Meet UpPup Treats

Jun 10
2 min read

honey glazed walnuts — Daisy - the biggest influence for UpPup Treats!

Where are you from & how does that affect your work? I (Princesa) am from Oxnard and Rosie (Co-Founder/CEO) is from Thousand Oaks. Living in the produce hub of Ventura County allows us to connect with local farmers and our community to access the resources that make UpPup possible.

What is your biggest influence? Our biggest influence is Daisy, Rosie’s weenie dog. After being diagnosed with severe toxins at 16, she transitioned to fresh, human-grade foods and lived to be 18.5 years old inspiring our belief in the power of better nutrition. At the same time, we wanted to help reduce food waste by giving nutritious, imperfect produce a second purpose through UpPup.

What is the hardest part of the creation process?

As a small two-person team, balancing production, growth, and day-to-day operations while handcrafting every treat ourselves can be challenging, but maintaining the care and quality behind each product is incredibly important to us and continues to fuel our passion for what we do.

What's your favorite item that you've created, and why?

Strawberry & PB bites - the first recipe that started the UpPup Journey!

Our Strawberry & PB Bites because they were the very first recipe that started the UpPup journey. Creating them was such an exciting moment for us and made our idea feel real for the first time.

What do you love most about Santa Barbara? We love the coastal vibe and the amazing beaches. Plus, it's the perfect place to take a pup for a walk.

What is a fun fact about yourself that other may not expect? I love exploring new places, Rosie is originally from the UK, and we both love baking!

Love that <3 Anything special you'd like to share? At UpPup, we’re a small, hands-on team driven by a shared love for dogs, food, and sustainability. What started as an idea inspired by Daisy has grown into a mission to turn food waste into nutritious, human-grade dog treats. Looking ahead, we hope to scale UpPup in a way that stays true to our values. Building a more sustainable pet food system while staying closely connected to our community and the people (and pups) we serve.