What started as a day just like any other turned ruff when Andrea Tovar took her dog Bocce to the vet for a routine checkup — only to be told her perfect little bundle of joy could afford to be a little less… bundley.
When Andrea checked the labels of Bocce’s food and treats, she was horrified by the amount of preservatives, chemicals, and empty calories. Already the creator of her own culinary blog and armed with a mission to change, Andrea took to the kitchen and began whipping up different recipes for Bocce to taste test.
Once she had pleased her number one sous chef, Tovar took her treats to the streets. Rather than bring cupcakes or brownies to a local bake sale, she brought her doggie desserts — and they were a huge hit! Interspersed with the rave reviews were several suggestions that Tovar try and get her treats on the shelves of local pet stores. So that’s exactly what she did.
Andrea recruited her sister Natalia who lived in Boston to help out with the baking, initially only on the weekends but within six months the demand was so high that Natalia and her husband had to relocate to New York! (That was where they adopted a gorgeous one-eyed French Bulldog named Bleu who you should totally Insta-stalk).
What started as a two woman operation has since become a bone-afied dog treat enterprise with a full kitchen staff, Biscuit Bikes for dogs dining on-the-go, and an ongoing four-year pawtnership with Shake Shack that lets your dog munch on their very own Shackburger flavored treats!
All of the ingredients in Bocce’s treats — from the antibiotic and hormone-free meats to the nutrient-packed produce to the natural breath fresheners like mint and parsley — are sourced organically and locally whenever possible.
Not only that, but they also come in a huge variety of delicious and unexpected flavors. If your pup prefers sweet, try the Local Peanut Butter + Blueberries or the Apple Pie treats. If they favor savory, treat them to the Truffle Mac & Cheese, the Chicken Cordon Blue, or even the Lobster Roll renditions. Or give them a little of each with the aptly named Elvis biscuits featuring both peanut butter and bacon. Oh great, now I’m hungry.
Bleu’s favorite treats are the *yet to be released* Charcoal Treats while Bocce himself prefers the veggie and nutrient-packed Green Juice and the PB + Bacon combo treats.
So what’s next? Venturing out of hard biscuits, releasing 10 entirely new types of treats within the next year, and continuing to please the palates of pups everywhere with the most exciting line of flavors we’ve ever seen!
