Food Truck Offers Gourmet Treats for Pups

Food trucks are popping up all over Beverly Hills for people who like to grab a bite on the go, but the one parked at  on Monday was targeting a different demographic.

The gourmet, bakery fresh Beef & Cheddar Potato snacks with Apple Carrot Cake for dessert were actually doggie biscuits for the park's canine visitors. The K9s Only Treat Truck was serving up free samples to promote the opening of a second location of its all-inclusive destination for dogs that features boarding, day care, training and grooming.

"We're out here to let people know that we're open and to introduce ourselves to our neighbors," said Amanda Sauler, manager of K9s Only, which has served four-legged customers in Tarzana for four years and just opened another facility in West Los Angeles.

Beverly Hills resident Naza Nasir was at the park with her Chihuahua/Pomeranian mix, Poppy, who seemed happy to sample the doggie treats.

"It looks like she liked it—it's all gone," Nasir said, adding that she was surprised because Poppy is a very selective eater. "We usually don't try new things. She's very picky so we usually just end up throwing things out, but she really liked these treats."

The K9s Only Natural Nugget doggie treats are made fresh, not freeze-dried like most dog treats. That’s what makes them so delicious, Sauler said.

"These biscuits go so quickly. Even with owners that say 'Oh, my dog won't eat that—he doesn’t eat anything,' the dogs just scarf them down so fast their owners can't believe it," she said.

Both K9s Only locations offer a friendly and family-like environment for their human and canine clients, Sauler said, with special amenities in addition to the usual grooming and training sessions, such as a doggie day spa for owners who really want to pamper their pets.

The day spa offers various packages including "Lucy's Luxury," which offers half a day of doggie day care, a 30-minute session of relaxation massage, a lavender bath and a "Pawdicure."

K9s Only is owned and operated by animal trainer/behaviorist Bobby Dorafshar who, in addition to having a passion for dog training, is also dedicated to helping homeless pets. In 1997, Dorafshar founded New Leash on Life Animal Rescue to help animals find homes in their community.

That's why Sauler was also offering information Monday about Los Angeles Animal Services and accepting donations on behalf of local shelters.

"We're doing this so that people who already have a dog might consider adopting another dog or making a donation," she said. "We want people that don't own a dog to know that these dogs are available."

Many shelters are overcrowded because the recession has been difficult on a lot of pet owners, Sauler said.

"Times are hard for dog owners too," she said. "Many owners have had to give up their pets, so there are some wonderful dogs out there available for adoption."

Sauler and the K9s Only Treat Truck will be out spreading the word about the new West Los Angeles location at the following parks this week:

• Barrington Dog Park, Brentwood, 4-6 p.m. Wednesday

• Airport Dog Park, Santa Monica, 4-6 p.m. Thursday

• Joslyn Dog Park, Santa Monica, 4-6 p.m. Friday

• Runyon Canyon Dog Park, Los Angeles, 9-11 a.m. Saturday

• White Oak Dog Park, Encino, 3-5 p.m. Saturday

• Venice (Westminster) Dog Park, Venice, 9-11 a.m. Sunday

Like all the hottest L.A. food trucks, the K9s Only Treat Truck can be followed on Twitter. Fans who "Like" the truck on Facebook will receive frequent updates. For information about the various services offered by K9s Only, call 310-479-5600.

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