BILLINGS — An Army veteran in Billings has turned a love of baking into a small business — one treat at a time, for dogs.
Alex Mesaros spent eight years in the Army. Now, she is on a different mission: crafting homemade, gourmet dog treats for her five large dogs and the community around her.
Watch Alex talk about the benefits of homemade dog treats:
"I wanted to start my own thing," Mesaros said Tuesday.
Her husband helped push her toward turning that passion into a business.
"My husband kind of pushed me to do the stand and do the baking. Because I love baking. So he was like, 'Yeah, your baking is really good. You should sell it,'" Mesaros said.
The treats are made entirely from scratch using clean ingredients and are then dehydrated to extend shelf life.
"There's charcoal dog treats that help with their teeth and their breath. It has some fresh mint in it. And then I have the coconut oil. We have some pumpkin and peanut butter ones that are really good," Mesaros said.
Each batch has about a three-week shelf life.
Mesaros said the switch to homemade treats has made a noticeable difference for her dogs.
"I've noticed that my dogs have a lot more energy now as opposed to the store-bought stuff," Mesaros said.
The business also grew out of a financial reality. Store-bought treats were adding up fast.
"I was probably going through maybe $200, $300 a month just in dog treats," Mesaros said.
Customers pay on the honor system. Prices are listed on each item, and there is a pay box on-site for cash.
"There's a pay box and you just put your cash in there. The prices are all listed on each individual item. I also have my Venmo QR code," Mesaros said.
Mesaros acknowledged some early concern about whether the system would work.
"That was kind of a little worry that I had. But I figured we have a camera set up in here. And so I figured if someone takes something, I mean it sucks. But it's not going to be the end of the world," Mesaros said.
So far, the honor system — and the business — are holding up.
"So far it's been good. Getting a lot of people walking by and a few people that have come driving," Mesaros said.
The stand is located at 2430 Dahlia Lane in Billings.
