Once upon an icy, sparkling December day in 2018, a very special little pup entered the world. Her beginnings were anything but a fairy tale. Her mama didn’t survive, and she was one of the lucky little pups who made it. Thanks to around the clock care from Out of the Pits Rescue, this tiny survivor was given a chance at a happily ever after.

By February, she had found her way into our home, and, as it turned out, straight into the role she was born to play: S’Barkle Rose Aye, the world’s sassiest, bougiest little pittie princess.

It didn’t take long to discover that S’Barkle had extravagant tastes, opinions about absolutely everything, and no intention of being treated like anything short of a diva.

When Easter rolled around, naturally, my little princess needed a “chocolate” bunny in her Easter basket - a proper, beautiful, chocolate-looking bunny, just like all of the other children had. Except, of course, real chocolate isn’t safe for dogs. I searched and searched for an alternative, but none was to be found.

And that’s how the idea for Gourmet ChocoLicks was born. The pitta princess absolutely needed a “chocolate” bunny!

Over the years, S’Barkle and I shared countless adventures, eventually trading upstate New York for the beautiful mountains of Asheville, North Carolina. Along the way, I continued tinkering with the idea of ChocoLicks, trying to come up with the perfect recipe, something as delightful as the little girl who inspired it.

But our fairy tale had an unexpected twist….

I guess every fairy tale has a villain. At just 4-years-old S’Barkle met hers in the form of a near-deadly heart attack due to a congenital heart issue. With the help of wonderful holistic veterinarians, canine cardiologists, a great deal of determination, and more love than could ever be measured, she eventually returned to good health, declared in complete remission! Years of love, adventure, self-obsession, diva-delights, and antics followed.

Until, at seven, her heart condition returned with a vengeance (apparently it can do that)….

In January 2026, S’Barkle was doing what she loved most in the entire world: racing across an open field, ears flying, legs stretching, and joy spilling out of every inch of her little body - when in one breathtaking moment (literally!), it was as if she ran right out of her body and into whatever beautiful adventure awaits beyond this world.

She was only seven. Our hearts were shattered!!

S’Barkle was never a dog who believed in doing anything halfway. She lived with extraordinary enthusiasm, loved with her whole heart, and left a mark on ours that will never fade.

Some months later, another little soul found his way into our lives: a little bow-tied gentleman named Theodore Lawrence (iykyk), affectionately known as Laurie. He is as zen as she was wild, as shy as she was sassy - and as fond of treats as she was! Between remembering the little girl who started it all and watching a new generation of puppy antics unfold (ask us about his emotional support socks!), I realized it was high time that I finally bring Gourmet ChocoLicks to the world, Sparkle’s legacy and Laurence’s delight.

What began as a quest for one perfectly extravagant Easter bunny has become a way to celebrate the extraordinary love we share with our dogs, and to sprinkle a little of S’Barkle’s sass, sparkle, and unapologetic love of life’s finer pleasures into the world.

Because pups deserve melt-in-your-mouth goodness too.

Made with love. Inspired by S’Barkle.
For all the dogs who make our lives a little sweeter.