Pampered pooches in Malaga: launch of first specialist shop for home-made dog 'cakes'

Simona Pittnerová found her dog Maco abandoned in the woods next to her home in Slovakia. The animal, a cocker spaniel/border collie mix, suffered from a number of intestinal and heart problems and was not well suited to the usual dog food available. So Simona began to prepare his own meals every day with chicken, vegetables and even fruit.

Born in a village near Košice, this young Slovakian woman moved to Malaga just a year ago with her mother Zaneta and both have made Maco's food their way of life. Together they have just opened Dulces para Perros, an innovative shop selling only homemade food for customers' dogs. "If it's good for Maco, it's sure to be good for all dogs," she says.

Dulces para Perros has opened up for business with a small shop on Avenida de Los Guindos in the Santa Paula area, and its owners claim that it is the first cake shop for dogs in Malaga. Simona looks back on how it all came about after a chance conversation with her new neighbours. When they had recently arrived in Malaga, they made a small cake for their dog and the dog liked it so much that her owners encouraged Simona to start this business. "Everyone encouraged us and that's why we did it."

The shop has a small kitchen where all the 'sweet treats' are made, although none of them actually contain salt, sugar or preservatives. Even the sales counter is designed so that the animals themselves can choose which treat they prefer: there is a side door at floor level where small samples are placed for the dog to try so that the owner does not have to choose for the dog.

Specialities include a chicken pie made with spinach, carrots, eggs, oat flakes, cheese, potatoes and beetroot, and a liver pie which also has chicken heart, eggs, apple, oat flakes, potatoes, spinach and blueberries. Each portion costs 2.50 euros. They also have different treats ('chuches') of liver or banana from 0.20 euros.

Regarding the meals they prepare, Simona explains that they are all made with fresh food and that each one has different properties that can be recommended for certain dogs' dietary needs. "The one with chicken liver and heart is very good for puppies that tend to have soft poo, the one with chicken and carrot is very good for small dogs," she says.

The owners also offer their doggy customers custom-made cakes for special occasions, be it birthdays or any other celebration. There are four sizes available, depending on the dog, and they can be personalised with the name, age or any other message. The simplest is 600 grams and costs 20 euros. They also stock some cat food, although it is not their speciality.

In this new store everything they serve is prepared by hand on the premises. "Many people have asked us if we are going to stock feed [from pet food suppliers], but we don't want to because we are responsible for everything we sell." Despite this, Simona understands that her cakes and pies are the perfect complement to good-quality dog food. In her own dog's case, her home-made food is the only thing he eats, but she understands that, for other dogs, it would be an addition to their usual diet or serve as a reward or special treat. "Anything to take care of our dogs."