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Kate Hogan

Baker Gabriella Martinez is constantly creating new treats to sell through her online dog bakery, A Barkers Dozen. But nothing hits the Web until it's run by the five VIPs — that's "very important pups" — who make up her panel of taste-testing dogs. "When I develop a new product, they get it first," Martinez tells PEOPLEPets.com. "If they don't approve, it doesn't go out."

Thankfully, the five pooches (as well as Martinez's three dogs) love her home-baked treats, which she develops, bakes and sells herself from her home in Rochester, N.Y. "Every once in a while I have friends who will come over for a baking party — they'll help mix or roll dough," she says. "But everything else is on me."

Inspired by human desserts, Martinez makes sweet bon bons (peanut butter, honey, puffed rice and carob chips), lollypups (carob chips, peanut butter and rawhide) and cheddar biscuits (all-purpose flour, cheddar cheese, water and oil) that she attempts to keep allergen-free. "One of my Labs is allergic to wheat, corn, soy and chicken," she says. "So my treats use alternative ingredients that make them enjoyable for dogs with allergies, too."

Founded by 25-year-old Martinez in 2007, Barkers Dozen started as a bake sale for a pooch in need. "A friend of mine is an animal behaviorist, and a dog she was working with had severe medical issues," she explains. "She was paying a lot out of pocket to help him, so we decided to throw a fund-raiser to help with his expenses." Martinez baked away, and ended up selling $400 in dog treats on her pal's behalf in just one night. From there her business took off, and now she fulfills both individual and special orders — and hopes for a storefront someday.

PEOPLEPets.com Readers: Get 15% off your order when you use code People1 at checkout. Offer expires March 31.

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See more Treats to Try on PEOPLEPets.com:
Puppy Paté from the Dining Dog Café
Puppy Pizza from The Good Dog Bakery