By Carol Seiler

UK Wildcat Service Dogs has teamed up with Naticakes to deliver gourmet decorated mini cupcakes for Valentine’s Day.

A portion of the proceeds will help train and raise Wildcat Service Dog puppies.

Naticakes owner Nicole Ernst said the dessert shop will be baking cupcakes the day before and the day of Valentine’s Day. The service dogs and trainers will be delivering the cupcakes to campus.

Ernst said she and her mother will also make deliveries to anywhere in Lexington on the day of the fundraiser.

Anna Mynchenberg, UK Wildcat Service Dogs vice president, said to keep an eye out for the six service dogs that will be delivering cupcakes to campus: Graham (Golden Poodle), Romeo (Labrador Poodle), Jagger (Boxer), Ajax (Labrador Poodle), Viper (Black Lab) and Denali (Black Lab).

Cupcake pre-orders are to be made by Feb. 12 at Naticakes, which is located behind Kennedy’s Book Store, or by phone to 859-252-9487.

However, pre-orders are not necessary.

“Walk-ins are welcome and a portion of any of the cupcakes sold on Valentine’s Day will go to the Wildcat Service Dogs organization for their service dog puppies,” Ernst said. Naticakes will be open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Tuesday.

The cupcakes are $10 for six mini cupcakes, $20 for 12, or $30 for 12 jumbo cupcakes.

Ernst said all the cupcakes are made with an Italian buttercream. Cupcake flavors available for purchase on the day of the fundraiser are:

• Tuxedo-chocolate cake with vanilla buttercream;
• Vanilla Bean-vanilla cake and vanilla icing;
• Pretty Princess-strawberry cake with strawberry icing;
• Chocolate Covered Strawberry-chocolate cake and strawberry buttercream;
• and Cookies and Cream Cake-Oreo cake and vanilla icing.

Any other flavor can be baked if ordered in advance.

“Pupcakes,” edible cupcakes for dogs made with applesauce and carrots can also be ordered in advance.

“Wildcat Service Dogs is a remarkable student-run organization,” Roger Brown, Wildcat Service Dogs adviser, said. “Wildcat Service Dog members are responsible for taking care of their canine trainees. Those expenses include food and regular veterinary care.

Though he said those expenses are not a lot, they add up, “especially for students on a budget,” he said.

A portion of the proceeds made will go to the Wildcat Service Dogs puppies and their needs with veterinary bills, medication and attending socializing events, which are public events like sporting events.

“I want to come in the night before and bake cupcakes like crazy for them,” Ernst said. She said she hopes the fundraiser is huge for them.