From Foster Kid to Helping Foster Dogs: NYC Entrepreneur Arron Jones-Williams Helps Dog Rescues with Rescue Treats®. Animal shelters and rescue organizations are in desperate need of assistance as they recover from the pandemic and face record inflation. Dog rescues, for example, are mainly funded through philanthropy and run by volunteers. Unfortunately, the same economic uncertainty that is impacting all Americans also impacts rescue organizations. At the end of the day, foster dogs need to find foster homes. But who is funding the rescues? One such local entrepreneur, Arron Jones-Williams, who was himself a foster child in need of a loving home, created Rescue Treats® to help solve this dilemma by helping fund dog rescue organizations. Arron had a successful career working in the finance industry as a risk analyst, but after getting laid off, he took a huge risk of his own. Using his savings, he created the first dog treat company of its kind where you can select a local rescue to support at checkout. Fortunately, many dogs are getting a second chance thanks to Rescue Treats® (a certified minority business enterprise). Rescue Treats® funds rescues by baking all-natural dog treats that contain no junk, no fillers, or preservatives. In fact, their local bakery has been broken into three times already by dogs (they have the security camera footage). Simply put, they bake all-natural dog treats and donate the profits to dog rescues. To hear more about this exclusive story about how a former foster kid overcame unbelievable circumstances, below is his interview.
Can you tell us a little about yourself and your history that led you to launch Rescue Treats. I like to say that I am a former foster kid helping foster dogs. I’ve always loved dogs and years ago I started volunteering with the Long Island Bulldog Rescue. Each year LIBR would host a gala in New York City and after dressing up to help with the event one year I had a dream later that I was volunteering… again, and they called my name to win an award and I stepped from behind the merchandise table and I walked on stage and donated $60,000 from some dog treats. Then I woke up, wondering how I donated so much money and I thought “treats, for the rescue, rescue treats?” The idea was formed from that night back in August 2019. Ironically enough, while working at a major bank here in New York City I learned my department was going to be outsourced. The bank offered me another position and everyone wanted me to stay, but I decided to take the risk (I was a risk manager ironically).
Why did you launch the brand I wanted to help rescues after seeing them focus so hard on the money that saves dogs, why not offer a product that dogs love and it gives back to other dogs?
What is your goal with Rescue Treats®? The goal for Rescue Treats® is to continue making the best treats for dogs while donating EVERYTHING. I don’t even take a salary. How? During the day I work as a consultant for NextGen Strategic Advisors (I am currently working on regulatory reporting for a few clients). At Rescue Treats® we donate our profits to dog rescues and the formula is simple, we take the revenue from sales and subtract the costs then donate the rest of the money. Also, like other Millennials I had a decent run with stocks so I guess that helps. Actually, maybe a tad better than “decent” because I used the money to help finance a school in Senegal. Though, I am not flush with cash because I keep donating it.
What was your childhood like? Rough. I have never met my biological parents and recently I heard they both passed away not long ago. I grew up in foster care. I didn’t even try to do any homework while moving from home to home because who cared right? Have plenty of bad stories and bad homes, but I’ve always seen the brighter side. If I have learned anything it is to just be patient, life gets better and once you realize things could be worse it only gets better from there. Seems cliche, but you have to work towards everything. I was never a straight A student, I can barely pronounce things now, BUT I keep trying and that will get you further than anything. I ended up getting placed with my forever home and adopted and I guess that subconsciously makes me want to help dogs find their forever homes.
Did you have a Dog growing up? Do you have a Dog now? My sister was with me growing up (normally they split up siblings) and dogs have always loved me, but they love her even more. So I always laugh and say our dogs were my sister’s shadow. I see so many dogs through so many rescue partners that I want to foster and adopt, but I am waiting on the right dog to come through the rescue network that I can spoil. I am so busy during the day that I want to make sure I am able to commit to giving my doggo 100% what they need.
What makes Rescue Treats® different from all other Dog Treats? First off, you can select a rescue to support at checkout with every treat purchase. Plus, our ingredients do not have any preservatives, junk, or fillers. For example, eggs for most companies that make treats and other baked goods are provided through bakery supply vendors in bags because who wants to waste all the time cracking eggs. However, these bags contain preservatives to keep the shelf life on the eggs. We crack our eggs because when we say “eggs” on ingredients it is just that… eggs. Plus, we are Millennials who have hidden easter eggs in everything. Our batch numbers for the Banana and Sweet Potato treats start with “FAF” and you can only imagine what that stands for (Fresh As…).
How did you pick your team on the board? People who love dogs and want to support what we do. We started with one board member, then it grew. I appreciate our advisory board. They are there for any questions and any advice. Plus, they hit me with all the hard questions that give me nightmares…
What are the key ingredients in Rescue Treats®? It has to be something special right? Our bakery in Jersey City has been broken into three times by dogs already. Don’t believe us, we posted security camera footage to our Instagram @dogrescuetreats. Is it so hard to believe that we start with things we know humans would like then make them dog friendly? Where can we buy Rescue Treats®? Feel free to buy them on our online store and subscribe to a rescue! You can get a discount on our treats and support a rescue with a reoccuring treat shipment. Also, our retail sales development team, looking at you Brian, is crushing it offering our treats locally here in NYC and in Jersey. If you own a business and want to support dog rescues then hit us up. You buy the treats, we donate the money. Easy. We won’t tell you what to do with your profit but we will donate ours.
Explain what being the CEO of Rescue Treats® means to you personally. I fail at things so others don’t have to. When I am building any process or procedure I do it until I find out what does not work or what can be improved. I like to lead by example. I always thought CEOs should be more hands on. When people think CEO they think earning 30x their employees and having multiple houses. Is it wrong to be the opposite? I take the subway to the path train and then walk to the bakery. I have donated even when we made no profit because the money is needed. Looking for that 30x CEO who wants to match donations to a rescue or something hit us up…
Where can we follow the brand?
Follow us on Instagram @dogrescuetreats and on Facebook @rescuetreatsofficial also, if you follow us on Instagram it is 10% off your first order of treats. Rescue Treats
