KELLY COLEMAN

When you need supplies for your pet or a clean, safe environment with qualified personnel to groom or board your four-legged family member, Vero Beach is home to a unique and wholesome choice – the Village Pet Shop and Inn on 12^th Street.

Almost one year ago Susan Olive purchased and opened Village Pet Shop and Inn.  She looked for over a year for the perfect location to start her business before she chose Vero Beach.  “I chose Vero primarily because of the people.  They love their animals,” adds Susan.  The building is ideal for her business because it has three separate spaces currently home to one veterinary clinic and Susan’s retail shop and pet inn.  After she opened, Susan quickly added grooming, day care services and pet socialization, or “attended play time” for dogs.  With new ownership and added services, there are many reasons for pet owners to check out Village Pet Shop and Inn.  The shop alone offers just about anything in the way of pet products and accessories.

Stocked with pet food and just about any kind of dog and cat supply item needed, Susan has an overflowing and obvious passion for the business she is growing.  “I love this business.  It’s a dream come true – this is the job I thought I would do for fun in semi-retirement.  I could talk to people about their pets and their pets’ nutritional needs all day long.  I absolutely love it,” shares Susan.  And it shows!

Susan has studied and researched pet nutrition with a desire to share her knowledge and to help educate people in understanding how important nutrition is to the overall well being of their pet.  Susan opened her shop and boarding facility with a passion to help pet owners and to offer her knowledge about holistic pet food and its benefits to her customers.  She immediately added holistic food products from raw food to her shop inventory in an effort to offer pet owners the option of buying a better form of food for a dog or cat.   Susan states, “Educating people on what is best to feed their pet, and why, is closest to my heart.”

The word ‘holistic’ in combination with ‘pet care’ essentially means taking care of the whole animal from the inside out.  It is the concept of preventative health care versus prescriptions given after the animal is sick.  Susan shares, “Many of the problems pets have come from the food we are feeding them. The kibble we consider dog food is man made, convenient and semi nutritional, but it is not ‘natural’ for a canine as they are primarily meat eaters.  Their digestive system is constructed in a way that makes processing meat natural and easy.  Corn, wheat and other processed additives in their food is not what their digestive system is geared toward and it may cause allergies and skin problems.”  The best thing you can feed a canine is a good raw dog food.  Since many allergies and skin problems come from what dogs are eating and not their environment, offering natural food, treats and chew treats made primarily from meat is a healthy alternative that can have very beneficial results.  Cats are finicky and it isn’t easy, but is possible, to switch their diet as well.  If you start off a kitten on a good raw diet it is easier than switching an older cat’s diet.  Affordability is another aspect of a natural diet for your pet.  So, even if you are limited in what you can afford, getting just a little raw food into your pet’s diet is better than none.

Customer Service is number one in Susan’s eyes, “I take back anything if the customer isn’t happy.  The customer should be 100% satisfied so I offer an unconditional money back guarantee. We also do special orders.  If there is a product that my customers use or want and we don’t carry it in the store, we will order it.  We also beat any other price locally.”  And if specialized services and competitive pricing doesn’t grab your attention, customer service will.  All Village Pet Shop and Inn customers are greeted personally… with warmth and genuine concern.  Something you’ll remember when it comes time to board or groom your pet or seek qualified, safe, clean pet day care alternatives.

The new rage in pet care is cage-less boarding where facilities offer considerable acreage for roaming.  Village Pet Inn has dens, not cages – canines are ‘den’ animals.  Susan shares, “We play soft music and offer our clients’ pet a place of peace and an atmosphere of safety.  We believe every dog needs quiet time.  We also offer a choice of group or individual play time, where dogs are taken outside and can play and roam and exercise alone or with small group in a fenced area.”  At maximum capacity, the Village Inn will only take 30 dogs – they very carefully manage the number of pets at the facility.  This helps ensure a consistent experience where they can offer the best quality and care for your pet.

Susan is also working toward expanding her grooming business to include three licensed groomers on staff each day.  Village Pet Inn accepts appointments for grooming any breed of dog or cat.

Visit the Village Pet Shop and Inn at 964 12^th Street, just west of Publix across the tracks. Call the shop at 772-569-4825 and the inn at 772-569-4899 Email to villagepetshopandinn@gmail.com