THUNDER BAY -- John Ross is a local artist, craftsman and devoted dog owner.
He and his girlfriend Emily Valdez observed the high prices for dog chews at pet stores and decided to use their skills and connections to create high-quality, custom moose antler chews for people who love their fur babies as much as they do.
“I did some wood burnings on live edge, and people really liked them, and they'd sell as soon as I made them,” Ross said.
“I was getting into the wood burning. I saw how expensive dog chews are. They'd have a little piece of deer antler selling for $40, and I thought, ‘What about moose antler?’
“Then I thought, ‘Why not use my wood burning and personalize these bones and make specialized Christmas gifts for dogs?’”
Ross was perfectly poised to create moose antler chews, thanks to his father who is also a skilled craftsman.
“I just kind of lucked out,” Ross said. “My father's been making things out of moose horn for the past 40 years. He makes custom knives and axe handles and custom all sorts of little fire starters and little compasses.”
They have been offering the customized moose chews through Facebook Marketplace and the response has been hugely positive.
The mileage may vary in terms of how long the chews last, some dogs are avid chewers and can gnaw down a piece in a matter of days, while others can take months. The antlers are a great source of entertainment and therapeutic for dogs.
“Moose bone is dense like other types of antler, but it's a little bit softer,” Ross said. “It's nice because sometimes if you get too dense, for example, with deer antler, it can lead to chipping.
“Every dog chew pretty much poses a risk, and with a dog chew you have to always keep a look at it because once it breaks down, if it gets too small, your dog could swallow a bone, you have to take the bone away before it gets too small.”
Patrons are drawn to the customized antlers, decorated with their pet’s names, burnt in with Ross and Valdez’s artistic touches, but they can also order the chews blank.
The methods for creating these chews are surprisingly arduous, similar to stone carving or woodworking.
“I had all the tools because you need to specialize,” Ross said.
“You need a bandsaw. You need a mask because it's spraying dust all over the place. You need face ventilation. You need safety. It's a very dangerous process. You've got to cut first with the bandsaw, then you have to use grinders to smooth out the edges. It's quite the process.”
Ross and Valdez’s beautiful and beneficial moose antler chews are currently available through Facebook Marketplace.
They also pop up at Goods and Co. and other craft markets throughout the year.
