AN IDEA hatched by an attempt to cure a four-legged friends’ bad breath has resulted in a lucrative business for Mount Gambier man Adrian Lepley.
Since its launch in May this year, Something for Stella dog treats has reached cult status among pet owners looking for healthy snacks for their dogs.
With a breath “that could knock down a maggot”, Mr Lepley had long searched for a product to eliminate 12-year-old English staffy Stella’s unpleasant oral odor.
After an unsuccessful hunt, the keen baker rolled up his sleeves and took to the kitchen to create his own remedy.
“I have always loved baking and started experimenting with different ingredients to see if anything would work,” Mr Lepley said.
“After a bit of research, I found out peppermint is a good way to stop bad breath and after a lot of baking and combinations, I came up with my first treat which made her breath a million times better.
“My fox terrier Boof was a family heirloom who came later and he had terrible anxiety in and around cars.
“I did some more research and found turmeric and chamomile was a good calming agent, so I used experimented with that to come up with Calm the Farm biscuits.
“We can now enjoy a trip out and about in the car as Boof settles calmly on the back seat and enjoys the ride.”
Mr Lepley’s final biscuit – Plain Jane – was inspired by the nine-year-old Golden Retriever Ted, described as a “lovable ratbag with no special dietary needs.”
“I spent a lot of hours on the biscuits and did a lot of tests which didn’t work,” he said.
“I was making dog treats well before any idea for a business came along.”
Mr Lepley’s love for baking was borne of a loss of mobility, which started six years ago.
First starting out as a loss of balance and a number of falls, he soon required a walking stick and a frame.
Doctors were unable to provide Mr Lepley with a diagnosis, saying the young man’s decline was a “medical anomaly”.
His continued deterioration ultimately left Mr Lepley confined to a wheelchair.
“I was very much in a shell – I didn’t have friends of do anything with the community,” he said.
“I rarely wanted to leave the house unless it was to go to the beach.
“When my Mum managed to get me to go into public, I had no confidence and my anxiety was off the charts.
“I only found happiness by water, being around my dogs, baking and coking and small groups of family.”
“I was very anti-NDIS because I had heard too many horror stories and I was scared I too was going to struggle with them.”
After having a discussion with his mother, Mr Lepley reluctantly attended a Community Living Project seminar on micro enterprise, aimed at providing opportunities for people living with a disability to run a one-person business.
“I was very unsure and anxious because I couldn’t see what it could do for me, but within the first house of the first day of the seminar, I saw that my love of baking dog treats could be something,” he said.
“After all three seminars I was excited and for the first time, I wanted an NDIS plan.”
Mr Lepley’s plan was approved in February this year and quickly got to work on the launch of Something for Stella dog treats.
His plan to sell the treats at a farmer’s market was thwarted following the Covid-19 outbreak, but the undeterred Mr Lepley – who had never built a website before – created a page to sell the treats in just two days.
With the Covid-19 restrictions limiting unnecessary movement, Mr Lepley made the decision to personally deliver all Mount Gambier orders for free.
“Within hours of the shop going live, we had orders coming in,” Mr Lepley said.
“I bake on Wednesday and Thursday and I do the deliveries on Friday afternoons.
“The deliveries have helped my confidence because I go out in public and talk to people I receive a lot of positive feedback.
“I still struggle with knocking on the door and handing over the treats and my anxiety makes it hard to function for a few hours afterwards.
“But Something for Stella has definitely helped me have more of a life.”
Community Living Project micro enterprise consultant Sandi Seymour said the program aimed to create independence and empower people to make a contribution by using their skills and talents.
“The micro enterprise program is a model for people with a disability who don’t want the typical models of work or programs traditionally offered, like taking a group bowling,” she said.
“They have a service to provide and through that, they break down some of those stereotypical barriers between ability and disability.
“The program helps people change their identity as they go from someone with a disability to a business owner.”
Both Mr Lepley and Ms Seymour encouraged people with a disabilities and their families and allies to attend next week’s free introduction to micro enterprise seminar.
The event will be held on Thursday, October 29 from 9.30am to 3pm and bookings can be made by visiting eventbrite.com.au/e/micro-enterprise-a-career-option-to-consider-for-people-with-a-disability-tickets-121673469623.
Visit somethingforstella.com for more information or to purchase dog treats.
