SJ Couple Turns Making Homemade Gravy for Dogs into Business

What started out in their kitchen at home, making homemade gravy sauce for their adopted dogs, has turned into a legitimate small business for one South Jersey couple.

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Javi Quinones, a first-generation American of Puerto Rican parents, and his wife Michiko have two rescue dogs, Buddy and Bear. Together, the Merchantville, Camden County couple started Javi's Gravy Sauce for Dogs. It's a project that began as a labor of love three years ago, according to 6abc.com.

"These are my babies. These are my kids," Javi tells 6abc.com about his rescue pups. "If we eat better, my dogs should eat better, too", he said.

I love that The Quinones' feel that way. I've often wondered why so many pet foods are made mostly of byproduct and things we would never feed to ourselves.

Javi, who tells 6abc he spent a lot of time in the kitchen with his family growing up and has experience in the meat industry, began making fresh gravy sauce for his dogs from all-natural ingredients clean enough for humans to eat. He decided to open a store-front in the beginning of 2020, just before the COVID-19 pandemic hit. In spite of the hardship caused by coronavirus, Javi's Gravy Sauce for Dogs has managed to stay afloat thanks to online sales and community interest.

In addition to the gravy sauce, available in many different flavors, Javi's makes chunky meals, treats and chews, and kibble.