Woman makes treats for canines

Heather Valentine is quite possibly one of dog's best friends. As owner of Sweets-N-Treats, a local homestyle bakery of natural snacks and bones for all breeds of canines, Valentine cooks up tasty biscuits from her home near Tumalo and hopes to start supplying retail outlets in Sisters, Redmond and Bend.

"Everything is baked from scratch, and the reaction from dogs and their owners has been really good," she said. "Ninety percent of the people who bought my products are repeat customers, so that's pretty exciting for your first year out. This is such a huge area for dogs and I'm using Sisters as one of my major test markets."

Originally from Northern California, Valentine moved to Central Oregon three years ago and has been a lover of dogs and cooking all her life. Free samples and info sheets of her wholesome miniature dog bones have recently been spotted at US Bank and other lobby counters around town.

"A year or so ago I bought some imported, mystery-meat doggie treats from a big warehouse store in Bend and had a scary experience," Valentine remembered. "My dachshund/cocker mix, Daisy Mae, had a severe reaction to the product. I really thought she was dying. She wouldn't eat or drink, and this is a girl who doesn't miss a meal. It took four days for her to recover, and I decided at that point I'd start making homemade treats and then expanded to dog soups you pour over kibble and thought hey, I can make this a business."

Many of Valentine's cookies and treats are formulated for dogs with allergies or who are sensitive to wheat, corn and other grain ingredients. Others contain basic natural foods.

"Right now I'm offering two main items - my Knapples, a miniature chewy apple muffin for dogs, made with rice, apples, eggs and wheat flour, and the Bucknut Krunchies, which are gluten-free and baked with buckwheat flour, cheddar cheese, toasted almonds and eggs," she said. "I just came out with a larger size after people requested treats for their bigger breeds and smaller, original squares for toy breeds and puppies. I also have Almond Butter Bones, tiny bone-shaped treats with almonds, wheat germ, spelt flour and frosted with buttermilk."

Valentine's soups and gravies are meant for dogs as an additive to their normal kibble, and cooked with meat drippings and broth made from boiled soup bones. There's no added salt or sugar. Her chicken-and-rice soup is literally made from whole chicken, right from the pot to the pooch.

Watch for Sweets-N-Treats at summer fairs, markets and special events in Sisters this summer. For more information visitwww.sweets24-7.comor call 541-708-FOOD (3663).