Tail Waggins Dog Bakery owner Diane Hamar said she first began baking dog treats not to sell, but rather as a thank-you present for a friend who helped find Diane’s lost dog, Lexi. As an additional note of gratitude, Hamar baked special dog treats for her friend to sell to raise money for a dog rescue effort the friend was involved in. The treats were a hit, Hamar said, and she began to get more requests for her products. “I kind of fell into the business,” Hamar said. She said she decided to end her nursing career in June 2002 and open Tail Waggins with her husband, Peter. For its first two years, the business operated online and only sold her dog treats. Hamar said she incorporates ingredients that are not only high-quality and healthy but also serve to help a dog’s health. She calls them “functional treats.” Varieties that include ginger help dogs with upset stomachs, and treats made with chamomile and catnip help calm anxious dogs due to the ingredients’ soothing properties, Hamar said. As business has grown over the past 15 years, Tail Waggins has expanded several times. Its current storefront is 6,000 square feet in size, half of which is used as a warehouse and the other half used as a retail space to sell food, treats, toys and other pet supplies and services. The business offers training, pet-sitter recommendations and custom treats, including personalized dog cakes for events such as birthdays. Tail Waggins also has self-service washing stations, which are elevated so pet owners can avoid back pain as they wash their pets. “Tail Waggins Dog Bakery was the way that we started, but we are so much more than a bakery,” Hamar said. Tail Waggins Dog Bakery 2102 N. Austin Ave., Georgetown 512-868-0047 www.tailwagginsbakery.com Hours: Tue.-Fri. 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Sat. 10 a.m.-4 p.m., closed Sun.-Mon.