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23 | The IFP -H alton H ills | T hursday,D ecem ber 17,2020 theifp.ca Meowy Chrismutt Yappy Pawlidays www.blackcreekanimalhospital.com • blackcreekanimal@cogeco.net 519-929-9308 13383 4th Line, Acton from the staff at When Britt Wight's dog's nose and paws were dry and cracking, she won- dered if there was some- thing that could be done to help out. Wight and friends Shawna Gee, Dana Thom- son and Lesley Mills had started a hobby business producing natural soaps and lotions. The only prob- lem was they were cocoa- based, which is toxic to dogs. So the friends went to work and came up with a new formula, using shea butter, coconut oil and beeswax to create a paw lo- tion bar. "The initial results with Britt's boxer were great," Gee said. "She was shocked, it did such an amazing job." The bars conditions and protects dog's noses and paws, but is still safe if the dog licks it. Although it was origi- nally meant to be a sideline to their original business, through word of mouth, the dog paw bars have be- came so popular, they have taken over as the primary business. To apply it, you warm the paw-shaped bars in your hands and then rub it on the dog's paws. They have added Bark Butter, which is softer, more like a cream. "Not all dogs like to wear booties, so they are good use, especially with winter coming," Gee said. "They are good to use when they are walking through salt and sand." All the bars are hand- made in small batches. The bars are $15 for a tin of four and the Bark Butter is $24 for a jar. They are available at Pet Valu and Pampered Pooch in Georgetown, Farm to Paw Boutique and Market in Acton and Guelph and Nice Diggz in Etobicoke. Home delivery is also avail- able for orders of $30 or more and porch pickup is another option. Orders can also be shipped across Canada and the United States. BUSINESS PROTECTING YOUR POOCH BARK BARS CONDITION DOG'S PAWS BARK BARS Description: Bars made of shea butter, coconut oil and beeswax help condition dogs' noses and paws. They sell for $15 a tin or $24 a jar. Contact: www.barkbars.ca/ Shawna Gee (left) and Britt Wight, with Tonka, are part of the team behind Bark Bars, a conditioner for dogs' paws and noses. Herb Garbutt /Metroland HERB GARBUTT hgarbutt@metroland.com