Meet Kaelee Beeson | Owner | Pisgah Pet Treats

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kaelee Beeson and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kaelee, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
The most important factor behind the success of our business is definitely community!

I feel that one of the aspects that sets Pisgah Pet Treats apart from the rest is our emphasis on supporting our local community. We support local farms, selling our products in local stores and then coming together with other local vendors to promote each other’s businesses.

We source all of the meat for our pet treats from local farms, like Hickory Nut Gap. We want to ensure that our money is going to farmers who have humane practices (free range animals, no growth hormones, no antibiotics). The farms that we source from practice regenerative farming which in turn benefits our local mountains and land.

We want our products on the shelves in local stores. Which not only supports us but also supports local businesses, our local economy and local jobs.

I read a study not long ago that stated in every US family spent just $10 a month at a local business 9.3 billion dollars would go back into our local economy. This what we need right now- to support local businesses and build a community. I feel like Pisgah Pet Treats does just that!

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I know I keep talking about community and supporting local but that’s really what Pisgah Pet Treats is all about.

The idea for Pisgah Pet Treats happened because we saw a need to provide high quality single-ingredient pet treats to our locals. WNC loves their pets and they deserve the best! By using locally sourced high-quality meat we can give your pets the best.

Pisgah Pet Treats has been a learning process for us. I will say we did have a bit of an advantage because my husband, Chris, has been a butcher at our local Co Op for more than 18 years! He has well established relationships with local farms. But learning to make pet treats was a whole new ball game. Experimenting with how long each product need to dehydrate and at what temperature. Sending products off for analysis and then having to start over again because the numbers weren’t right. Applying for all the correct permits with the state of NC. There is more behind the scenes than I think people realize. Each time present a new product to the public it’s been months of work behind the scenes to get it sellable.

My favorite part of the whole process is having our “taste testers” try new products. The dogs get so excited. Our own dogs are obviously our number one testers but we have lots of friends whose dogs are happy to taste and model our products.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Well first off, I am hoping its fall or winter when these friends visit because this heat (as of lately) is killing the typical NC adventure vibe.

We are so lucky to live in this amazing corner of the world- “land of the waterfalls”. So of course our week is going to consist of adventure, food, beer and dogs!

We’d head up to the parkway early to beat the crowds. Hiking a different trail each day (Black Balsam, Devil’s Courthouse, Sam Knob, Graveyard Fields). Soaking in the views, dipping toes in the cold mountain streams and waterfalls. Stopping by The Hub for a cold drink and grabbing a bite from the local food trucks (at the Hub) on the way home. We would definitely spend a day floating the river with Headwater Outfitters. Evenings would be slow and chill at home with a bonfire. All with our favorite dogs and a bag of Pisgah Pet Treats in tow.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
The success of Pisgah Pet Treats isn’t just ours! We wouldn’t be where we are today without the support of our community, family and friends. When we announced the start of Pisgah Pet Treats our local community fully embraced & supported us! We did (and still do) feel so loved by our locals.

We want to thank Hickory Nut Gap Farm for their work in regenerative farming. Seeing that our mountains and land need the love. They aren’t just farming for today- they are farming for future generations.

And we want to thank all of the local businesses that have supported us in our beginning journey.
The Hub of Pisgah Forest
Patton Ave Pet Company
WAG- a unique Pet Boutique
Headwaters Outfitters
Ecusta Market
Hiker & the Hound
Purrrfect Bark Pet Store
These local businesses believed in us from the start and have helped spread the word to pet lovers of Western NC.

And last but NOT LEAST- Thank you to all of the dogs who followed their noses and pulled their owners towards our booth at markets. You know where the good stuff is!

Website: https://www.pisgahpettreats.com

Instagram: @pisgahpettreats

Facebook: @pisgahpettreats

Image Credits
Kaelee Denise Photography