I was recently asked "What is your background?" It was then that I realized that for nearly 3 years, the best customers in the world have supported my vision, Pet Empawrium, and have no idea of my background or my experiences.
Born and raised in the NW Suburbs of Chicago, I can't remember not loving animals, dogs in particular. My Grandmother raised Boxers, my parents Bassets and some Aunts raised Bull Dogs and Great Danes. Dogs surrounded me. They were my best friends.
By the time I was 5, I had discovered swimming. I loved it. It would become my sport of choice throughout my life.
One Saturday, my family was picnicking at a place called Holiday Park where there was a man made lake for swimming. I saw this HUGE (imagine how large Magic must look to a five year old!) black dog swimming and playing with everyone in the water. A DOG doing what I loved to do best! I was twitterpaited and knew that someday, I would have one of those big black dogs, what ever it was, and I would name it Black Magic.
Life went on. I learned that I also had a passion for reading, and I could never read enough. I was in 2nd grade when I was reading a book, With Love From Karen where I found that big black dog again. It was a Newfoundland. I now knew what kind of dog I had been swimming with, and I knew what kind of dog Black Magic was going to be.
By the time I was in 6th grade and girls my age began babysitting and boys began mowing lawns, I was walking the neighborhood dogs and taking care of them when their families went on vacation. Back then, no one had heard of a pet sitter. I just had a reputation for wanting to be with dogs and not kids. I would continue walking dogs and dog sitting on and off for the next 20 odd years.
When I was 13, I met Dr. Ross Hugi, a large animal/rural vet. I spent a lot of time for two summers tagging along with him on rounds, and dreamed of becoming a vet. I also learned that I still liked dogs best of all.
In the summer of 1979, I was 15 and I worked two jobs; one that paid, waiting tables, and one I loved, kennel assistant at Arlington Heights Animal Hospital. Now, a kennel assistant in the Chi-town burbs in 1979 meant assisting vets with surgeries, euthanasias, spays and castrations as well as administering medications and mucking the boarding kennels. Today, they would call you a vet tech, and you probably won't have to muck the kennels.
It was that fall when I found one job that paid and that I loved. I went to work for Noah's Ark Pet Center. At that time, it was just one store, and the largest pet store in the world. Here I would discover that I had a knack for learning about purebred dogs, their histories, standards and health issues. I would sell puppies and kittens for 2 years when the owners began buying up local pet store chains. With my past working at the veterinary hospital, it became apparent that I would be more beneficial to them if I got a bit more training, this time at Des Plaines Animal Hospital, and became an onsite clinic supervisor.
It would be four years before I would get back to sales, managing my own store selling puppies and kittens only. It was here that I would have my first encounter with the concept of puppy mills and pet stores rolls in the perpetuation of this travesty. Yes, I have first hand knowledge of what goes on in a pet store. Even today, I believe that I worked for one of the better pet stores, but, like all pet stores, they were in the business of marketing "manufactured" puppies bred by "commercial" breeders. I just couldn't handle the heartaches, the lies I was fed, and the lies I was expected to pass on to an unsuspecting public. In 1988, over moral and ethical differences with the owners, and a very enlightened view on the pet industry as a whole, I would leave Noah's Ark and the pet industry for 14years.
With poor grades and an inherent dislike for school, I never pursued being a vet. The next 14 years of my life I would spend floating from one unfulfilling job to the next. Car sales, data entry, reception, in home daycare, sales support administration (actually, I loved that job), and even auditing/human resources administrator at a local casino!
Then Russ and I decided to look into starting our own business. From shoe store franchises to print shops to handymen, it felt like we considered everything. But it was wile looking into a self-service dog wash franchise, and a pre-existing pet supply store, that Magic became so deathly ill. As I researched ways to help her, I realized what I wanted to do. Four intense months of investigation plus the miracles diet and nutrition did for Magic, I found myself begging Russ for my very own healthy pet supply store.
It worked, and, today, thanks to the support of the community and the World's Best Customers, we have expanded our services, and will continue to be here to help you help your fur-children.
