Support Your Neighbors: Well Bred Pet Marketplace

Note: Support Your Neighbors is a feature where we take a moment to highlight local business and the people living in our community who run them

The icing is perfect, the underside golden brown and sitting behind the glass partition on the baker’s tray it is almost hard to tell the decoration on the heart-shaped Valentine’s Day cookies are tiny paw prints or that half of the cookies in the case are shaped like bones.  At , the healthy pet marketplace in Chester, pets are treated the same way as their human counterparts.

“The cookies and treats are made with the same ingredients made to make human cookies, “said owner Patti Storms. “There is less sugar and a few other healthy concessions like substituting carob for chocolate because it is safer for dogs, but other than that it is the same.”

The bakery case is one of many unique things pet owners can find in the store, which is located right on Main Street in Historic Chester. “I used to be on one of the side streets and I moved right before the economy hit a rough patch,” Storms said. “And that saved my business. Where I used to get most of my business from tourists walking by after lunch or shopping elsewhere now I have residents come by. And since the tourism dropped off that has made a huge difference.”

Valentine’s Day is a big holiday for pet lovers and Storms hasn’t seen much of a drop off in indulgence for the four-legged loves in her clients lives. “We find any human holiday that celebrates with food or treats gets celebrated for the pet as well,” said Storms, who gave up a career in social work to open the pet-centric business. “And a lot of times there is gift giving as well to the pet.”

Storms said that even though times are tough, owners are still loathe to skimp on their pets. “The pet industry is considered to be one of the most recession resistant industries,” Storms said. “But small stores like me and even big stores had to change and be clever.”

For Storms, that meant altering the lineup. Changing her product on the shelves paid off for the store, which is now loaded with natural pet foods, custom treats, leashes, collars, beds, toys and many unique pet-centric items. But the shop is also geared for the person driving up and down main street every day, rather than the occasional out of town visitor. “It has made a big difference.”

Even though the Well Bred Pet Marketplace is a boutique, Storms is fighting hard to get the word out that their products are affordable. “People here boutique and they think the vendor is out to gauge the consumer,” Storms said. “That isn’t true. We sell our products for the same or less than your big box stores. And it doesn’t smell like fish when you come in here.”

Indeed, the only discernible odor comes from the bakery case in the back. “They really are good. I’ve had them,” Storms said. “They’ll do in a pinch.”