Kool Dog Kafe Lets People Treat Their Pets
By Kate Linthicum
Journal Staff Writer

The sweet aromas wafting out of the bakery at Kool Dog Kafe smell like dog heaven.
All of the goodies baked at Kool Dog are for the four-legged— even the hamburgers, french fries, fortune cookies and birthday cakes. And the public is eating it up. "We have seen growth every year," said Kerry King, who owns the Rio Rancho business with her husband, Cid. "You find a specialty area, a niche, and people respond to it."

It all began in 1999 when the couple opened up a boutique for dogs in Los Angeles. The store sold doggy necessities— from clothes to collars— and an assortment of treats baked by King. "We had people walk in saying we'd be closed within a year," she said. Instead, the business took off. "It all went word of mouth at first," she said.

Businesses all over the world were clamoring for King's creative treats, and she could barely keep up with demand. The healthy snacks are made with all human-grade ingredients, according to King. And they are free of added sugar, salt or preservatives. "Wholesale took off," King said. "And we had less and less time to focus on the store." King and her husband eventually sold their retail store and relocated to Rio Rancho so they would be in a more central location for shipping orders around the country. They brought seven employees with them, all of whom live in Rio Rancho.

Kool Dog moved into a 7,000-square-feet building near N.M. 528 and Northern Boulevard. But because the staff of 16 is producing anywhere from 6,000 to 20,000 items each day, the business may need a second story. The treats, which can only be ordered online at kooldogkafe.com, are shipped all over the world. The former business consultant, and her husband, who was in the Army, got into the dog business because they are dog people. They have a golden retriever, Chloe, and an energetic brown Labrador puppy, Kona. The friendly pups are brought to the business office each day and corralled behind a doggy gate so that they don't gobble up all the goodies in the bakery.

Chloe and Kona are the lucky evaluators of King's new products. "They definitely taste and test," said King, as Kona squirmed in her arms. King and her husband said they got into the dog business just as it was taking off. "Baby boomers have their kids moving out so they get dogs to replace them," he said. He said people are waiting to have kids and pampering their dogs instead.

Tracy Carlson, director of customer service at Kool Dog, has done just that. Her two pugs have their own bedroom and closet full of outfits at her Rio Rancho home. She sets up a webcam each day so she can see what they are up to while she is at work. "Anything you can think of for your kids they have for your dog," she said. Carlson, who is swamped each day with new orders, said she pampers her pups— with things like Louis Vuitton collars— because they are so important to her. "They give me that sense of comfort," she said. "They're better than any man!" Carlson said the dog product business is a $39 billion industry, and that she gets five to 10 requests each day from new dog-related businesses interested in Kool Dog products.

King knows that Kool Dog treats appeal more to dog owners than the dogs. For example, even though dogs can't see colors the way humans can, many of Kool Dog's goods are intricately detailed in bright colors.