Izzy Marler, a graduate of the Destination Dawgs program, launched Three Dogs and a Girl Bakery in September to share her passion for baking through fostering an inclusive environment
Izzy Marler tempts Axel, Savannah and Riley with treats made just for them in the kitchen that serves as the home for Three Dogs and a Girl Bakery. Dog treats are Marler’s favorite products to make. (Grace Burnett/The Oglethorpe Echo)
Three Dogs and a Girl Bakery in Winterville embodies Izzy Marler’s mission of inclusion.
A graduate of the Destination Dawgs program at the University of Georgia, Izzy bakes and sells artisan, breads, treats and pastries alongside Tania Marler, her mother, from their Winterville home.
“As someone with (an) intellectual disability, my journey has shaped everything about Three Dogs and a Girl Bakery,” said Izzy, who is CEO of the bakery. “I started this business to show that ability comes from many forms, and that’s passion, dedication and heart.”
The three dogs, Axel, a 6-year-old, light brown goldendoodle and service dog, Savannah Rose, a white and black, 2-year-old goldendoodle, and Riley Mason, a playful, 1-year-old chocolate lab, create the bakery’s namesake.
“They gave me support and helped me calm down,” Izzy said. “They're the best assistants ever.”
The Marler family moved to Winterville from Florida in 2022 for the Destination Dawgs program. It provides students with intellectual disabilities ages 18-25 the opportunity to gain independence and grow in career development through four, 15-week semesters.
Izzy utilizes her experiences from the program, working at Bitty and Beau’s in Athens and family support to pursue her business.
“I don’t call it a disability,” Tania said. “I call it an exceptionality.”
Both Izzy and Tania share the goal of wanting to open a cozy brick and mortar location in either Winterville or Athens, similar to Bitty and Beau’s, a coffee shop that closed in 2024, to employ others with “exceptionalities,” as Tania said.
The Marlers are hoping to secure a location within the next couple of years.
“She just kind of came out of her shell,” Tania said. “I don't know if it was part because of the job in the program, the Destination Dawgs, or a combination of both, or just combination of maturity, but she just came out of her shell. So that’s when we’ve always known that we want to have something for her. For her future.”
Before opening the bakery in September, Izzy and Tania considered opening a coffee shop. However, Izzy’s aunt introduced them to sourdough bread making and changed the business’ trajectory.
The bakery sells sourdough breads, bagels, muffins and cookies, but Izzy’s favorite products to bake are the dog treats, such as the peanut butter and oat bites treats.
All artisan products are baked in the cottage bakery and can be ordered online. Izzy decides, alongside Tania, which products to sell each week.
Newsletter subscribers, both email and text, are notified about the drops, and Tania helps with posting announcements (@3dogsandagirlbakery on Instagram). Drops typically run from Saturdays to the Sundays of the following week.
Sunday pickups are at the Winterville United Methodist Church parking lot. Izzy sends confirmation texts to ensure the location and timing works for customers.
The bakery ingredients are ordered from Kroger, Publix, Walmart or Amazon. Product pricing is determined through an app called CakeCost, which calculates prices according to ingredients.
Tania’s favorite baking story with Izzy was when she mastered chocolate chip sourdough cookies just a week or two into baking.
“Just seeing that kind of light bulb go off and be like, ‘Oh, I got this. I can do it by myself,’ ” Tania said. “That was the most incredible thing, just because I know that she’s learning and she’s growing and she’s understanding. That is always the most important thing for me.”
The mother and daughter plan to share this light bulb experience one pastry at a time.
“That’s the most important thing,” Tania said. “If we can help anybody like her get a job, even if it’s as simple as just greeting people or cleaning tables if that’s what they want to do. To us it’s not about the money.”