The online business features colorful bandanas, handmade by Howard, and in the future, she hopes to expand her product line to include collars, leashes and ID tags. Howard said she considered the idea for about a year before taking the plunge, wanting to make sure everything was done the right way.

“I wanted to be my own boss and I really enjoy crafting and stuff, so I decided to just take the leap and go for it,” Howard said. “I just really enjoy making my own things, so I just decided to do dog accessories and start my own business.”

Howard is an avid animal lover and still holds a job at Happy Tails as a groomer. She has been in the pet industry for approximately four years and has wanted her career to center around animals since she was little. Her first full time job was at a dog daycare in Ankeny, and once she had some experience, she joined the Happy Tails team and learned the fine art of dog grooming.

It’s always been a dream for Howard to open her own business, and with inspiration from her Siberian Husky Churro, as well as from her jobs, everything fell into place. She contemplated opening a business focused on making dog treats, but since she already had experience with making dog accessories for Churro, she opted for that instead.

Arianna Howard’s Siberian Husky Churro proudly displays a basket full of Halloween bandannas for sale at Churro’s Pet Boutique.

Churro’s Pet Boutique is something Howard primarily does for fun, but she hopes to grow the business and eventually make it her full-time job. For now, though, she’s just enjoying seeing pets and owners find joy with her business.

“Seeing all the dogs makes me really happy, seeing them in my products and stuff, and it’s nice to see the owners have a good time with all the products too,” Howard said. “It feels very rewarding.”

The business is based out of her home in Marshalltown, and when customers order an item, they have the option of having it shipped to their house or picking it up from Howard’s home. To view Howard’s products, visit https://churros-pet-boutique.square.site/. Churro’s Pet Boutique can also be found on Facebook and Instagram by searching the business name on each platform.

——

Contact Susanna Meyer at 641-753-6611 or

smehyer@timesrepublican.com