Mercer nursing alumni create pet business with holistic values

Timothy Hill

At left, Kia and Daniel Pascal when they were Mercer students. At right, Dulces de Luna dog biscuits on a baking pan.
At remaining, Kia and Daniel Pascal when they were Mercer pupils. At right, Dulces de Luna puppy biscuits. Picture courtesy Kia and Daniel Pascal

Higher education of Nursing alumni Kia and Daniel Pascal have a holistic solution to wellness treatment, and those people beliefs are the main of a organization they’ve designed to maintain pets delighted and healthful. 

The Atlanta pair sells handmade cat toys and connoisseur pet treats built with organic substances by Dulces de Luna, which they introduced in early 2021.

Kia is at first from Marietta, and Daniel was born in New York and grew up in the Carolinas. Kia often understood she wanted to be a nurse and attend a scaled-down private university in Ga. She finished up applying only to Mercer because she understood that was wherever she belonged.

Kia and Daniel Pascal on their wedding day in 2014.
Kia and Daniel Pascal on their wedding ceremony working day in 2014. Picture courtesy Kia and Daniel Pascal

Daniel originally set out to research biomedical engineering and toured colleges all through the East Coastline in search of the most effective healthy for him.

“When I received to Mercer, I immediately fell in like. I beloved the smaller sense. I was like, ‘This feels like property,’” he claimed.

The two satisfied on Mercer’s Macon campus in 2010 during an celebration hosted by national support fraternity Alpha Phi Omega. Kia and Daniel discovered each other when she stepped in to assistance a person who obtained damage in the course of a pickup sport. They begun conversing, were being courting two months afterwards, and married in 2014. 

Kia graduated with her Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 2012. Daniel took a break from his reports to join the Air Power Reserve, started the nursing system on his return, and concluded his degree in 2019. 

Kia served as a labor and shipping and delivery nurse, outpatient psychiatric nurse, women’s surgical procedures cost nurse and a scientific instructor for the College of North Georgia, although Daniel was a vacation and working place nurse. Wanting a modify of speed and location amid the work calls for of the COVID-19 pandemic, Daniel became a scientific expert for medical technology firm Becton Dickinson, and Kia took a job as a phone triage nurse.

By this time, Kia had previously started out generating crochet toys for her cat, Luna, which led to investigation and experimentation with pet foods and treats, she claimed. Just before very long, Dulces de Luna introduced on Etsy, and the store promptly grew to become a lot more than a passion, Daniel claimed. 

The Pascals invested in industrial equipment and started growing their products offerings. They also commenced selling products at Ga festivals and creating canine birthday cakes for regional customers.

Kia and Daniel Pascal's cat, Luna, sits on a blanket.
Kia and Daniel Pascal’s cat, Luna, the inspiration for Dulces de Luna. Photograph courtesy Kia and Daniel Pascal

Products for sale from Dulces de Luna include charcuterie packing containers for canines and cats, doggy biscuits, dehydrated meats, balm for dry paws, and crochet hats and toys for cats. Some of the very best-sellers are the taco cat toy and bacon jam dog treats. 

Dulces de Luna solutions are unique from industrial goods due to the fact they use as numerous all-natural ingredients and as several additives as probable, Kia mentioned. For instance, the cat toys incorporate straight catnip buds and mostly raw cotton as the stuffing. Vitamin E is the only preservative made use of. For the doggy cakes, Kia and Daniel use only one form of flour and duck eggs from nearby farmers. 

“We’ve practiced organic, homeopathic, organic drugs in my spouse and children for a when,” Kia reported. “It’s been an significant issue in my existence. I needed to increase that to pets much too.”

People want to be knowledgeable of what components are in the food stuff and treats they give their animals. It’s vital to supply animals with the best foods, so they can have the best life, Daniel said. 

For our animals, if you can do organic treats, natural toys … these factors are more healthy and assistance prolong their lifestyle,” Daniel claimed. “We can provide healthier treats with no preservatives. I feel that falls back again on our method to medicine as nurses.”

In the potential, the Pascals hope to mature their enterprise existence, ship to each and every state and provide as sellers at far more festivals, which includes out-of-condition gatherings. Previous calendar year, Dulces de Luna merchandise were being marketed at two Atlanta-place retailers, and the goal is to broaden to other folks. They are also operating on creating organic organic treatments for pets.

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