{"href":"https://api.simplecast.com/oembed?url=https%3A%2F%2Fdiscussing-dogs-in-the-d.simplecast.com%2Fepisodes%2Fkara-roberto-angelas-treat-stash-bLPnfKqt","width":444,"version":"1.0","type":"rich","title":"Kara Roberto - Angela's Treat Stash","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_url":"https://image.simplecastcdn.com/images/e21b419e-365e-4c3d-b20b-f8a5e4f81d98/44f42179-b830-4c93-abbd-43f9bdff55db/2025rokoltbhs.jpg","thumbnail_height":300,"provider_url":"https://simplecast.com","provider_name":"Simplecast","html":"","height":200,"description":"In this episode of Discussing Dogs in the D, Christine sits down with Kara Roberto, the founder of Angela’s Treat Stash, a Michigan-based small business creating natural, human-grade dog treats. Kara shares the incredible story behind the company—one that began with a rescue dog named Angela.\n\nAngela came into Kara and her husband Dom’s lives as a medical-needs foster from Detroit Animal Care and Control just days before the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020. Severely underweight and later diagnosed with diabetes, Angela required intensive care, strict insulin schedules, and specialized nutrition. As two graduate students struggling to cover veterinary bills, Kara began researching natural pet nutrition and experimenting with homemade treats to help support Angela’s health.\n\nWhat started as a small kitchen experiment quickly grew into something bigger. After family and friends saw how much their dogs loved the treats, Kara—while grieving the loss of her grandmother—quietly launched an Etsy shop that would eventually evolve into Angela’s Treat Stash. With help from friends, local supporters, and partnerships with independent pet stores and farmer’s markets, the business steadily expanded.\n\nToday, Angela’s Treat Stash offers a wide variety of baked dog cookies and single-ingredient dehydrated treats made from human-grade ingredients, fruits, vegetables, and responsibly sourced proteins. Kara also explains the science behind animal nutrition, the fascinating concept of zoopharmacognosy—animals instinctively seeking foods that help heal them—and what it takes to operate a licensed pet food business in Michigan.\n\nChristine and Kara also discuss the importance of supporting local businesses, women entrepreneurs, and rescue dogs who change our lives in unexpected ways.\n\nAngela’s story is a reminder that sometimes the dogs we rescue end up rescuing us—and inspiring something truly meaningful in the process."}