Oprah is Emmaus Dog Treat Maker's Role Model

Special to Emmaus Patch By Chrissy Cilento, Emmaus High School Senior

Business: Spotted Dog Barkery
338 Main St. Emmaus
610-965-2412
spotteddogbarkery@gmail.com
Like "Spotted Dog Barkery" on Facebook 
Owner: Cyndi Huff-Walters 
Hours: Tues-Fri 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sat 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

What you sell?
We sell fresh-made dog treats. We also do birthday cakes for dogs, and then some other assorted canine accessories including toys, scarves, dental care, leashes, collars, dog dishes, etc. Our biscuits come in a variety of flavors -- now we’re up to 15 flavors. 

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How long have you been in business?
I took over this business Feb. 1 of this year. 

What inspired you to start your business?
A woman named Nancy Keller owned this business before me. I own Cloud Nine Country Kennel and her treats were the only treats I sold there. When I found out that Nancy was retiring, I panicked and thought, “You know what, I can do both!” So I purchased the business to continue baking for my kennel -- I bake and sell there and I bake and sell here as well.  

What makes your business different from the competition? 
All our products are fresh-made. They’re not something that’s been sitting in a warehouse for who knows how long -- they’re all natural ingredients, human-grade ingredients. Humans could eat them if they wanted, although there’s no sugar! If you go to any grocery store or pet store, they don’t have the fancy seasonal treats that we do. We do something special for every holiday make specially designed seasonal treats that you won’t get somewhere else. 

What is the most rewarding part of your business?
Providing a healthy, fresh treat for people’s pets. I also really like when people bring their pets in; they all get a sample and I love seeing their faces when they eat their sample. 

What’s the hardest part of your business?
I really haven’t found a negative -- I’d like to have more business, but wouldn’t everybody? 

Where do you hope to see your business in the future?
I’d like to see the business grow. I’m hoping to get a website up and running and also start to do mail order. 

What’s the best business advice you’ve ever received? 
To treat every customer the way I would want to be treated. Then you can’t go wrong. 

What business advice would you give to someone else?
Be prepared for long hours and hard work and I think just good customer service. If you have good customer service, that’ll take you a long way. 

Do you have a role model for what you do?
If I had to strive to be like someone, it’d be Oprah Winfrey. She is a wonderful person; she’s very giving. I’ve never seen someone who is so willing to share what they have with others and I think that’s why she’s gone so far. Even here, I probably give away more treats than I sell, but that’s just who I am! 

What do you do when you aren't working? 
My spare time is really limited because I have another business, the Cloud Nine Country Kennel, which is a full-time business. When I do get time off, I like to go to our mountain house up in North Central, PA where cell phones don’t work. I enjoy gardening, reading, going to flea markets and collecting antiques and that sort of stuff. I also volunteer at the Elephant’s Trunk right down the road. 

Anything else you’d like the community to know about your business?
I’m willing to do fundraisers for people. If people would like their organization to sponsor a night here, they would do the advertising, they would invite their people in and I would be willing to donate a portion of everything that is sold that night to their organization.

Chrissy Cilento, a senior at Emmaus High School, plans to study journalism in college. She is a periodic contributor to Patch.