It’s time to change the way we think about bully breeds. And Jennifer Wegman of Unicorn Bully Bites is leading the charge with a bag of colorful, highly Instagrammable dog treats in hand.
The proud mother of Artemis, a charismatic American Staffordshire Terrier mix with a sensitive stomach, Wegman began developing her grain-free treats after failing to find decent store-bought options.
“I went to the dog store and I looked at all the treats, which is like, hundreds of them,” Wegman recalled. “Literally, maybe five, maybe six had minimal ingredients. They say minimal ingredients, but they really don’t. They have like, 10-plus and a bunch of weird, crazy chemical preservatives.
“So that’s how I started talking to vets and dog nutritionists and just seeing like, ‘What’s good for dogs? What can I not put in there?’ I didn’t want to see any processed, any corn, any nasty byproducts. Most of mine only have four to five ingredients.”
Using Artemis and her friends’ dogs as taste testers, Wegman soon perfected her first product: mini doggo donuts topped with swirls of icing and edible glitter.
“I wanted them to be really cute, because Artemis is cute and I like to take cute pictures of her,” Wegman said, smiling. “And people who love their dogs will buy cute things, more than just a little baked treat that looks hard as a rock. Like, there aren’t any really cute treats. They’re all ugly. They’re like little circles or little hearts and they’re just boring. So I was like, I gotta make this really special.”
The doggo donuts are usually made with oat flour, egg, peanut butter, and bone broth, but customers can request to substitute any of the ingredients based on their dog’s dietary needs. This month, Wegman added a new treat to the Unicorn Bully Bites lineup: a pumpkin cinnamon “puptart,” a dog-friendly Pop Tart with sprinkles.
“Everything is dog-friendly,” Wegman explained. “I use an icing that is used worldwide by dog bakers. So I was really trying to find something that was sustainable, easy for me to use, that wasn’t going to mold. My process is pretty in-depth.”
Although Wegman has been in business for only a couple months, her treats have already been featured on the accounts of canine influencers (read: happy customers) from across the country. Artemis herself boasts more than 5,000 Instagram followers, and Wegman has built friendships with many fellow bully breed fanatics through social media.
“I’ve always had my own Instagram and I didn’t really care much about it,” Wegman said. “Because influencer people are really boring to me and they’re kinda pushy and weird on there. But then I got into the dog community and I was like, ‘Oh, I love these people. They’re so chill. They’ve got lots of good information. Their dogs are hilarious.’ And I just love scrolling through a Facebook full of dogs. I could do it for hours.”
Every month, Wegman donates 10 percent of her profits to a different bully-specific rescue. And by positioning Artemis as the face of this magical, uplifting brand, Wegman hopes to fight assumptions about bully breeds.
Historically, pitbulls have been characterized as aggressive and dangerous. In fact, it can be more difficult to insure your home if you own a pitbull, which is considered a “blacklisted breed.” As a result, shelters tend to be overpopulated with pitbulls.
“Most pitbulls, they’re snuggly and sweet,” Wegman said. “They’re not vicious, and they might just lick you to death. So that was part of my vision – I want to be part of the solution for bully breeds. I want to be able to give back in the capacity that I’m able to. They’re just really misunderstood.”
Eager to get your paws on a bag of these mythical treats? Head over to the Unicorn Bully Bites Etsy shop. Wegman’s goodies can be eaten safely by people, too. But don’t expect to enjoy them as much as your pooch – they’re sugar-free.
Unicorn Bully Bites
