Getting to know Crossed Paws Bakery

Trish Lynn and Thom Donitz portrait and friends

JOLT staff photo

Olympia Farmers Market
700 Capitol Way N
Olympia, WA 98501
View larger map

As you can probably tell from this column's headline this week, we are going to talk about Crossed Paws Bakery, which makes healthy natural pet treats right here in Olympia for dogs and cats.   

Trish went down to Olympia Farmer’s Market to interview Lenore Tetreault-Cuskelly, Crossed Paws' owner.  Tetreault-Cuskelly has done business from a booth since 2015.  She also sells her products at the Pet Works downtown at 407 4th Ave. E, Olympia 98501.  She launched Crossed Paws Bakery in 2015 at the Tumwater Farmers Market. 

I have a lot to report on the treats made by Lenore and her staff of 5 part-time employees, but first, I would like to say a little about how Lenore started this business.  It was a catalyst to teach her three children how to make money and run a business.  They are in college now and one works at a local business here in town.  She instilled confidence and hard work so her children could succeed in life, so it was truly an act of love and not all for the money. 

She has worked in the restaurant business for over 37 years. She worked in Seattle, Tacoma and here in Olympia.  She made, baked, and sold dog/cat treats until COVID hit.   

When she started at the Olympia Farmer’s Market, she had the smallest booth, but because of her sales and popularity, she got a premium booth in five years, which is very rare.  She spent eight years working at The (Tumwater) Valley Athletic Club. Even today, when you buy any Crossed Paws product, you will receive a free tennis ball, thanks to Tumwater Valley.  She has a commercial kitchen downtown where all the magic is done, but it is not open for customers. 

With all the animal lovers that reside in Thurston County, I was wondering why there weren’t more types of businesses like this, but after talking with a few people, I discovered there are several rules, regulations and licenses needed to operate such a business. Crossed Paws follows the same regulations as commercial feed processors and is registered with the Department of Agriculture and the State of Washington.  The product must be produced in a commercial kitchen, so the days of mom-and-pop start-ups in the kitchen are long gone. 

Crossed Paws Bakery has completely healthy natural treats made locally right here in Olympia for dogs and cats.   

Lenore said that they are in the process of making a deal with a distributor to sell dog and cat treats in Washington, Oregon and Idaho.  It should launch in February 2025. 

I asked Lenore when she sleeps -- because not only does she put in so many hours in the business, but she also does internships with Morningside; they do fundraisers for charities and numerous other endeavors. On top of all that, ideas just keep coming.  They will be selling charcuterie boards with dog biscuits and are in the process of doing take-and-bake doggie cookie dough with a cookie cutter and a tray for kids to make their own treats. 

One of her employees, Nicole was working with her at the booth and looked like she was doing a little treat decorating in her very limited time when not helping a customer.   She has been working for Lenore for three years.  She also has a full-time job. 

Crossed Paws Bakery, completely healthy natural treats made locally right here in Olympia for dogs and cats.   

I was amazed by how many different products they sell.   There are over 35 different treats and designs of those treats.  They also work with two gals from Shelton who make cat nip pillows that are sold in Lenore’s booth (very popular).  They are so popular that they sell cat nip pillows all over the country, many are repeat customers. 

Birthday cakes for cats and dogs can be ordered at Crossed Paws Bakery, completely healthy natural treats made locally right here in Olympia for dogs …

Besides all the treats Crossed Paw Bakery makes, they also make birthday cakes for dogs and cats.  They are so very cute.  How about healthy popcorn for your dogs.  I haven’t seen a dog yet that doesn’t like popcorn. The best part, no butter or salt. 

Now, let’s talk about the quality ingredients all these treats are made from.   

Local ingredients

All the ingredients are acquired from local farmers and producers.  The barley and wheat come from Spokane, but most all the ingredients come from places such as Bloom Creek Cranberries, Chehalis Valley Farm, Johnson’s Berry Farm, Kirsop Farm, Spooner’s Berry Farm, Sea Blossom Seafood, Bee King, Bob’s Red Mill and about eleven other farms.   

All the treats are made locally and locally sourced.  Fresh small batches of treats are made weekly.  Eighty percent of the ingredients come from local farmers.  All the products have been laboratory tested and are registered with the WSDA. Vitamin C is used to preserve baked goods.  They are shelf-stable for up to a year.  Nothing comes out of a can.  Zero artificial flavors or colorings, no added salt and sugar and only made with minimal ingredients.  They use gluten-free garbanzo bean flour in most of the products, so they are great for dogs with sensitive stomachs and dietary restrictions.  There are so many different treats you can’t possibly remember them all.   

I bought some for my dogs and they really enjoy the liver strips, peanut butter, and apple bacon cheddar cookies.  There are several made with peanut butter, liver, kale chips, blueberries, cheese etc. etc. Like I said, just too many healthy ingredients to mention but you can be sure anything you buy from Crossed Paws Bakery will be healthy and very tasty for dogs and cats.  I almost forgot to mention they have Catnip Calming Cookies. 

You can see an array of treats and the dalmatian Douglas, the stuffed dog. Crossed Paws Bakery, completely healthy natural treats made locally right …

We must tell you about Douglas, the stuffed dog that sits in the booth with Lenore every week.  When she had a booth up in Seattle years ago, she had this Dalmation dog on display and a seven-year-old came up to Lenore and asked what his name was.  She said, he doesn’t have a name, would you like to name him.  He said Douglas, so that’s where he got his name.  There was a dog named Wilson, a Burmese Mountain dog that is, we believe, how Crossed Paws Bakery got its name.  I wanted to ask more about Wilson, but Lenore was pretty emotional about him so didn’t want to pry any further. 

Christmas treats at Crossed Paws Bakery, completely healthy natural treats made locally right here in Olympia for dogs and cats.   

In closing, there is no doubt that we will visit the Olympia Farmer’s Market and Crossed Paws Bakery for all our doggie and cat friends on our Christmas lists.  We are so happy that Thurston County has a bakery like this.  We can’t say enough good things about how much they want our pets to eat tasty, healthy treats and it definitely shows. 

Next time you go to Olympia Farmer’s Market, I encourage you to visit her booth.  You won’t be disappointed. 

Paws for Thoughts 

“They told me my house smelled like dogs, and I asked them:  

Do you know what a dog smells like?  A dog smells like gratitude, loyalty, nobility, affection, pure and unconditional love. And despite everything they’ve been through, they don’t smell of resentment.  So, I feel blessed that my house smells like dogs.”
 ~ Patrick Swayze 

Thom Donitz and Trish Lynn are neighbors and close friends who share their love of animals and wildlife. Trish and Thom are residents of Tumwater. Contact them at  pets@theJOLTnews.com.