashllc
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/angelastreatstashllc
- Other: https://www.google.com/search?
