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The Pet Store’s slogan, written on the walls inside and outside the store in Millwater Central, is ‘where pets come first’.
This means not only supplying everything that a pet (and pet owner) could possibly want, but also having staff who can provide helpful advice.
Assistant manager Talei Desborough has learned a lot in her many years in the pet industry, especially about dog behaviour and training, while vet nurse Richelle Redmond has specialist knowledge about animal nutrition.
Owner David Kitch says sourcing products that are healthy, organic and sustainable wherever possible is a big focus for the store.
“People are becoming more aware of the importance of eating healthy food as well as issues around organics and sustainability,” he says. “These same things apply to animal health. Once people find out about the amount of fillers in some pet food, and how that can affect an animal’s health, they are shocked.”
The store has a wide variety of foods that use good quality, natural ingredients, including the Ziwi Peak and Go ranges, and a fridge full of pet-pleasing raw meat including rabbit, goat, salmon, possum and duck combinations.
There are Organix dog cookies, natural soap and flea repellents and even eco-friendly toy bones and hoops for dogs, made of sustainable rice husk rubber.
Opening the store has enabled David, who lives in Hatfields Beach, to combine years of retail sales experience with his lifelong love of animals. He admits to being “a dog person”, but has also owned cats.
With animal welfare in mind, his store’s policy is not to sell puppies and kittens, instead suggesting customers consider providing a home for a rescue animal, for which the store can recommend contacts.
Small animals, including rabbits, may be available at The Pet Store from time to time, and resident Rainbow Lorikeet Togi is always on hand to welcome customers.
David has plans to launch a website next month, as well as offering a local delivery service.
“It’s all part of providing a locally owned, friendly and affordable service,” he says. “We are finding that people come in here not only from Millwater but from as far away as Gulf Harbour.”
