A Picky Pooch
Once upon a time back in the early 90s, there was a picky pooch named Chauncey. Chauncey was a dachshund who was a fussy eater. He belonged to the family of Pampered Pet Treats, Inc. founder and CEO, Nancy Anne Volin.
Poor Chauncey … he was a good boy and he deserved just as much love and pampering as any dog, but he had a sensitive tummy. He wouldn’t even touch the typical brand-name dog biscuits Nancy Anne and her mom offered him. So, Nancy Anne went to work. In her kitchen, she started whipping up some secret-recipe dog cookies of her own.
After one bite, Chauncey was sold and so were a bunch of other dogs in the neighborhood. The dogs seemed to be saying, “Two paws up for Nancy Anne’s pet treats!”
When she founded Pampered Pet Treats, Inc.,in March 1994, Nancy Anne knew she was on to something big. At the time, the availability of all-natural pet treats was sparse, but the demand was growing. Nancy Anne had found her niche.
Entrepreneur of the Year
It’s no surprise that Nancy Anne found success so quickly. After going back to college as an adult and graduating from the University of Saint Thomas in St. Paul, Minn., with a major in communications and a minor in entrepreneurship, Nancy was awarded an “Entrepreneur of the Year” award in 1994 by the University. She blended together her education, her knowledge gained from a few cooking classes, and her experiences with Chauncey to establish Pampered Pet Treats, Inc.