If necessity is the mother of invention, Bear the Douge de Bordeaux — spokesdog for Bear’s Bites premium quality, single-ingredient pet products — must be the father of entrepreneurship. His name is forever connected with the vision, hard work, and creativity of Samantha “Samm” Hutchison, the entrepreneur who moved her highly successful small business to 282 Derby St. in July 2024.

In the seven years of its existence, the maker of organic, hormone-free, dehydrated, and freeze-dried dog and cat treats, premium pet food, and other handmade, small-batch pet products, has grown by leaps and bounds. When the company outgrew its 1,000 sq. ft. space in East Peoria, Samm found the 7,000 sq. ft. space on Derby Street and envisioned a new retail and manufacturing home. Sales have skyrocketed nearly 1,000 percent since 2018 and the product line has expanded from six to more than 30 items. Half-a-dozen new products are set for introduction in 2025.

“Pet mom” Samm said this thriving enterprise arose from a need that was not being met to her satisfaction. It started 20 years ago when the allergies of Samm’s previous dog, Tank, led her on a search for food that did not include questionable ingredients with names she could not pronounce.

“I wouldn’t eat it, so I sure wasn’t going to give it to my dog,” Samm said. She started making small batches of dehydrated sweet potato and banana treats for her canine friend. When Tank passed away, Samm and her husband, Michael Clemons, adopted Bear, who was not fond of the veggie-based treats she was then making.

So Samm developed dehydrated meat treats using premium quality, locally sourced ingredients. Bear loved them. In February 2018 she decided to start a business.

“I figured if I was having trouble getting good treats so was everybody else,” said Samm. “I was right because here we are seven years later!”

The Bear’s Bites line of products is sold online, at trade shows, and at 250 boutique pet stores nationwide. All products are made in Pekin from carefully selected meat and vegetables sourced across the Midwest.

Incredibly, all the work of building and growing Bear’s Bites has been done by Samm herself. She said her husband fixes her equipment when she breaks it and supports her in many ways, but it is mostly a one-person operation.

In addition to the production space, the new Pekin operation features Bear’s Bites Boutique and Learning Center, where shoppers can find the full line of Bear’s Bites products and curated products from others who “hold to the same standards that I do.” The boutique also offers classes on pet nutrition, pet CPR and first aid, CBD for pets, and other topics of interest to “pet parents.”

And if that’s not enough, Samm has established the Bear’s Bites Foundation (www.bearsbitesfoundation.org), a nonprofit that has assisted more than 40 pet families with high pet medical bills. The Whiskey City Grooming Competition, March 29-30 at the Peoria Civic Center, is being organized as a fundraiser in the hopes of raising up $20,000 to further the foundation’s mission. Registration is open for groomers and vendors, and tickets are available at www.whiskeycitygroom.com.

“We hope to keep growing and helping as many pet parents as we can,” Samm said.

Bradley University’s Small Business Development Center named Bear’s Bites the Small Business of the Year in 2021. The state of Illinois included the company in its annual list of Made In Illinois products.

As for Bear, he has outlived most of his breed, despite a heart condition diagnosed a couple of years ago. 

“He’s a good boy,” Samm laughed. “He walks around here like he is the king. He knows how famous he is.”

Bear Bite’s Boutique is open Monday to Friday, 11am to 4p., and Saturday from 11am to 3pm. The store is “going greener” on February 1st when it begins offering products by the ounce for customers to take home in their own containers. Online ordering is at https://bearsbites.net.