The Pet Me Happy Gifts & Treats online boutique, founded in 2015 and operated by three Santa Clarita pet lovers, has launched a brand new website and unveiled a line of exclusive new pet-related products created especially for discerning pet parents.

Pet Me Happy Gifts & Treats’ new products include the company’s own all-natural Artisan Dog Treats with Oregon Blueberries, quality pet-related gifts by Charm Ceramics, and the original and deluxe editions of the popular Pupper Pouch dog leash accessory.

All products are made in California, U.S.A. by pet-loving humans.

Artisan Dog Treats with Oregon Blueberries

“Our pets are like members of our family, and every other pet parent we know thinks and feels the same,” said Stephen K. Peeples, CEO and co-founder of Pet Me Happy Gifts & Treats.

The retired journalist and website developer has partnered in the enterprise with his wife of 35 years, Nadine A. Peeples, and his longtime associate producer Paige Hagen.

“We’d never knowingly feed our kids bad stuff, and the same goes for the four-legged members of our family,” he said.

“That’s what inspired us to create the all-natural recipe for Pet Me Happy’s Artisan Dog Treats with Oregon Blueberries,” said Ms. Peeples, whose passion for baking merged with her love of pets.

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She baked the very first iteration of Artisan Dog Treats in the family’s kitchen in Canyon Country in summer 2015.

Pet Me Happy connected with an animal treats bakery in L.A. County in early 2016 whose experts helped finalize the original kitchen recipe, and baked the final biscuit-shaped treats using only organic and natural ingredients.

Pet Me Happy’s exclusive, proprietary recipe for its Artisan Dog Treats with Oregon Blueberries has only 10 ingredients: organic spelt flour (an easily digested non-wheat flour with fewer calories but more protein than whole wheat), whole oat flour, apple juice, fresh Oregon blueberries, egg, natural blueberry flavor, chamomile, green tea leaves, flax seed oil and mixed tocopherols (Vitamin E) as a natural preservative.

Nadine Peeples and her partners were beyond pleased.

“Our new Artisan Dog Treats represent all the things dog parents we spoke with asked for, including no added chemicals, and no digestive upset,” she said.

“We ate the blueberry dog treats first – with a little milk – and loved them,” Mr. Peeples said. “Then the feedback from our dog tests of that first sample batch was overwhelmingly favorable. And the test dogs’ humans enthusiastically told us they’d actually buy them if we started selling them.”

Pet Me Happy officially adds Artisan Dog Treats with Oregon Blueberries to its product line on Sept. 14. An introductory period with a discount just for the company’s early fans and charter customers began Sept. 1 and generated the first official sales of the treats through PetMeHappy.com.

“We branded our all-natural treats ‘artisan’ because they originated at the hands of a master craftswoman, namely my very talented wife, Nadine,” Mr. Peeples said. “Now they’re made in bigger small batches by our pet-loving human friends in a suburban L.A. pet-treat bakery, not by automatons baking tons of not-so-natural treats in some huge commercial factory.”

Reaching Out to Discerning Pet Parents

Pet Me Happy crew: from right: Nadine and Stephen K. Peeples, their partner Paige Hagen and Pet Me Happy fan Marcus Rigsby display 2oz packages of Artisan Dog Treats with Oregon Blueberries.

Stephen K. Peeples said Pet Me Happy is not interested in competing with the low-end commercial dog treat market.

“We’re a boutique outfit, and our early testers and customers are among the growing ranks of pet parents now demanding better-quality foods and treats for their pets,” he said. “Since the industry is trending to meet that demand with healthier alternatives, we think our Artisan Dog Treats with Oregon Blueberries is the right product at the right time.”

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“Ours may not (be) the least expensive available, but when it comes to our pets, we’d rather spend a little more on something we know is safe and healthy,” said Hagen, Pet Me Happy’s CFO. “We think our pets deserve nothing less. Our initial testers and customers feel the same.”

“The raving testimonials we received about our latest treats proved to us we were not alone in thinking our pets deserve the best, and that these little brown blueberry biscuits were the kind of treat we were all looking for,” Ms. Peeples said.

“And we are ready to add several more flavors of dog treats, as well as all-natural Artisan Cat Treats, to our product line as Pet Me Happy grows,” she said.

Original & Deluxe Pupper Pouches

Pet Me Happy Gifts & Treats is now the exclusive distributor of the Pupper Pouch Original and Pupper Pouch Deluxe dog leash accessories.

The Original Pupper Pouch is a rectangular nylon pouch with a Velcro flap enclosure. It attaches to a dog’s leash or harness, and carries a dog parent’s keys, wallet and other personal effects, keeping hands free while walking or taking a run.

The Deluxe Pupper Pouch is a “double- bagger” with two pouches back-to- back.

“Both Pupper Pouches are made in California, and we’re carrying them through our exclusive partnership with its inventor and patent-holder, Cathy Craig,” Mr. Peeples said. “She’s one of our neighbors in Santa Clarita, and one of our favorite dog parents and pet activist-advocates.”

Ceramic Cat-Shaped Salt & Pepper Shakers; Pet Memorial Urns

Made of high-grade clay, Pet Me Happy’s Shiro and Kuro cat-shaped salt and pepper shakers were created exclusively for the company by Charm Ceramics, a notable pottery shop in Los Angeles County founded by highly skilled master ceramist Sarah Sherman.

Sleek and compact, Shiro and Kuro (“black” and “white” in Japanese) beautifully complement any dinner table.

“They’re an especially cool, whimsical gift for cat-lovers like me,” Ms. Peeples said.

Pet Me Happy’s ceramic memorial urns for dogs and cats provide Pet Parents a tasteful way to honor the memories of their departed pets. The urns are also made for Pet Me Happy with love and empathy by Charm Ceramics.

“Losing a pet is really terrible,” she said. “We know we have to let go and move on, but we’ll always love them, and never forget them. An evocative and captivating memorial urn helps us better cope with the loss and cherish the memories.”

New Pet Me Happy Gifts & Treats Website

The new Pet Me Happy Gifts & Treats website integrates the tested and trusted WooCommerce e-commerce engine. All online purchases at the site are made by credit card through PayPal, secured by the site’s SSL certificate.

The site features a sign-up for pet lovers to join the menagerie and receive the company’s weekly newsletter, with pet-related updates, special discounts, contests and more.

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“We invite you to sign up for our newsletter when you visit,” said Hagen, who built and customized the new site with Mr. Peeples.

“When you shop for your pet treats and gifts at Pet Me Happy, you’ll not only get quality products you can trust at reasonable prices and our excellent, caring customer service, but you’ll also be contributing to the growth of a worthy local independently owned business,” Hagen said.

Pet Me Happy Gifts & Treats Blog Posts & Social Media

Stephen K. Peeples, Pet Me Happy co-founder and CEO, in Canyon Country.

Along with an exclusive line of Pet Me Happy products, the Pet Me Happy Gifts & Treats website provides a fun source of helpful information for pet owners.

Visitors will find colorful, well-written articles with experts’ tips about pet training, health, grooming and more, along with warm and fuzzy “Pet Tales” penned by the Pet Me Happy partners and their Pet Parent pals.

Pet Me Happy is rapidly building a community via social media as well. Its Facebook page has surpassed 600 “likes” from compassionate pet parents, animal advocates, trainers and pet health authorities from around the world.

Facebook posts feature cute and adorable pets, helpful info for pet parents, contests with free treats for prizes and more.

Find Pet Me Happy on Twitter (@petmehappy) and Pinterest, with Instagram in the wings.

Visit Pet Me Happy at Bark for Life and Bow Wows & Meows Pet Fair 2016

“We love social media, but we also appreciate real time, face-to- face engagement with other pet- crazy people who want only the best for their pets,” Mr. Peeples said.

“So we look forward to seeing, meeting, greeting and treating everyone attending and participating in the two coolest pet-related events of the year,” he said, referring to the Bow Wows & Meows Pet Fair and pet adoption event all day on Sunday, October 9 at Hart Park in Newhall, and the Bark for Life fundraiser for the American Cancer Society of the Santa Clarita Valley on Saturday morning, October 22 at Bridgeport Park in Valencia.

Pet Me Happy Sponsors ‘KHTS Adoptable Pet of the Week’ Feature

Photo by Rita Earl Photography, courtesy of Saving Little Strays Rescue.

Coinciding with its new online boutique and products, Pet Me Happy Gifts & Treats is a charter sponsor of the new “KHTS Adoptable Pet of the Week” series.

Each week, KHTS Features Director Melissa Lampert shares the story of an adoptable pet from a Santa Clarita-area animal shelter or nonprofit rescue organization in an effort to help these animals find their forever homes.

The feature is broadcast every Wednesday on KHTS, and on the station’s website, YouTube channel, Facebook page, and other social media outlets.

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“We are excited to co-sponsor the ‘KHTS Adoptable Pet of the Week’ feature – it’s something we had in mind for a possible future Pet Me Happy podcast, but there’s no better time than the present,” Mr. Peeples said.

“And there’s no more pressing issue among animal lovers and pet parents than finding good homes for homeless or abused animals,” he said. “Part of our mission is advocating rescue and adoption. We’re happy to play any positive role in promoting them. It’s the Pet Me Happy way.”

Peeples and KHTS announced Pet Me Happy’s “Adoptable Pet of the Week” co-sponsorship during an on-air segment at KHTS studios with Lampert and air personality George Cummings September 1, now viewable on the KHTS YouTube channel.

Pet Me Happy Searches to Adopt Canine Mascot

And Pet Me Happy is walking the walk – the company’s founders are about to adopt a dog, and will do it in partnership with the “KHTS Adoptable Pet of the Week” team.

“We’re searching right now for the perfect pup to be Pet Me Happy’s canine mascot, and Melissa and the station’s crew are documenting our search for a special edition of the ‘KHTS Adoptable Pet of the Week’ feature,” Mr. Peeples said.

Related: KHTS Adoptable Pet Of The Week Co-Sponsor ‘Pet Me Happy’ To Adopt A Canine Mascot

“This way, we can share our experience with other prospective pet parents, and become more familiar with the actual process of adopting a pet,” he said.

“We’ll share the search, the discovery, the adoption procedure, the dog’s test visit to our home, how he or she gets along with our senior cat, Batman, Pet Me Happy’s feline mascot, and the neighborhood dogs, and finally the joyful moment when we bring our new pup home as a full-fledged member of our pet-crazy family,” he said.

For more information about Pet Me Happy Gifts & Treats, click here and see the About and FAQ pages, or email Paige Hagen at paige@petmehappy.com.

Ed. Note: This article is a press release provided by Pet Me Happy Gifts & Treats.