Conservationists and dog-enthusiasts-turned-entrepreneurs, Hansel and Veni Harlan have taken their compassion for animals and their concern for Louisiana’s wetlands and made it into a fast-growing business that serves both a need and a mission.
As detailed in the latest Entrepreneur feature by Business Report, Hansel conceived the idea after learning about the extreme damage nutria cause to marsh grasses and reading an article about how an expensive state campaign to promote nutria consumption proved ineffective. In search of meat to feed his dog suffering from food allergies at the time, Harlan began to toss around the idea of a business making nutria-based dog treats that would contribute to wetland conservation through nutria consumption.
With the help of a $15,000 grant from the Barataria Terrebonne National Estuary Program, Hansel and Veni got their business started and began concocting their treats in the summer of 2012. Now, this brother-and-sister duo is riding the wave of a human health food craze and using capitalism to drive change.
“There was an increase in natural, pure and local, and the pet food industry was right behind it, so our concept fit well in the marketplace,” Veni Harlan says.
But how do they do it?
“I’m a good shot,” she says, joking about the collection and processing of the nutria meat. “And Hansel skins them.”
In reality, Marsh Dog works with hunters and trappers to secure the meat, which is then taken to its Baton Rouge facility and made into two products: Barataria Bites and Nutria Bark. Made with only seven ingredients, all natural and sourced locally, each dog who enjoys a treat becomes one of Marsh Dog’s “canine conservationists” along with their owners, whose purchase supports their dog’s health and the wetlands.
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