If you have been to Belle Look at Searching Center currently you may well have seen a new tenant at 1612 Belle Look at Blvd. Karencita Echeverri quietly opened Pampered Pet Boutique and Barkery in October 2021 and held a grand opening celebration and ribbon chopping in December.
Action inside of the shop and two issues will jump out at you. Initially, there is the massive offer of exciting, significant good quality and unique toys, treats, foodstuff and other pet components lining the shelves. 2nd, you will straight away experience a heat and residence-like ambiance. Frames with photos of community pet dogs are interspersed with the drool deserving canine treats and on the checkout counter. Wander in direction of the back of the shop and you will see an antique wooden mantel, couches and canine beds arranged to sense like your grandmother’s residing area.
Developing this environment was significant to Echeverri, who greets clients like they are relatives, with an enthusiasm for animals and the items she carries that is obviously obvious.
“I needed a put that canines could appear to, and pet moms and dads, that would come to feel welcoming, it doesn’t feel like a sterile pet retail store, and you can give them fantastic, quality food without the markup. Our motto listed here is we pamper your pet just like our possess,” she explained.
At first from Long Island, New York, Echeverri has been in Northern Virginia for numerous several years. She lived in Del Ray for a even though and managed a pet retail store in Old Town for 5 many years, prior to launching out on her very own (with a minor economical guidance from mother and sweat fairness from her fiancé, Daniel).
“This is really my passion. I have worked in the company globe for in excess of 20 decades. I’ve had genuinely substantial-profile positions/demanding work and I recognized at the end of the working day, you have to do one thing that tends to make you content,” Echeverri explained.
Echeverri credits her now 12-12 months-previous pit bull, Zeus, for inspiring the trajectory her lifestyle has taken, which involves opening her have business. His confront is on the symbol of the retailer and his portrait hangs previously mentioned the wall of toys.
Alexandria is greatly recognised for remaining pet-helpful. The Metropolis was declared a licensed “Better City for Pets” by Mars Petcare in January. For Echeverri it just manufactured sense to open up her small business in this spot. “I located that this was my area of interest, it’s a thing that I’m utilised to, I’m used to the demographics all around below. They [Alexandrians] actually have a enthusiasm for their pets. It’s not just a pet, it’s truly a member of their household,” she discussed.
Pampered Pet carries eight traces of dry meals such as Dr. Marty, Dr. Gary, Fromm, Stella and Chewy’s, Essential Necessities, Grandma Lucy’s dehydrated and the large protein Acaina for extremely active or doing work puppies.
Echeverri is a massive proponent of uncooked food items and she carries six distinctive traces of it in industrial sized freezers. She was to start with introduced to uncooked foods by Terri Expand, a pet nutritionist who ran the pet food retail outlet PetSage in Alexandria, ahead of she recently transitioned to offering companies by way of her internet site and partnering with pet mothers and fathers, veterinarians and other pet-associated experts like Echeverri.
“The just one factor I like about uncooked is that it delivers the puppies and cats again to their primal intuition. Persons have this false impression of raw meals that you’re just throwing a rooster down and the pet dogs are tackling it. No – these are complete, balanced foods. The normally have the bones, organs – it is a finish food. Indeed, it is increased in protein but you really do not feed the canine as a lot,” Echeverri described. Raw foods is especially valuable for animals with allergy symptoms, like Zeus who is allergic to everything with feathers, and for over-all pet wellbeing.
For Echeverri it is all about educating pet mom and dad and earning them relaxed with the solutions they are purchasing, not about the sell. She works with diverse budget and not only presents two 7 days samples, but if a product or service does not get the job done, clients can provide back again meals that is at the very least 50 percent complete and she will donate or discard it.
In addition to pet dog and cat foodstuff, Pampered Pet carries large high quality toys, collars, treats, attire and other pet items. Several of the goods that Echeverri carries are from girls-owned, minority-owned, and regional firms.
Echeverri is specially enthusiastic about her “barkery” which carries human quality doggie baked goods sourced from four distinctive bakeries. Merchandise incorporate puppy donuts, dog candy, birthday cakes and seasonal cookies. There is also a uncooked bar which carries nutritious chews like bully sticks, beef cheeks and even, dehydrated duck heads which are actually 1 of the shop’s top rated sellers. “Parents obtain it as a gimmick and they come back again and they are like my canine ate that full factor, they really like it!” Echeverri said with a giggle.
Echeverri is fully commited to working with her small business to give again to the community and causes she is passionate about. She has hosted adoption situations and charity fundraisers to assistance rescues like Project Second Chance and Stand Up For Pits. She designs to provide activities and routines like painting with your canine, espresso and donut with your doggy, CPR for your pet courses and request the coach.
She is partnering with other retailers in the purchasing middle to make it more of a desired destination. EMMAvet, an unexpected emergency vet is found only a number of doorways down from Pampered Pet. EMMAvet a short while ago expanded and started off featuring key care products and services late final calendar year. The shop delivers a stress-free location where pet mother and father can wait around although their pet is currently being examined or obtain a specific handle to surprise their pet when they are concluded. That, mixed with Westgrove canine park which is positioned much less than a mile from the buying centre are building the purchasing center a hub for pets and their dad and mom.
Echeverri suggests the reception she has obtained from the group has been extraordinary. Numerous of her consumers find her by means of term of mouth and she has some buyers that generate 45 minutes to store with her.
To the conclude of our job interview, a guy entered the retail outlet with his little canine who straight away started off functioning all over the store and coming up for passion. They seemingly go to the store daily, and that is particularly the sort of group that Echeverri is hoping to develop at Pampered Pet. She has an off-leash plan in the store, wherever she wishes canine to have the liberty to be them selves. She understands that not all pet dogs are comfortable all over a good deal of persons or puppies so she offers VIP hrs just one hour just before opening or soon after closing for customers who get the job done late, have COVID worries or have pet dogs with social panic.
Stop by Pampered Pet Boutique and Barkery at 1612 Belle Perspective Blvd. Monday by means of Saturday 10 a.m.-7 p.m. or Sunday 11 a.m.-5 p.m.