During the Fourth of July weekend in 2025, I waddled up to my neighbor’s front door at the Lake of the Ozarks, 33 weeks pregnant, holding a bag of dog treats I hadn’t even launched yet. I didn’t look like a typical startup founder — swollen ankles, maternity shorts, and a belly that arrived before I did — but I had an idea I believed in and nothing to lose.
For 13 years, our families had owned neighboring lake houses, but we’d never actually met. I knew he was Greg Dierberg, CEO of Dierbergs Markets. I also knew he had dogs. And I had treats. Worst case? His dogs got a good snack.
“It’s a total shot in the dark,” I told myself. “Zero expectations.”
I handed him a few samples, followed up with a text asking what his dogs thought, and somehow that tiny, bold moment led to an introduction to the Dierbergs team.
At the time, my expectations for DogNosh were modest. If everything went perfectly, maybe I’d get one or two products into a handful of stores. I never imagined that a few months later — after launching the company, giving birth to my daughter Avery, and preparing to return from maternity leave — I’d get the call that all four DogNosh products would launch in all 27 Dierbergs locations.
But to understand why I was willing to knock on a stranger’s door with dog treats in the first place, you have to go back much further.
Back to my lonely freshman year of college.
Back to Stray Rescue.
Back to the dog who changed everything.
The Dogs Who Rescued Me
I grew up in St. Louis, but when I started college at Saint Louis University, I felt completely out of place. Volunteering at Stray Rescue became my escape — the dogs grounded me in a season when nothing else did. They were the first to make me feel like I belonged.
By sophomore year, I transferred to the University of Missouri for a fresh start. That November, I adopted Jaeger from the Central Missouri Humane Society — the dog who would change everything.
He became my soul dog.
From that moment on, we were a team. He was with me through every move, every milestone, every messy chapter of figuring out adulthood. I used to joke that he should be a dog model, and somewhere along the way, that joke turned into a dream — one I didn’t yet realize would shape the rest of my life.
A House Full of Rescue Dogs — And One Big Idea
Over the years, my family grew — first Jaeger, then a second rescue, then a third. The fourth and fifth were dogs I stumbled upon by chance, the kind you feel in your gut you’re meant to save.
By the time I became pregnant with Avery, we shared our home with five rescue dogs. And like many devoted dog owners, I obsessed over ingredient labels. Why were there so many fillers? Why artificial dyes?
I couldn’t find what I wanted, so I decided to make it myself.
I had never started a business. Never manufactured a product. Never dealt with trademarks, packaging, or distribution. When I called my dad — who owns a highway construction company — for advice, he laughed and said:
“I don’t know anything about dog treats. You’re on your own with this one.”
He meant it lovingly. And honestly, he was right. This was mine to figure out.
So I did.
I researched, experimented, saved every dollar, and kept going even when it felt impossible. There were so many moments I thought, “This is crazy. Why am I doing this?” But every time doubt crept in, I’d look at Jaeger.
“If Jaeger passes away before I launch this company,” I told myself, “I will never forgive myself.”
DogNosh wasn’t just a business idea.
It was for Jaeger.
It always had been.
Launch Day — And Labor Day
A month before launch, I began sharing the journey on social media. Friends shared my posts, strangers followed along, and excitement grew. On July 21, 2025, I hit publish. Orders came in almost immediately.
Six days later, I went into labor.
Avery was born via emergency C‑section, and suddenly I was juggling a newborn, five rescue dogs, and a brand‑new business. It was chaos — the best kind. And honestly, the baby was the easy part. My dogs had already taught me patience, consistency, and unconditional love.
The Call That Changed Everything
A few months later, while preparing to return from maternity leave, I followed up with Dierbergs. I hoped for good news — maybe a few stores.
Instead, they wanted all four products in all 27 locations.
Today, less than a year after launch, DogNosh has expanded from four to six products. My vision stretches far beyond treats: I dream of a DogNosh facility in St. Louis that creates jobs, supports families, and gives back to the rescue community that changed my life.
A Love Letter to Rescue Dogs
If you see DogNosh on the shelves at Dierbergs or online, take a closer look. The dogs on the packaging aren’t models. They’re my rescue dogs — each with their own personality, quirks, and story.
Jaeger may have been the inspiration, but DogNosh has always been a tribute to all the dogs who changed my life.
As we grow and introduce new products, I plan to continue using DogNosh to celebrate rescue dogs who are meaningful to me. Because every rescue dog deserves their moment. And sometimes, the dogs we rescue end up rescuing us right back.
For me, that’s never been a slogan. It’s been my life. A life shaped by rescue dogs. Built on second chances. Driven by grit, guided by purpose, and rooted in a love that never wavered.
DogNosh is my love letter to the dogs who changed my life — and to every rescue dog still waiting to change someone else’s.
During the month of August, DogNosh will donate treats, and Dierbergs will cover the adoption fees for dogs and cats 6 months and older from Stray Rescue. Dierbergs has an extensive pet aisle full of food, treats, toys, and accessories for all your pets. For more information about pet adoption, visit strayrescue.org.