Pet Treater is always on the lookout for amazing treats for our fur babies and amazing companies that provide them. We look for solid and healthy nutrients, US or Canada made ONLY, and a presentation that pleases the fur parents. But, add in an amazing company with amazing values and employees, and you have a treat worth howling for.
I got the opportunity to chat with the co-founders and owners of Beer City Dog Biscuits, Suzanne Wilcox and Leslie Hooker. The story behind these tasty dog treats is more than meets the paw for sure. The ladies formed a nonprofit 501(c)3 on behalf of their adult sons, both of whom have disabilities.
“We wanted to have an environment that enveloped growth and ownership in something that our sons and others could learn from and thrive in.”
Beer City Biscuits becomes a reality:
Being productive, every day, is something that most of us take for granted or many even frown on. Not these ladies and their two amazing sons, Gavin Wilcox and Tanis Hooker. After many a internet search and brainstorming, they ran across a recipe for beer biscuits for dogs! It seemed like a match and made sense, they are located in Michigan after all which has no less then 465 breweries statewide!
Meeting up with the President of Founders Brewing Co. to see how they could reasonably garner the grain ingredient necessary to make the amazing treats, they had found their key ingredient and were on the way!
In 2018, with a positive mindset and a goal to achieve, they got the ball rolling on Beer City Biscuits.
Some of the Big Whys:
There is always a great story behind a great treat! Beer City Dog Biscuits is more about providing a place of growth, learning and steadfastness for people with disabilities than just producing a yummy and healthy treat, but score one for this team, they got it all! What are some of the underlining goals of Beer City Dog Biscuits for their amazing employees & volunteers:
- To keep independence with guidance & safety
- To be treated fairly
- To provide meaningful work
- To be challenging
- To instill respect & dignity
Vocational training at its yummiest!
Yes, the co-founders want their volunteers and employees to excel beyond this company! They are also a fun and well-structured vocational training site for those with developmental needs. Their training academy is developed to help train for employment inside and outside of their company.
These employees and volunteers learn every aspect of the business; as they are comfortable in one area they are crossed-trained in another until they can run the entire system from start to clean-up. Well-rounded individuals is the goal here!
Giving Back, it is just what they do:
This company doesn’t stop with their valued employees. The story continues on from the co-founders putting all proceeds back into the company for the employees and dog treats to giving back to the community of pets. Beer City Dog Biscuits donates to Hearts of Hope, Kent County Animal Shelters and many others.
Only 19 months into this amazing adventure and they have had over 82 volunteer workers with many benefiting from the vocational training and an amazing amount of happy, tail wagging dogs enjoying their Beer City Dog Biscuits.
We say thank you to Beer City Dog Biscuits for just making the world a bit better, treat by treat! In the Grand Rapids, Michigan area? They are always looking for great Leadership Volunteers.
Many purrs and barks,
