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Editor’s note: The “Makers” feature is a weekly look at Atlantic Canadian entrepreneurs who are tapping into the creative marketplace. If you know of a local, creative business owner that should be featured email: [email protected]  

It was a combination of Brenda MacPhee’s love for her fur baby and an allergy that set her on a business path she had never imagined.

MacPhee, who lives in New Glasgow, has a nut allergy. So, when looking for treats for her dog, Cosmo, she found it difficult to find anything good that wasn’t made with peanut butter. This prompted her to start making her own.

To learn how to make them, MacPhee says she took to the internet and started researching what was and wasn’t safe for dogs and cats to eat. Once she began making treats, she quickly realized it was something she loved doing.

So, she started making dog treats and giving them to friends and family members.

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Cosmos became her chief tester.

“If he will eat it, I know it’s good,” she says, admitting that she has tried a few of the treats and says they aren’t bad.

Knowing how well the treats were being received, MacPhee turned her new-found hobby into a business. So, in February 2021, she launched Cosmo’s Treats and Treasures, named for her top employee.

Today, Cosmo’s Treats and Treasures focuses on making healthier, peanut-free dog treats, bones, cakes and cookies for pets, cat treats and catnip toys for fur babies.

MacPhee says she continues to use the internet to look for different ideas for recipes for pets. Often, she will find a recipe for a human cake and then tweak it to make it pet safe.

Out of everything she makes, the most popular treats are the cheddar bacon treats and, secondly, the blueberry crunch ones.

MacPhee says her treats are made with human-grade ingredients and are peanut-free, with some gluten-free options. The treats are made fresh every week and treats are dehydrated, so they have a longer shelf life.

All the treats are made with a love for what I do, says MacPhee.

“I love making them all, but my favourite would be decorating cakes for those special occasions for fur babies,” says MacPhee.

Always on the hunt for making something new to create, MacPhee has even started making cakes for horses.

When asked what her favourite story was about her treats, MacPhee said it was about her friend’s dog, Rachel Rae. MacPhee went to her friend’s hair salon and Rachel Rae, being a lover of her treats, decided to climb right in her purse to find some!

The fur babies whose parents are at the market selling know when it is Saturday, says MacPhee. They always know then when their paw parents come home and say the word, “Brenda”, the dogs come running for their treats!

MacPhee now runs her business full time.

In fact, she recently opened a storefront on Main Street in Westville, sharing a space with her daughter, who runs Intuitive Creations and Designs.

“You can now come in and get some fur baby treats and something for yourself!” says MacPhee.

To find out more about Cosmo’s Treats and Treasures, or to place an order, MacPhee can be found at her shop in Westville, or at the New Glasgow Farmers’ Market every Saturday. They can also be ordered through her Facebook page under the same name. Currently, she does not ship orders, but does deliver, or items can be picked up at her house in New Glasgow.

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