My Dog Petal

HI, I’M PETAL!

And Yes, I Have a Story to Tell.

I’m Mom’s fourth dog, a rescue, her constant companion, and her current kitchen supervisor.

I also happen to be the dog who gets to tell you about something that happened long before I came along.

You see, Mom’s entrepreneurial adventure didn’t start with The Deceptive Chef.

It started with two dogs.

IT ALL STARTED WITH SERCH & THE ZAPPA

Back in 2008, Mom had Serch and The Zappa.

And apparently, they had opinions about what went into their treats.

Mom was already learning about food, ingredients, and nutrition because of her own food issues. She started looking at dog treats with the same curious eye.

What was in them?

Why was it there?

Could she make something different?

So she did.

That’s how Uneek Treats began.

The first treats included Beagle Bites, Nut Rolls, and Pizza Crust, made with ancient grains inspired by the grains dogs would have encountered long before modern commercial pet foods.

Serch and The Zappa were the original taste testers.

I wasn’t even born yet.

Which, frankly, seems like a serious oversight.

THEN CAME BREE-Z

After Serch and The Zappa, Mom adopted Bree-z. Mom says we have almost exactly the same personality, but we’re a different color. If that’s true, I would have really liked Bree-z!

She became part of Mom’s continuing journey with dogs, food, and nutrition.

And Bree-z has her own story, too.

Apparently, every dog in this family gets a little bit of the spotlight.

AND THEN… ME.

Finally, there was me. I don’t have a logo yet, but Mom says not to worry cause I have a whole production company, and I’m going to help her publish her books. And she says we are going to make The Detective Chef a mystery movie series like on Hallmark!

Petal.

I came along as Mom’s fourth dog, and I’ve been keeping her company ever since.

By the time I arrived, Mom had already spent years learning about ingredients, dog treats, food, and nutrition.

And that knowledge continued to evolve.

Today, Mom pays very close attention to what I eat.

I eat a frozen raw diet, along with food Mom prepares for me, including ground chicken or turkey with vegetables. I also get little extras like cold-pressed olive oil and dehydrated minnows.

Yes.

Minnows.

I have no idea why that sounds strange.

They’re delicious.

Papa occasionally gives me some freeze-dried food, too. He also taught me how to shake and helped me figure out my right paw from my left.

Important life skills.

I AM HIGHLY FOOD MOTIVATED

Mom says I will do almost anything for food.

She’s right.

Put my bowl on the counter, and suddenly I’m extremely cooperative.

I’ll walk into the shower for a bath.

I’ll shorten my walk through the pea patch.

I’ll even leave the rabbits alone.

Well…

Most of the time. But not the squirrels! No food it that good!

Mom says she’s learned over the years that the ingredients in my food matter even more than hers cause I’m smaller and like a child.

She also believes hydration matters, so I get plenty of fresh water and only small amounts of freeze-dried treats.

I would like to formally request a reconsideration of this policy.

Mom has declined my request.

FROM DOG TREATS TO THE DECEPTIVE CHEF

This is the part Mom finds especially interesting.

Her journey didn’t go:

Chef → Author.

It went more like:

Dogs → Uneek Treats → learning about ingredients and nutrition → culinary work → Deceptive Chef → author → Spirit Delaney.

Each step built on something she had already learned.

Those first dog treats taught her to look closely at ingredients.

Her later culinary work taught her even more about food, preparation, and the people who create it.

Eventually, all that knowledge found its way into fiction.

Today, Mom writes the Detective Chef: Spirit Delaney Mystery Novella Series, where food, chefs, ingredients, clues, and secrets all have a place at the table.

I may not have been there for the beginning.

But I am very happy to be part of what came next.