MELBOURNE, Australia – Dog owners Down Under are taking pet-pampering to new levels with a canine-only bakery in Melbourne, the Herald Sun reported Monday.
Animal lovers can load up on everything from "pupperoni" pizza, doggie dough-nuts or Moroccan lamb biscuits at the newly-opened specialist Diamond Dog Food and Bakery.
Alice Needham, who owns the business with her partner Philip, said they started the store as a fun way to educate owners on nutritious pet meals.
"We'd been cooking for our dog and we'd seen a lot of obesity in dogs and things in foods that are bad for them," Needham said. "It's a fun job and, if you pay attention to a dog's diet, it can actually increase their lifespan."
The couple have set up a catering service for pet parties that sees the bakery create up to 10 customized birthday cakes a week.
"Six hundred dollars [US$661] is the most expensive party we've had," Needam said. "It was for 15 dogs, which included the cake, party food and the gift bags."