Barbara and her husband, Dr. Ron Epps, make their home on a 200-acre ranch in central Texas. After more than 20 years in private practice, Dr. Ron went from taking care of small animals to teaching young minds, and now works at McLennan Community College in Waco. Five years ago Barbara gave up the advertising rat race and stayed home to bake dog biscuits. Ron had mentioned that after all his years in practice, he had never seen treats expecially made for dogs with special dietary needs such as diabetes or food allergies. And there was such an increase in these and the instance of obesity, Barbara and Ron set to developing safe and all-natural treats for these special dogs and Country Dog Bakery was born. In addition to making and selling these delicious and healthy treats, Barbara has included consumer education of canine health and care as part of her business plan. She has written numerous articles relating to general and seasonal care and problems which she includes with her marketing, packaging and on her website.
Recently Barbara went into business with an old elementary school friend to form Primary Pals, with the mission of "Keeping dogs healthy from the inside out." Together they manufacture, market and sell Country Dog Bakery Special Diet Recipe treats (www.CountryDogBakery); Clean & Kind Skin & Hair Care for Dogs (www.CleanandKindProducts.com); and, PetMitts pet waste mitts (www.PetMitt.com).
