Local Couple Creates Healthy, Tasty Dog Treats
Photographer: Lucas Cooley
For Kim and Mark Thaxton, Lazy Labs Bakery is not just a second job after retirement but a natural extension of affection for their three Labrador Retrievers and their passion to provide healthy treats for all dogs. After a successful season at the Fishers Winter Famers Market, the couple’s dog snacks will continue to be available at the farmers market this summer.
The Thaxtons have lived in Fishers since 1991 and, for several years, Kim has been baking treats for her labs Sherman Tank, Ellie May and Caine. Her best friend is a dog breeder and Thaxton often gives her bags of treats for people picking up a new puppy to take home with them.
“My friend suggested that I start selling them,” Thaxton says. “I was looking for a small job after teaching art for 35 years and, since I wanted to do something that involved our dogs, it seemed to be a good idea.”
Thaxton and her husband started the business off slowly at first. In the summer of 2017, they began selling their canine cookies and biscuits at the Noblesville Farmers Market but only once a month. They were pleasantly surprised at the positive reception they received.
“We had no expectations,” she says. “We thought that it would be great if we sold them, but if we didn’t, we knew our own dogs would eat them. Then we started getting lines of people waiting to buy them.”
This past year they applied to both the Summer and Winter Fishers Farmers Market. Since May of 2018, they man a stall every week with their dog Ellie, rain or shine. All the treats are named for their own dogs or those in the same family tree. Most popular are Gunner’s Peanut Butter Morning Starters, closely followed by Caines Cheddar Cheese Bites and Simon’s Grain-Free Cookies.
Any kind of canine enjoys the soft cookie-like snacks, but they are especially good for dogs that have allergies, have lost teeth or are picky eaters. Thaxton researched to find out the best ingredients to use. Each variety is made with all organic, certified ingredients such as non-grain buckwheat, antioxidant carob and easily digestible rice flour. None contain any wheat, corn or soy so they are gluten free.
“I feel people lose dogs to cancer at early ages and many pets have allergies,” Thaxton says. “It might be caused by the food people are feeding to them. I love what I’m doing. Fishers is the perfect place to do business. It has lots of families with dogs and a quaint farmers market feel. Fishers families seem to be health conscious, and I feel we fill a niche by providing treats that are good for their dogs.”
Dog lovers don’t have to worry if they run out of treats before farmers market day. They can purchase them from the Lazy Lab Bakery website, too. The Thaxtons will even deliver free within Fishers or at a charge in nearby areas as well as ship orders.
For more information visit LazyLabsBakery.com or drop into the Fishers Farmers Market every Saturday this summer from 9 a.m. to noon.
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