Proper hydration is as important for dogs as it is for humans. Staying hydrated allows your dog’s body to function properly and it is a key part of their overall health and nutrition. Dog owners are encouraged to leave fresh water out for their pets at all times, but what do you do if your dog just won’t drink?
Sara Herr returned home with her black Labrador/Rottweiler mix, Cesar, after a long walk one hot summer day to find that he didn’t feel like drinking water, even though she knew that he needed to. Inspiration struck, and the next day Herr decided to mix beef broth and water and freeze it.
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When she returned from her walk with Cesar that afternoon, she gave him her first Pup Pop prototype and he devoured it. She began experimenting in her kitchen and eventually made three flavors of the treats; beef, chicken, and vegetable.
Cesar loved all three flavors of her pops, and soon she realized that she had a marketable product on her hand. Now, nearly six years later, Herr has performed countless experiments, obtained approval from the state of Wisconsin, hired two food scientists, and completed commercials, web design, and a product label.
Most recently, the social-worker-turned-entrepreneur has launched a fundraising campaign through Kickstarter to raise the $20,000 she needs to manufacture her product on a larger scale by June 1, 2015. Although there are yogurts and ice creams on the market that are formulated especially for dogs, Herr says there is nothing similar to Pup Pops.
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Just like ice pops for humans, Pup Pops are packaged in a plastic tube and sold in liquid form at room temperature. After consumers purchase the Pup Pops they take them home and freeze them. The tubes are about two inches long and one inch wide and have a convenient easy-tear slit built in to the packaging.
The doggy freezer pops are water-based and come in three flavors including Happy Barkin’ Beef and Garlic, Belly Rubbin’ Berry and Chamomile, and Bowl Lickin’ Chicken and Ginger. Dog owners can purchase the products online. They are sold in packs of 6 for $3 or packs of 12 for $6.
All herbs used in the pops are purchased through Good Herbs, a company based in Michigan. So far online is the only place where dog owners can get the treats, but Herr has been busy handing out samples in her local area and is hoping to get her product on pet store shelves soon.
