Who’s a Good Boy?
By Mark Loehrke
March 2025 View more Discover
These pet bakeries dish out treats for furry friends
Woof Gang Bakery & Grooming
2940 Showplace Drive, Naperville
Not every dog may love a bath, but every dog certainly loves a treat. Offering personalized grooming services and a full line of healthy treats and baked goods, owner Lisa Moran’s outlet of this Orlando-based chain has been building up a loyal clientele over the past year. Focusing on all-natural ingredients like peanut butter, blueberries, apples, cinnamon, honey, and yogurt, Woof Gang offers an array of whimsical delicacies, including colorfully decorated “barkday” cakes.
Good to Know: One of Moran’s favorite things about Woof Gang is how the community has come to see it as their neighborhood pet store, something that is enhanced by the store’s steady stream of events, such as a recent watercolor pet painting session and an in-store kissing booth for photo ops; up next is a big one-year anniversary celebration in April.
It’s Just Puppy Love
1218 John St., Joliet (pickup only)
Anjelica Juarez wanted to be a veterinarian growing up but eventually landed in a sales career. So when she was looking for something new in 2019, she decided to combine her love of animals and her sales experience to launch It’s Just Puppy Love (justpuppylove.com), crafting a wide array of healthy pet treats and custom cakes in her home kitchen and selling them online and at weekend craft and pet fairs throughout the area. And while running a busy one-woman operation has provided its share of challenges over the past five years, Juarez has managed to build a loyal following of folks who appreciate getting their pets’ goodies from a small business they know and trust. “My customers know the love and hard work that I put into all of my products,” she says.
Good to know: While creativity seems to be a hallmark of almost every pet bakery, It’s Just Puppy Love truly shines during the holiday season, when dogs can count down to Christmas with a treat-filled Advent calendar or join the family for a traditional holiday meal with a pup-friendly Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner—a TV-style tray with treats resembling turkey legs, mashed potatoes, peas and carrots, and even a slice of pumpkin pie.
Happy Dog Barkery
5118 Main St., Downers Grove
Beth Staley was a baker long before she was a pet baker, having grown up working out recipes for all kinds of human goodies with her mom in their family kitchen. But after fostering and then adopting a Labrador retriever with several food allergies—and having a hard time finding treats for him—she decided to direct her baking energy toward four-legged consumers. Hitting on what felt like a fun and much-needed niche, she decided to leave her corporate job to open Happy Dog Barkery. Two decades later, she’s still serving up liver cakes, bacon cookies, peanut butter bones, and other natural goodies to a dedicated base of doggies (and their owners). “I love being able to work with the dogs and seeing their happy people,” she says.
Good to know: While a visit to Staley’s Downers Grove storefront can be a fun outing for owners and pets alike (especially the free samples), Barkery Boxes make it easy to ship a custom selection of Happy Dog’s treats, toys, and seasonal surprises to a lucky pup anywhere in the country.
Photos: Woof Gang Bakery & Grooming; It’s Just Puppy Love; Rebecca McManus (Happy Dog Barkery); istock (Dog)
