For almost a year now, Homan has been baking batches of the wholesome snacks in her parents' kitchen in Eagle River.

“I really like the creative aspect,” Homan said. “This is a business, but it's fun for me too.”

Homan, 18 years old, is not only the sole proprietor of Doggy Decadents, but a full-time business management and marketing major at the University of Alaska Anchorage as well.

The goal, she said, is to one day open up a full-scale pet boutique and bakery right here in Alaska.

“I've lived here all my life and I can't imagine leaving,” she said.

Homan's entrepreneurial spirit was kindled the summer before her senior year of high school, when she was awarded a scholarship through the Anchorage Athena Society to attend Camp Start-Up, a business camp for young women that teaches entrepreneurial skills at Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y.

The business plan for which the scholarship was awarded focused on building an indoor recreational facility, much like the Cellular One Sports Center that recently opened in South Anchorage. “I submitted my essay, and then a few months later they built it,” she said.

Undeterred, Homan decided to parlay her love of animals into a successful business venture.

She was working at Pet Zoo in Eagle River at the time, and decided that gourmet dog treats could do a booming business in the Anchorage area. Luckily Homan had an expert taste-tester - her Schipperke/Husky mix, Skipper - right at home.

She said it took several months of research and experimenting before she came up with recipes she and Skipper both liked. All the treats feature wholesome, human-grade ingredients with no additives, fillers or preservatives. The next step was figuring out how to package and distribute the products.

Homan readily admits the marketing aspect was the most difficult part for her.

“I enjoy the producing and the creating, but coming up a Web site was challenging - I'm not computer-savvy at all. And I finally had to breakdown and buy QuickBooks so I could keep my finances in order. Since I'm the owner, I really do everything. This is kind of like my own personal internship,” she said.

Initially, Homan invested $2,500 of her own money to get the business started. She said she's more or less breaking even now, with most her profits going to the purchase of new equipment.

To keep her treats fresh while they sit on store shelves they must be dehydrated, a time-intensive process that involves baking them at 350 degrees and then placing them in a 200-degree oven until all the moisture is extracted. Instead of paying the $200 just to get a commercial food dehydrator shipped to Alaska, Homan enlisted the help of a friend to pick one up for her in the Lower 48.

Currently, Homan's line of dog treats is sold at Paw Prince and Kobuk Coffee and Tea Co. in Anchorage, among others. She also staffs a booth at the Anchorage Market and Festival every weekend, along with the owner of Alaska Leash Co. She said tourists are eager to buy anything that has a Made in Alaska label, and has had a steady stream of customers so far this summer.

While Homan said she's looking to keep her business relatively small at the moment, she's brainstorming new ideas. She plans to market a line of Alaska-themed dog toys - “things like stuffed moose and halibut” -in the near future.

She's also recently started baking a line of wheat- and corn-free dog treats since many canines are allergic to those ingredients.

Despite being only 18 years old, Homan said she is taken seriously in Alaska's business community.