Who knew one little dog could do so much?

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Every dog lover knows just how much a canine companion can bring into your life. Dogs make us laugh, they comfort us when we’re feeling low and their companionship keeps us from feeling all alone. Anyone that has ever had a strong bond with a member of the canine species can understand just how important their roles can be in our lives. For one woman in Indiana, a dog made a bigger impact than she ever imagined.

It all started years ago when Tina Wheeler’s husband was diagnosed with cancer. Thankfully, he is now in remission but the treatment took his ability to have children. The Wheeler’s didn’t let that get them down. They made the decision to adopt a beautiful baby girl.

Needless to say, when the day came to bring their little girl home the couple was ecstatic. They did everything that new parent’s typically do. They bought baby supplies and furniture and doted on the sweet little girl. Sadly, four months later the baby’s third-cousin came forward. Laws stipulated that she had rights to the little girl, and the Wheeler’s were left in despair.

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Like every good story, this one has a happy ending and a whole new beginning for the Wheeler’s. They since adopted an adorable Corgi named Coco. She is four years old, the same age that their daughter would be. Tina is one of those wonderful pet parents, like myself, who love their dog as if it is their own child.

She wanted to provide Coco with the best care possible. That meant being choosey about the supplies that she purchased for her and making sure she fed the dog a healthy and nutritious diet. She started making her own homemade organic dog treats for Coco, and now she’s got a growing business on her hands.

Wheeler started Welcome Waggin online via the company’s Facebook page. She began selling her treats to residents in her local area, but now it’s grown into quite the business in downtown Newburgh, Indiana. As her business grew she began attending farmer’s markets, where she quickly realized how many dog owners were focused on feeding their pet a top quality diet.

She bakes hundreds of organic dog treats every week, and the healthy treats are also human grade. She said they’d taste a little bland to us, but you’re more than welcome to try them. She buys her ingredients locally from organic stores, and she uses simple ingredients like rice, oats, pumpkin, apples, honey, blueberries and more.

Many pet parents are looking for affordable ways to feed their dog a better diet. They are looking for simple dog food and treats that are made with organic, natural and fresh ingredients, like dog treats from Welcome Waggin. Research has proven that what you feed your dog has a large impact on his overall health and well-being over time.

Some researchers are linking the artificial ingredients in commercial pet products to the increase in canine cancer rates. Poor quality pet food and treats have also been associated with skin and coat problems, digestive issues and heart problems. These findings are pushing more and more pet parents to shop for local pet food and treats that are made with high quality ingredients.

It’s also pushing a lot of dog owners to make their own food or treats. In fact, Wheeler isn’t the only dog owner cashing in on her homemade treats. A quick internet search will bring up hundreds of pet parents who are doing the same thing. Some are even manufacturing and shipping their products commercially now.

Just because a company is large and manufactures their dog food or treats in a commercial facility, doesn’t mean that they should be lumped in with the poorer quality commercial manufactures. When looking for a new brand of dog food or treats, you should do research on the company that manufactures the product.

You may just find that it was started by a pet parent like yourself who was just trying to feed their dog a healthier diet. Many of these pet owner-started businesses still manufacture their pet food and treats in small batches with USA sourced ingredients. They still make them just as healthy as they did when they started out in their own kitchen.

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