| Animals are amazing. One look from
their big brown eyes and we're hooked. That's where our story begins.
The Cousins Dog Biscuit Company got its unofficial start in 1995 when
my sister adopted a puppy. It had been a awhile since our family had
pets and my sister, living several states away, had no idea what she
was starting. After a hard day at work, my sister decided it was time for a dog. She went to the local shelter and looked at all the loving faces but couldn't find that perfect dog for her. She grabbed a local shopper and stopped off for dinner. While eating, she came across an add for small breed terrier mixes. "Perfect," she thought, and picked up the phone. Turns out, these mixes were about 30 minutes away in small rural town. The long day had turned into night but the family agreed to show my sister the puppies so off she went. When she got there, a man took her outside and he crawled under the front porch steps. He clicked on a bare bulb and lifted an overturned box and out sprang a handful of energetic puppies. The majority of the litter was solid black, scruffy-looking things that yapped and played happily about her feet. But there was one really special pup. He was white and brown with a curly tail. My sister fell in love. "I'll take that one."  As she pulled out of town, heading to her local Wal-Mart for the necessary puppy supplies, she pondered her new best friend's name. After calling out several with no response, she passed the sign with the town's name on it and "Winslow" was christened. As the family met Winslow Jones that Christmas, we were all reminded of how special pets make our lives. He played in the ribbon and wrapping paper, barked at all the commotion and happily chewed on all of his new things - he chewed on most of our things as well. It wasn't long after Winslow's introduction to the family when I too, decided to add a furry family member. I visited our area shelter and there waiting was my sole mate. A year-old, somewhat rugged looking schnauzer that I named Rascal.  Rascal had a rough start. Left outside in the extreme conditions during his first year, he lacked social skills and could be a challenge in the house. His fur was long and matted and he was a bit over weight and heading toward some health problems. But Rascal took to his new family like a duck to water. With a little work, his behavior improved and good grooming and a healthy diet with exercise has turned Rascal into the picture of health. Winslow and Rascal got on famously from the beginning and it was just the two of them until 2002 when my sister added a second furry friend - Rocky Dog. A rescue dog from an area Wal-Mart parking lot, Rocky was full  of
fleas and worms. The vet said he would have died within days had he
not been rescued. I too, have recently added a second dog to my life. Lady Bug was found with four of her litter mates by my sister abandoned on her country road. The entire family was successfully adopted out with this special little girl making her way into my home. As you might imagine, every Christmas and dog birthday is celebrated with as much excitement as any human child's would be. But we quickly realized that dog treats were expensive and not always very good for our family. That's when The Cousins Dog Biscuit Company got its start. I began baking for the family but found that others were looking for that same high-quality treat at a lower cost. 
I started with a few small events such as area
fairs and farmer's markets, and the response was fantastic. We're
still a small operation, baking with love out of my kitchen as well
as my mom and dad's kitchen, every week, but we're growing every day.
Since that day in 1995 when my sister adopted Winslow, she has added cats, ducks and assorted other furry friends to her life. She's also given me a push to start my own business providing nutritional snacks for some of our best friends. Winslow, Rascal, Rocky and Lady Bug all love our products -- I hope you do too! |