Milwaukee business hopes its new CBD treats can calm anxious pets

By Admin

December 20, 2022

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From left to right, Tiera Trammell, Julien Phifer, Indigo, 1, and Delvante Tatum pose for a portrait Saturday, Aug. 27, 2022, at Indigenous Peoples' Park in Milwaukee, Wis. The three friends created a start-up selling CBD-infused treats to pet owners. The group connected in college. "Through the strength of our bond that was already established," Tatum explained. "It allowed us to work together and produce great things." "We all have different strengths and transferred our different skills to business ideas," Trammell said. A few flavors are peanut butter, oatmeal, peanut butter and yams, chili and frozen strawberry treats.

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The isolation many felt during the early days of the pandemic sparked a wave of pet adoptions and a business idea among three friends.

Julien Phifer, Delvante “Dell” Tatum and Tiera Trammell started a business creating CBD treats to help calm anxious pets across the area. Now they want to grow their business.

Two Birds One Stone is a holistic pet wellness start-up that sells homemade pet treats infused with CBD oil. Much like the products available for human consumption, CBD oil is not the same as THC, the active ingredient in marijuana and does not provide a high.

“It’s not that it puts your dog out. It allows them to sit there and not be anxious, worrying about what is going on in the household,” said Tatum, 30, who also owns a gecko lizard, two turtles and a Chihuahua yorkie mix named Louie.

The childhood friends already make edibles for themselves and knew CBD oil works both in humans and pets through research.  The trio wants to help pet parents understand that the health and wellness of their pets are directly connected to their own.

“When you live with your pet, your pet acts like you,” said Phifer, 29, the owner of two American bullies, Kingsley and Indigo. “When you’re down, they’re down. When you’re up, they’re up. When your anxieties are through the roof — you might not pay attention because you are dealing with self — theirs are also.”

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Most Black pet owners don’t know they can use CDB oil to improve their pet’s health and wellness.

“We are helping our community understand that pets have stressors and find ways to keep them calm and happy just as they would like to be themselves,” Tatum said.

The pet treats are part of a bigger vision for the trio, who have dreams of opening a pet store in one of Milwaukee’s predominantly Black neighborhoods. Right now, they say, there is a pet store desert in the Black community, and no such businesses are owned by people of color. The young entrepreneurs want to fill that void.

They want the store to be more than just a place where residents can buy chew toys, cat litter or pet supplies. They want the store to be a one-stop shop to buy CBD products from flowers or buds and edibles to handcrafted body creams, candles, incense and essential oils from local creatives.

“We always wanted these two things together,” Phifer said, noting that’s the concept behind their business’ name.

With any new start-up, access to capital to get the community pet store off the ground is a major hurdle. Phifer hits local dog parks and farmers markets to pass out samples. He follows up with pet owners to see if it worked and if they would be interested in purchasing. Feedback, he said, varies with some owners saying their dogs were “more chill and calm,” while others didn’t see a difference.

The treats come in four flavors, including a no-bake oats and honey treat, chili and frozen strawberry treats and a cookie-like doggie biscuit also made with yams.

“We’re pretty much trying to bring awareness and see if it’s a hit or not,” Phifer said. “So far, so good.”

The trio has Phifer’s brother to thank for getting this long-simmering business idea off the ground. Phifer’s brother, Terrence Banks, adopted an adult German shepherd named Chance. But being locked down in the house during the pandemic wasn’t good for the dog, whom Phifer said was jumpy.

“My brother is in the military, and he really wasn’t able to stay home all the time with the dog. It was a lot for the dog to adjust to,” said Phifer, who’s pursuing a master’s degree in sustainable peacebuilding at the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee and is a 2020 graduate.

Phifer offered to make some treats infused with the oil — a soft chewy treat made with peanut butter and sweet potatoes.

“It really eased his anxieties,” he said.

More research is needed on the effectiveness of cannabinoids in pets says, Dr. Tina Wismer, DVM, of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA). Though these products have been shown to be effective in treating pain, inflammatory diseases, and osteoporosis in humans, there is no known appropriate dosage for pets, said Wismer, senior director of the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center.

“Both marijuana and hemp are being promoted to treat several different types of ailments in pets ranging from anxiety to pain to anorexia to seizures,” Wismer said. “Unfortunately, the scientific data on these uses in pets is very sparse.”

Wismer cautioned that some CBD products can contain small amounts of THC, which can adversely affect animals. Side effects include vomiting, diarrhea as well as lethargy and disorientation if too much is consumed.

“We know that animals do not respond well to THC-containing products. With an overdose of CBD products, pets can develop signs of THC intoxication,” Wismer said.

This is more than just a business venture for the entrepreneurs. It’s a calling for them to bring more awareness about pet ownership among Blacks. A misconception, they say, exists that Black people don’t treat their pets well.

“We have pets, and we actually treat our pets well, too,” said Tatum, who works as an event planner and is a father of three. “A lot of people think only white people treat their pets as family, but we do as well. We love our pets. We do everything we need to make sure that they are happy.”

Some of the misconceptions come from the media, which often paints Black pet owners as having aggressive dogs, added Trammell, 29, a pet parent of two French Bullbogs. There’s a perception that Black people train dogs to fight dogs or be guard dogs, especially for certain breeds like Pitbulls or German shepherds, she said.

“Our dogs are not aggressive,” Phifer said. “They are not going to attack kids. They are not going to attack old ladies. We got control over our dogs. We are just trying to take that stigma off.”

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Milwaukee business hopes its new CBD treats can calm anxious pets

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Milwaukee business hopes its new CBD treats can calm anxious pets

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