How a Dog That Almost Died Started a Company

We all want to help our economy, shop smarter, and keep our pets safe by knowing where the products we buy them are coming from.

Barker Kitsen is a new website that helps dog owners find the best locally sourced and socially responsible pet products. Orgainized by city and showcasing top boutique brands made in the US and Canada, Barker Kitsen saves dog owners time and frustration when trying to buy local.

How a Dog That Almost Died Started a Company

Founder Candace Dannenbaum started researching pet products in 2010 after her dog Toby (a shih tzu mix) had a health scare.

This wasn’t just a common allergy issue. In her words:

Toby had a weakened immune system so was having ‘allergy-type reactions’ to everything- manifesting in open sores all over his little body that were pussing (I know, graphic), perpetual ear infections that I couldn’t get rid of etc…it was really bad. The skin reaction was causing such discomfort that he refused to walk, play or do anything that a normal dog would do. He would just sleep and was completely miserable.  For months I took him to vets and specialists who could tell he was reacting to something, but just didn’t know what it was. We switched him around on different commercial foods, gave him daily medicinal baths to relieve the sores, but he remained very weak and it got to the point where his vet recommended that I put him down because they felt that it was so bad (his hair started falling out, sores were open and bleeding from him scratching, he was really weak and just didn’t enjoy life) and we had exhausted medicinal options (boosting his immune system with steroids, medicinal baths, supplements).  

But Dannenbaum was not ready to give up on Toby and, instead, she hit the books. She started researching about foods and toxins, and asked other pet parents what they knew about these topics.

“The pet parents I spoke to immediately launched into how toxic commercial pet food can be and that I should switch him to organic, natural foods and see if that helped,” Dannenbaum recalls.  “Also, toys can be toxic to dogs because the way they play with them is through their mouths and hence potential ingestion of chemicals.

“4 years ago, I had no idea that the raw food movement was happening or that there was even a difference between commercial food and organic, natural foods…I thought dog food was just dog food. I was proven SO wrong”

Toby went on the raw diet eating fresh, local meats and veggies, organic treats and only played with “safe” toys and he started to recover. He started to detox and improved quickly. She could see the improvements daily and within 6-9 months, he transformed into a real dog.

“We celebrated his fourth birthday this past July,” Dannenbaum says, “and he loves life, eating and playing with his two siblings (Baily and Kona).”

By using items from under-the-radar brands– brands not available at big chain pet stores — she was able to nurse Toby back to life. Candace has since made it her mission to get amazing, unknown pet products into consumers’ hands.

Barket Kitsen Was Born

“There are so many better products out there, but consumers just don’t know about them and this why I created Barker Kitsen,” she says, “to give dog owners better access to these better products and to support the right small businesses that actually care about our dogs.”

In addition to products, they also keep readers up to date on services such as dog friendly restaurants, stores, and hotels in their area.

Currently, Barker Kitsen has listings for the following cities:

• Austin, Texas
• Boston, Massachusetts
• Chicago, Illinois
• Denver, Colorado
• Los Angeles, California
• Minneapolis, Minnesota
• New York City, New York
• Portland, Oregon
• San Diego, California
• San Francisco, California
• Seattle, Washington

They are expanding quickly and plan on adding Atlanta, Georgia, and Miami, Florida soon. For the city guides, they currently have Los Angeles, New York City, and San Francisco, but plan on expanding to every city where they source products.

Help Spread the Word

Do you have a favorite business or local product – that unsung hero that you believe would be world-famous if only someone knew? Well Candace Dannenbaum wants to know!

“All of our products and experiences have been passed onto us by other pet parents and the only way for us to continue to grow our products, services and experiences is for other pet parents to recommend them to us so we can share with the Barker Kitsen community,” Dannebaum explains. “We encourage you to share throughout the site and we also encourage consumers to subscribe to the customized newsletter that gets sent once per week. If you look at some of our articles, you’ll see that many of them have been recommended by pet parents.”

And, just like the companies you are recommending to Dannenbaum, you can help this entrepreneur (and by extension your local economy) by recommending Barker Kitsen when you are by the watering hole at your local dog park.

 

About the Author

Based in Wilsonville, Ore., animal lover Kristina N. Lotz is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer – Knowledge Assessed (CPDT-KA) and works as a full time trainer. She is the founder of A Fairytail House, a unique all-positive all-sport dog training facility that helps rescue dogs in her area and provides free seminars and training classes for the community. In her spare time, she trains and competes in herding, agility, obedience, rally, and conformation with her Shetland Sheepdogs. She smartly married a Veterinary Technician, who helps keep the fur kids happy and healthy, and provides a quick resource for articles.