Lisa Derfus was a Dillard's exec for more than 20 years. Then one day the department store held a bake sale to benefit the United Way, and Derfus decided to make something a little different.
"I made dog biscuits, and they flew out the door," she says.
It wasn't long before Derfus decided to turn her biscuits into a business.
She set up a booth at the Tucson Farmers' Market and called her operation Dogberry Hill Dog Biscuits, after a character in Shakespeare's "Much Ado About Nothing."
Today, Derfus, 48, makes dog biscuits in several varieties, as well as cupcakes and birthday cakes for dogs - all sugar-free and made with organic ingredients.
The treats she bakes are soft, not crunchy like the biscuits you find in a pet store or supermarket, and her most popular variety is peas and carrots.
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Other varieties include fish and chips, chicken and rice, pumpkin, and sweet potato.
It's not nearly as lucrative as Derfus' old job, but she's optimistic.
"For me, it wasn't all about the money," she says. "Obviously that's important. But it's also important for me to try something on my own and enjoy doing it."
Derfus plans to start selling her dog treats in pet stores and wholesale online - in addition to the farmers markets.
"I think I will always do a farmers market, because I get so much out of it. You get that one-on-one with the customer that I wouldn't trade for anything."
You'll find Derfus at the Oro Valley market on Saturdays and at the Tucson Farmers' Market on Sundays, with her boxers, Joe and Ted.
"They're my official taste testers," Derfus says.