This Thanksgiving, Girl Scout Meghan Cumber, of Cicero, was thankful for a love of baking discovered during quarantine and her canine taste tester, rescue dog Lola.
Meghan is a Cadette-level Girl Scout in the Girl Scouts of NYPENN Pathways (GSNYPENN) Council. A member of Troop 10752, she’s working towards her Girl Scout Silver Award, the highest award a Cadette can earn. After baking several treats from scratch for her family, she decided to try dog treats to celebrate Lola’s first birthday.
“I spent a few weeks researching ingredients that are healthy and safe for dogs and learned that natural ingredients are the best choice for pets and that certain foods should be avoided altogether. After viewing many treat recipes online, I decided to create my own. Some were a success and others were not,” said Meghan.
Through trial and error, and with Lola as her official canine taste tester, Meghan created three varieties of treats that are all-natural with no preservatives. She began to spread a little kindness by sharing her “Megalicious Dog Treats” with neighbors and friends. Before long, she had a lengthy list of happy dogs wishing to have more tasty treats. When people approached her about buying treats, she decided to sell them. She will donate a portion of proceeds to local animal shelters. Since Lola is a rescue, Meghan would like to help other dogs find their forever families.
“As Girl Scouts, we always look for ways in which we can make the world a better place. Meg’s passion for animals proved to be a natural avenue to give back to her community. She’s having fun creating delicious dog treats and knows she’s making dogs and owners happy,” said Meg’s troop leader, Amanda Coyle. “Over the years, our troop has always talked about goal-setting and giving goals. Meg tied that right into her business and donates a portion of proceeds to help local animals. Her entrepreneurial spirit was not stifled by quarantine. Instead — in true Girl Scout spirit — she problem-solved and found a way to bring smiles to those around her during a difficult time.”
Megalicious Dog Treats are just $5 for one dozen and come in three varieties: Peanut Butter, Pumpkin-Peanut Butter and Honey & Oats. Each flavor is made with natural ingredients and contains no preservatives. Meghan and two of her Troop 10752 Girl Scout sisters are currently working on their Girl Scout Silver Award and it was a natural fit to tie Megalicious Dog Treats to the community service project component.
Meghan will be virtually leading a group of fifth- through eighth-graders to make dog blankets, which will be donated along with the treats and proceeds from sales to local shelters.
If interested in purchasing Megalicious Dog Treats — perhaps as the perfect holiday gift for a cherished pup — email Meghan at [email protected]. She says your dog and your community will thank you.
GSNYPENN serves girls in grades K-12 in Allegany, Broome, Cayuga, Chemung, Chenango, Cortland, Delaware, Herkimer, Jefferson, Lewis, Madison, Oneida, Onondaga, Ontario, Oswego, Otsego, St. Lawrence, Schuyler, Seneca, Steuben, Tioga, Tompkins, Wayne and Yates counties in New York, in addition to Bradford and Tioga counties in Pennsylvania. Annual membership is just $25 and financial assistance is available. To search for troop opportunities, visit gsnypenn.org/join or text LEAD to 315.766.2268. The council is also looking for caring, trusted adults to serve in a variety of volunteer roles. Visit gsnypenn.org/volunteer for more information.
