Congratulations to Doggy Delights By Allison Fogarty of Clermont for successfully launching a nationally respected healthy dog treat company.

As CEO and Chef, Allison Fogarty notes, “I wanted to start my own business in October 2017, because I LOVE to cook! I really always wanted a cooking career. I joined the Entrepreneur Academy that the Down Syndrome Association of Central Florida – DSACF was just starting up after we moved here to Florida from Illinois. DSACF taught me how to start a business. They gave me the guidance and opportunities to sell my specialty dog treats. Allison adds, “At an Entrepreneur Workshop, we were supposed to select a name for our business. We made a long list of ideas. At first, I picked Allison’s All-Natural Dog Treats. Then, I thought Doggy Delights by Allison sounded much better and it still had my name.”

Unique Challenges: Born in 1991, Allison’s amazing young life journey began with the difficult challenges from Downs Syndrome as well as the addition of Tracheo-Esophageal Fistula – TEF and Laryngeal Cleft. These medical conditions were not easy. After many surgeries; Dr. Hotaling of Chicago finally discovered a big problem was that she had a cleft larynx. At 11, she got a G-tube inserted in her stomach. She could not eat or drink for two years. This was supposed to help her gain weight until she could have more surgeries.  Instead, she got worse. Dr. Hotaling sent her to the Children’s Hospital in Cincinnati.  They saved her. They also found out that her G-tube was put in wrong. Allison kept going there for two years for different surgeries and tests. Even though she could not eat while recovering; she started watching Rachael Ray on the Food Channel. This is when she got her dream to become a chef like Rachael Ray. Allison adds, “Rachel Ray is my hero!”

Fogarty Family Business: Allison notes, “I always liked to cook. My favorite “job” in high school was helping in the teachers’ cafeteria during summer school. I took some cooking classes. After my mom retired from teaching, we started an unofficial business called Lunch Break. We cooked and delivered lunch once a week to the teachers where she used to work. We did that for 3 years until we moved here to Clermont.  Doing that job helped me learn a LOT about cooking and also a little bit about running a business.” Today, Allison is CEO and Chef, while she and her mom Patricia are co-owners of this home-based business. John and Patricia Fogarty are her staff “sidekicks”.

Specialty Treats & Recipes: Allison shares, “My dog treats are special because I make them with fine quality ingredients that are all researched as very healthy for dogs. I do not put any salt or sugar in them. There are no preservatives in my dog treats. I sell them either frozen or freeze-dried. And dogs always LOVE my treats!”  She adds, “My Yogurt & Berry Delights are my newest flavor. This product is only sold freeze-dried because they melt too fast. They are very healthy for dogs because they just have yogurt, oats, blueberries, and applesauce. Our Salmon Training Treats are also new and only freeze-dried. I was trying to make my first potential cat treats, but my 4 cats don’t like them. So, I tested them at the Clermont Farmer’s Market with dogs and they all loved this flavor!  They are made with salmon, coconut flour, carrots, parsley and chia seeds. I use chia seeds instead of eggs and they are grain-free.” She adds, “My recipes are all my own and they are very healthy for dogs. They are also made with lots of love by ME!”

Her Chicken & Rice Delights are cooked with chicken and some water in a pressure cooker. The chicken is then ground up in a food processor with healthy brown rice. The other ingredients are brown rice flour, coconut flour, eggs, olive oil, and parsley. Her Grain-Free Sweet Potato Delights are made with coconut flour, sweet potatoes, natural peanut butter, eggs, olive oil, carrots, and parsley. The Peanut Butter Delights are made with whole wheat flour, natural peanut butter, eggs, and chia seeds. The Pumpkin Delights are made with oat flour, pumpkin puree, banana, unsweetened applesauce, eggs, coconut flour, and cinnamon. If you buy any ‘Combination of Delights’ you can get any flavors mixed, but freeze-dried will get you the four main flavors.

Expanding Markets: They sell a lot of Doggy Treats online, especially when I Allison appears as a guest on local and national TV shows. She has sold her Doggy Treats all across North America. She regularly sells her Doggy Treats every Sunday at the Clermont Farmers Market. She sells treats at other area events for people with disabilities like The Family Café and the DSACF Buddy Walk. They were invited to be a guest vendor at the Southern Women’s Conference. She also sells treats at special dog events like pet parades and Poochapalooza at Lake Louisa.

Doggy Treat Orders & Delivery Options: They will ship anywhere. With help from her driver, sidekick and dad; John Fogarty offers free delivery for all local Clermont and South Lake area shoppers. “We always tell customers – if you have a dog treat emergency, don’t worry!  We will deliver!” Clermont area and Farmer’s Market customers can ask to get a Rewards Card that says Buy 4, Get 1 FREE!

Most dogs love their yummy treats frozen like ice cubes. They also have plenty of regular customers with tiny dogs or old dogs or dogs with no teeth.  They like her treats when they are thawed out and soft. Doggy Treats are sold in half and full pound bags, as well as in larger amounts to pet professionals, like at BGE Grooming in Oviedo. They make Holiday Doggy Treats by making some red with ground-up beets and green with freeze-dried green beans. They also make Candy Cane treats with peppermint and beets. Allison hopes to someday sell her Doggy Treats at Bulk Nation and maybe even Lucky’s Market.

Marketing: Her mom and sidekick Pat Fogarty handle all advertising, marketing, the website, and social media with help from a friend, Adam Pickett. They have a Doggy Delights Facebook page and an Instagram page. They advertise with East Ridge High School Theater Department. The DSACF includes Doggy Delights By Allison on their Entrepreneur page.

‘Healthy Treats For Your Best Friend!’  Allison shares her slogan; because she knows everyone loves their dogs so much! She adds, “I used to be afraid of dogs. Now, I love dogs and they are so cute.  I am also a cat person.” When Ruff Times Rescue or Island Dog is at the Clermont Farmers Market, she always gives them some extra free treats.

National Honors & Local Exposure: Her big break was to appear as a special guest on the Rachel Ray TV Show. After the first show aired, they received an avalanche of orders. They are in talks for a second appearance. Through the DSACF, Allison was featured on the Orlando area news and on the radio. Jon Busdecker interviewed her for Orlando 60 and made a video. Sam and Katherine Anderson interviewed her for the Facebook page ‘In My Own Words’. Allison won first prize at the Empowering the Extraordinary night.  She won the CEO Cruise, graphic design services and award money. She won ‘Vendor of the Week’ at the Farmer’s Market.

Happiness Abound! Allison feels very happy and proud of her company. Allison shares her business philosophy noting, “You have to Dream BIG to Be BIG! Make the dogs and their owners happy and then they will keep me busy cooking!” “I would like everyone to know that if they have an idea for a business that is their passion, they should go for it!  People with disabilities can be great entrepreneurs. The DSACF runs the Entrepreneur Academy every year and they are working to expand their program.  Business people who can help should contact them and become a mentor.”

Doggy Delights: For more information or to place an order, call 407-205-8893 or visit: www.DoggyDelightsByAllison.com. Like them on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=doggy%20delights%20by%20allison&epa=SEARCH_BOX

EDITORIAL NOTE: Larry Oskin is a writer and photographer for the South Lake Tablet. He is the owner of Marketing Solutions / Art Beautique, offering creative marketing, media relations and professional fine art photography services. He is a board member of the Clermont Downtown Partnership and the Clermont Historic Village. For more information, contact Oskin at 703-508-6800 or at LOskin@MktgSols.com.

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