Today we’d like to introduce you to Mandy Kelly.
Hi, Mandy; please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Liberty Dog Barkery began in 2016 when the name-brand dog food we were feeding our fur babies, Clifford and Jayce (long-haired Dachshunds), was recalled because it poisoned and killed thousands of dogs. I decided at that point to no longer put them at risk, and we have been making our dog food and treats ever since. In 2022, the timing was right to launch Liberty Dog Barkery officially and start sharing my love of making healthy dog treats. After forming my LLC, I entered a shark tank-style business competition hosted by Round Rock Chamber of Commerce, Dell & HEB and won 2nd place and some much-needed seed money. After 8 months in business, I was nominated and won Silver in Best of Round Rock pet food! It’s gratifying to receive awards, but I love giving dogs healthy, human-grade treats. Our Birthday/Gotcha Day cakes have been a huge hit. What I didn’t expect was that I get a lot of orders for gender reveal cakes! I have a healthy carrot cake recipe and then decorate it with potato cream icing that uses beetroot or blue/green spirulina for color. Our treats have no added salt, sugar, or fillers/by-products. Our jerkies have only two to three ingredients and are all made with ground meat. As our pups aged, they needed softer treats that were easily chewable. We also use beneficial ingredients in some of our treats, like turmeric, to help with inflammation in older or larger breeds and rosemary for gut health. What better job could you have than making dogs happy?
Can you talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned? Looking back, has it been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It’s been a bumpy road, but luckily, I’ve recovered from most missteps or, at a minimum, learned from them. The most challenging aspect was self-funding my startup. That’s a scary scenario, but with the incredible support of my husband and daughter and my wholehearted belief in my mission to liberate your dog from artificial chemicals and preservatives, I am seeing 3X net growth in my second year in business!
I appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Liberty Dog Barkery?
We make healthy human-grade dog treats and cakes so your dog can live its best life! We only use human-grade, healthy ingredients and never add salt, sugar, by-products, or fillers. We offer 5 jerkies: Chicken Mango, Turkey, Rosemary Beef, Turmeric Beef, and an assortment pack. We sell pupmuffins (blueberry & chicken rosemary), pumpkin tummy treats, chamomile calm cookies, chicken waffles and Elvis waffles, a pupcuterie board, and our carrot cakes and cupcakes decorated with potato cream icing!
Who else deserves credit for your story?
My family are my biggest supporters and contributors to the company’s success. When I told my husband about my business plan, he said, “How do you want me to help? He is my muscle setting up at markets, my sous chef peeling and chopping, and a great salesman! My daughter just graduated from college with a BFA in graphic design, so she refined the company’s branding and did a lot of my social media. Our 12-year-old pup, Jayce, even contributes as head of R&D and our Brand Ambassador! I had him test all of my recipes when determining my menu items.
Pricing:
- Our jerky bags are $12 for 4 oz (1/2 lb of raw meat makes up each bag)
- Jerky assortment is $20 for 6.5 oz (all 4 flavors included)
- Pupmuffins and cookies are $13 for 1/2 lb.
- Cakes and pupcuterie board are $30
- Pupcakes are $12 for 1/2 dz
Contact Info:
- Website: Libertydogbarkery.com
- Instagram: @libertydogbarkery
- Facebook: @libertydogbarkery
- Yelp: https://yelp.to/04yQKiaoJQ
Image Credits
Kathryn Kelly
