Paws and Claws Pet Bakery owner Anna Reeves didn’t begin her bakery career with pet treats in mind. In fact, at age 16, she opened a human food bakery. At 18, she became an ambassador for the local chamber of commerce in Augusta, Georgia, USA, and it was there that she met the owner of a pet bakery. “We connected over our love for baking creative, delicious treats, and our love for pets,” says Reeves. “From that point, we formed a lasting friendship, so when [the pet bakery owners] decided to no longer continue with the business, they looked to me to carry on the treats they had been making.”
Carry on, she did. Reeves decided to take Paws and Claws in a new direction, aiming for expansion. “Instead of just opening up a storefront or doing local or regional events as a vendor, I [decided to] move the business toward a packaged product,” says Reeves of the five-year-old company. “Before I took over the company, the treats were not tested or approved for distribution through the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). I decided I wanted to pursue the avenue of having them tested so they could be distributed in stores.”
Reeves also looked at reformulation to improve the existing treat recipes. “I used my baking science expertise to reformulate recipes to better serve consumers and their pets,” she says. “There was a recipe from the original pet bakery owner for gluten-free brownie bites. However, the brownies would easily crumble. Slightly changing the ingredients and baking them a different way led to a product that not only looked good, but it also retained its shape.”
The company’s peanut butter crunch flavored treats can be personalized for businesses and individual customers. Recently, a local store called “706 Home” ordered treats with “706” on them to sell in their store, and individuals have requested treats with their pets’ names on them. | Courtesy Paws and Claws Pet Bakery
Paws and Claws treats have since succeeded in expanding to retail stores, and were featured in more than 20 stores in Georgia and South Carolina in 2015. One key to that success, according to Reeves, is knowing what customers want—and giving it to them. “Paws and Claws Pet Bakery is known for its all-natural treats made in small batches and custom shapes, free of artificial colors and ingredients,” she says. “We want each bag of treats to reflect our deep love for pets. We also want the treats to have a hometown feel with the innate quality that comes from producing products by hand."
“The extreme desire for pet owners to purchase quality, all-natural pet food carries over to how they view and purchase higher-quality treats,” says Reeves. “Just because it says ‘treat’ on the packaging, consumers are realizing it doesn’t have to be a low-quality product or made with artificial colors and additives.” Most recently, the company introduced a turkey-flavored jerky (in addition to its classic jerky), which keeps its color for an extended period of time without the need for preservatives.
Classic jerky is always a top seller, but the company also offers turkey jerky, which keeps its color longer without the need for preservatives, says owner Anna Reeves. | Courtesy Paws and Claws Pet Bakery
Another key to expansion success has been listening to and working with the retail stores that might potentially carry Paws and Claws product. “So far, [our] success has been attributed to the real desire we have for our retail stores to understand we are just not trying to push our products off on them,” says Reeves. “We really do care about them as a retail store, and we ensure our treats are a good fit for them as well as us. The bottom line is we’re about building relationships. We have been expanding our coverage throughout Georgia and South Carolina this past year and are making steps to move nationally.”
Some of the company’s greatest opportunities are the smaller retail markets, but Paws and Claws wants to tackle the challenges of breaking into the larger markets, as well. “The boutique stores that are willing to carry the dog treats as a gift idea is one of our biggest opportunities,” says Reeves. “The stores that are doing the best with selling our products are not pet-related stores, so I know the market would benefit from a less conventional place to sell dog treats or a small assortment of pet-related items."
As a small treat company, Paws and Claws can create personalized treats for pets. According to owner Anna Reeves, demand for dog cakes for birthdays and parties has increased significantly in the last two years. | Courtesy Paws and Claws Pet Bakery
On the other hand, “I feel the most difficult challenge is where to put the most investment so that products and the brand see the highest level of return,” she says. Right now, that investment includes creating a more functional and user-friendly website and determining where to go next in product and package development.
Overall, Paws and Claws plans to continue its focus on the specialty market, providing high-quality treats to a consumer base looking to treat their pets just as healthfully as they feed them. “I feel like pet owners are definitely looking for something that will be just as healthy as the human food they are buying,” says Reeves. “Owners see the need to not only purchase healthy dog food but better-quality treats, so they can keep their pet family member as healthy as possible with less skin irritations and other sickness that can plague pets with a poor diet.
“Paws and Claws strives not only to provide an all-natural treat but our ingredients, such as broths and even peanut butter, are crafted by us before producing the treat,” she says. “We strive to use grain-fed animals and animals free of antibiotics and steroids for our ingredients. We avoid shortcuts for the sake of providing a fast treat. We want to have a clear conscious about the treats we put out into the marketplace. Even with prospective growth, we want to maintain the handmade-from-scratch approach to our products and the individualized relationships we cultivate with our consumers.”
Just the Facts
Headquarters: Blythe, Georgia, USA
Facilities: Blythe, Georgia, USA
Officers: OwnerAnna Reeves, Jesus Ayala
Sales: In the past 12 months we have doubled our retail partners
Brands: Paws and Claws Pet Bakery treats
Distribution: More than 20 locations in both Georgia and South Carolina, USA
Website: www.pawsandclawspetbakery.com
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