Three years ago,
Raphaella Giugliano began baking organic dog treats as a healthy
alternative to her pet, Biki’s, junk-food habit. Allergy-prone
friends of Biki enjoyed the treats for their wholesome flavor
and chewy texture.
Biki died of old age, but his memory lives on in Giugliano’s
just-launched "Brooklyn Bites," an all-natural line
of dog snacks suited to the allergy-sensitive canine. Of the
six treats offered, two are dairy free and one is wheat free;
all are baked on a weekly basis.
How committed is Giugliano to your canine’s health? The meat
and vegetable broths she uses to moisten the cookies’ dry ingredients
are made from scratch in her Park Slope kitchen, and the biscuits
feature healthy stuff like peanut butter, bulgur wheat and carob
powder.
Prices for the treats are 25 cents to 60 cents per piece, and
$6 for a baker’s dozen.
In the name of research, I sampled a Nana’s risotto cake made
from rice flour, grated carrots, garlic and fresh rosemary that,
according to Giugliano, "a Chihuahua at the dance studio
loved."
While my enthusiasm doesn’t match the Chihuahua’s, Nana’s risotto
cake gave my jaws a workout. As far as flavor goes – they’re
no worse than the health food crackers I’ve tried. Which means
that for once you can steal something from your dog and chew
the hell out of it.
To order Brooklyn Bites dog treats, log onto Giugliani’s home
page at http://members.aol.com/
brooklynbites or e-mail her at brooklynbites@aol.com.
DOG-BITES WOMAN
