Marsh Dog, a company out of Baton Rouge that makes nutria meat-based dog treats, is coming back after a hiatus and aiming to go national.
The company was founded seven years ago but stopped production two years ago while they worked out a deal with a national producer. Founding partner Veni Harlan says they’re proud to continue the conservation battle.
“Every nutria that you take out of the environment helps the climate, helps the habitat, helps, species, and help’s coastal erosion.”
Harlan says nutria meat is leaner than turkey and makes for a very healthy dog treat.
The company is still working out just how much meat they’ll need, and how many treats each nutria can provide, but Harlan the plan is to eventually partner with the state and save taxpayers millions.
“We are hoping that we as a business could take overuse of the nutria, and have an entrepreneurial solution to this environmental challenge.”
The product has relaunched with new packaging and three treats to chose from, using wild nutria as the no.1 ingredient.
Going national will provide a new challenge, and that’s convincing dog owners in other states that the nutria need to be taken care of. Harlan says they relish taking on that educational effort.
“Part of our mission is education, not only on wetlands but on invasive species of flora and fauna. Every state has this challenge.”
Before it’s two-year hiatus, the product was sold in about 50 specialty pet stores and vet clinics in Louisiana.
