4Legz Creating Healthy Dog Treats & Work Opportunities for the Disabled

CENTRALIA, Wash., June 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- A startup in Lewis County that honors the memory of a service dog is bringing healthy treats to dogs – and providing valuable work experience for disabled youth.

Cynthia Murray founded 4Legz in large part because of her beloved service dog, a fox terrier mix named Odie.

Odie gave Murray, who was born deaf, a sense of freedom and security that she had not known before having a service dog. He made her aware of door knocks, ringing phones and the occasional dropped wallet. But Murray also was a lifesaver to Odie. Because of numerous allergy and stomach issues, Odie had trouble digesting most food. In fact, he had already been placed in two previous homes as a service dog prior to coming to Murray.

"He needed someone who would be able to care for his special diet needs as much as I needed him to be my ears," she said. Murray created special dog food and treats for Odie, focusing on natural ingredients. 

When Odie passed, Murray and her now husband, John, were thinking about a business they could start together. Her experience with Odie inspired her to try manufacturing the healthy treats for the public.

4Legz, the first full line of dog treats to get certified Non-GMO, features sweet potatoes, peanut butter, pumpkin and molasses, and not the preservatives, chemicals, by-products and fillers so often found in food items for dogs.

"We set out to make dog treats from ingredients you can pronounce," she said.

With the recent purchase of a new "cookie" machine to shape the treats and additional ovens, 4Legz is poised to quadruple its production, meeting an ever-increasing demand for the product in the Pacific Northwest. Customers can also purchase the treats online at the 4Legz website. A seven-ounce bag of treats costs $7.99, while the 4-pound "party size" costs $36.99.

Murray has taken her success and paid it forward. She is committed to providing employment for differently abled workers and has partnered with local high schools to provide work experience for disabled teens.

She's also put her experiences into a book, For the Love of Dogs: A Deaf Woman's Journey, which is available on the 4Legz website and Amazon. All proceeds from the volume go to nonprofit pet rescues.

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SOURCE 4Legz