WITH NINA AUSTIN

Farm to paw

SHE BAKES DOG TREATS SO HEALTHY, HUMANS COULD EAT THEM

STORY MARJIE DUCEY PHOTOGRAPHY CHRIS CHRISTEN

Nina Austin always thought she would open a bakery. But for humans, not for dogs. Life took a turn when an abandoned dog appeared in her backyard and needed extra care.

“He ended up having a lot of health issues due to overbreeding,” Austin says. “I started making him food and treats.’’ Austin, a pastry chef by trade, shared her finished recipes with fellow dog owners, and they encouraged her to go into business. Love Yo Pup was born.

The 48-year-old Omaha native researched what a dog would eat in the wild — and then added a whimsical touch. “I’m a kid of the ’70s and ’80s,” she says. “I thought of all my favorite movie and TV shows. ‘How can I pull a name from there?’”

That’s how she came up with High

Plains Drifter for her elk, deer and buffalo biscuits and Top Gun for the goose version. Boomstick from the movie “Army of Darkness” is the name of her calming treats. Salmon is the base for Two If By Land and One If By Sea.

She gets her wild game from friends who hunt and says her doggy biscuits are so wholesome, humans could eat them. Rescue pups Merlin and Crow are her chief tasting officers.

“If they don’t like it, I have to do some adjusting,” Austin says.

Austin, who established an LLC in 2015, sells her organic treats locally at Wag, That Dog Wash, The Green Spot and Long Dog Fat Cat. Hardy Coffee is joining the fold.

She has three requirements for her sellers: They have to work with rescues, be a mom-and-pop business and be involved in the community.

Austin herself works with several dog rescue groups and related charities. “If

there is a rescue that needs my help, I am there for them.”

She makes about 2,000 treats a week from her kitchen. She calls it a farm-topaw business.

She adores being a dog baker and not the human variety.

“I just want to give dog parents peace of mind. I love animals and want them to be happy and healthy,” she says.

“I can’t see myself doing anything else. I love it so much.”