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Young Labrador entrepreneur crafts unusual homemade treats

One young business entrepreneur in Happy Valley-Goose Bay is catering to man's best friend.

Pamela Duffett bakes homemade treats for your dog

Pam Duffett bakes an assortment of dog treats, including pupcakes, donuts, rawhide, and, by request, birthday cakes for pet owners who want to indulge their dog's sweet tooth. (Submitted by Pamela Duffet)

One young entrepreneur in Labrador is catering to the four-legged dessert crowd.

Pamela Duffett, of Happy Valley-Goose Bay, was dog sitting for a friend this last March when she realized there were no more treats left in the house.

So she decided to try her hand at baking him some.

I was selling them once and a guy asked me if he could eat it, and I said, "I don't see why not."- Pamela Duffett

"It's not a whole lot different then baking regular cupcakes," Duffett, 19, told CBC's Labrador Morning.

She's now turned her culinary experiment into a successful small business.

"I just went for it. When I got the idea, I thought it was a pretty good one, so even if it didn't take off I could just use it as my own hobby and make my own dog his treats," said Duffett.

Pam Duffet, 19, sells her unique dog treats at community events and festivals in Happy Valley-Goose Bay. (Submitted by Pamela Duffet)

She presented her idea to Ondreya Beals, the youth ventures co-ordinator in Happy Valley-Goose Bay, who helped Duffett turn her quirky idea into Pam's Pupcakes.

The small business venture offers fresh-baked homemade donuts, cupcakes, birthday cakes and other sundry treats — for your pups.

"It's been going pretty well," said Duffett. "People are always interested in something new."

All-natural ingredients

Duffett makes a variety of dog treats, containing all-natural ingredients like shredded carrots, pumpkin puree, peanut butter, whole wheat flour, and vegetable oil, which she says are typically the safest food choices for dogs.

The all-natural ingredients list means these treats are safe for humans to eat, too — if you don't mind eating a bone-shaped pupcake, that is.

"I was selling them once and a guy asked me if he could eat it, and I said, 'I don't see why not,'" said Duffett.

"I don't know if he did or not … but he bought one."

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mark Squibb is a freelance journalist based in Conception Bay North.

With files from Labrador Morning