About Us
Happy Yappers is a noisy joyous celebration of our love for Dogs! It is also an award winning handmade and hand decorated Dog Treat business. All of our products are lovingly prepared. Happy Yappers was born out of the need for high quality dog treats using only the best Human grade ingredients. Why should our beautiful pooches be given anything second rate! Our treats are free from chemicals and additives. Our recipes have no added salt or sugar and are free from artificial colours, artificial flavours and preservatives. Each recipe has been developed and taste tested over many years by our resident chef and beloved pooches Ruby and Charlotte.
Happy Yappers Rules
1. All of our treats are handmade, we make the dough, bake the biscuits, decorate each treat, we do it all!
2. We use only the finest Human grade restaurant quality ingredients
3. We only use Free range eggs from happy hens
4. We do not add artificial colours, flavours or preservatives
5. They are low in salt and sugar
6. Our treats smell lovely and are fun!!
We wanted Happy Yappers to be an ethical business that promoted the proper care and rights of all animals. And so we only use ingredients such as free range eggs from suppliers that that assure us of the humane treatment of their animals. We are very Community Minded and support many animal organisations. Milly Parker the creator of Happy Yappers also spends a great deal of time promoting a positive image of a person with a Disability. She is a person with a Disability, an acquired brain injury and has been a National Ambassador for Disability. Currently she is a Member of the Federal Governments National Disability and Carers Council.
A Tribute to Riley May by Milly Parker
Riley May (pictured) was the inspiration for Happy Yappers.
Sadly I had to make the heart wrenching decision to put this angel to sleep and she was only 3 years old. She was diagnosed with a particularly aggressive cancer and 3 months later she was put to sleep in my arms on a beautiful sunny day outside under a gumtree. To celebrate Riley’s short but wonderful life and the fact that she changed my life by helping me learn to accept my Disability, you will find her logo on every packet of Happy Yappers. Her logo is my tribute to her and as well as in my heart, through Happy Yappers she lives on.
Milly Parker’s Story
Step by Step – My journey to self-employment
By Milly Parker, Founder and owner of Happy Yappers – February 2003
18 years ago now, I was a front seat passenger in a car that ran off the road and hit a rather large tree. I was resuscitated, incubated at the scene and airlifted to hospital. One of my many injuries and the most life altering was a brain injury. My life changed dramatically and instantly. Overnight I went from being a gregarious 21 year-old student with a social life that would stagger any Hollywood Starlet, to being too afraid to cross the road on my own. After going through a year of rehabilitation, left with permanent injuries and dealing with debilitating depression, I had to try and figure out what my new role in society was to be. I was unable to return to study as I now had trouble learning and retaining new information. Reading had now become harder. I would get migraines that would last days and the list goes on. For the next five years after experiencing the Criminal court where the Driver was charged, I had to endure the grueling system that many road trauma victims experience; the fight to seek compensation.
Eventually after all the legalities were over with, we bought a puppy to keep me company, a female Golden Cocker Spaniel and I named her Riley. It was amazing the difference she made to my life. She gave me back my confidence and self worth not to mention enjoyment – from going to puppy school and dog obedience classes to meeting other dog owners. I began to socialise and had Riley as the focus, not myself or my disability.
I also found that I felt more comfortable when I was out walking with her, as opposed to walking by myself. I was concentrating on her sitting at the road before crossing and her safety. Another positive spin off from Riley entering my life was creating my own business, Happy Yappers – biscuits for your pooch! I wanted to make dog biscuits for her at home. After much experimentation and many willing taste tasters I came up with the perfect recipe!
With encouragement from my local pet shop owner, Scruff I started to sell my biscuits in his store. I will never forget him giving me $15 payment for my first order! For the first time in years I was actually paid for something that I had done – it had nothing to do with my disability, Social Security and the TAC. This feeling was amazing – it was worth one million dollars!
Today Happy Yappers are sold all around Australia in selected stores and online and exported to several countries including the UK. Harrods’s in London even stock Happy Yappers!
I have achieved things that I never thought that I could and I owe it all to Riley. Happy Yappers is a tribute to her and you will find her logo on every packet of Happy Yappers. I miss her every day. But the house is now alive with the shenanigans of two more Golden Cocker Spaniels, Ruby and Charlotte.
Happy Yappers is dedicated to all those little Angels on Earth with four legs that give us so much joy.
Milly Parker is part of the Harry M Miller’s Speakers Boutique. For all speaking engagements with Milly, please contact The Harry M. Miller Group on +61 2 9356 0000 or email Terasa at hmm@harrymmiller.com
Click here to see Milly’s profile page on Harry M Miller
Five Freedoms For Animals
Since we established Happy Yappers in 2002 we always have both Riley’s logo and “We support the Five Freedoms for Animals” printed on the back of each product. Hopefully by doing so over the time we have helped raised the awareness of these lovely principles. You can support the 5 Freedoms buy purchasing Barn Laid or Free Range Eggs or by contacting the RSPCA for more information.
1. Freedom from Hunger and Thirst
By ready access to fresh water and a diet to maintain full health and vigour.
2. Freedom from Discomfort
By providing an appropriate environment including shelter and a comfortable resting area.
3. Freedom from Pain, Injury or Disease
By prevention, by rapid diagnosis and treatment.
4. Freedom to Express Normal Behaviour
By providing sufficient space, proper facilities and the company of one’s own kind.
5. Freedom from Fear or Distress
By ensuring conditions and treatment which avoid mental suffering.
The RSPCA Australia considers that these Freedoms will be better provided for if those who care of livestock practice:
• Caring and responsible planning and management
• Skilled, knowledgeable and conscientious animal management
• Appropriate environmental design
• Considerate handling and transport.
Want to find out more about the rights of animals… visit these great sites:
WSPA
RSPCA Australia
RSPCA Victoria
Animals Matter to Me
