Holbrook Resident Turns Addiction into Career

Most people fall into one of two categories: either they are pet people or they are not pet people. There doesn't seem to be any middle ground when it comes to that choice. One Holbrook resident who falls into the first category turned her passion for animals into an, "addiction."

"I have always loved dogs and animals but I couldn't have any when I was married because my ex-husband is allergic," said Gigi Colaiacovo, the owner of the Animal Addiction Website. "Now that I am single, my daughter and I have three dogs and one cat. Two of the dogs are cockapoos-one black and one white-and the other is a bichon frise."

Animal Addiction is an on-line store geared toward the animal lover. Some of the items Colaiacovo sells include towels, coasters, mouse pads ("They are my best sellers"), car magnets, door mats, pillows, luggage tags and post its.  Each item comes with a general picture of the breed of your choice.

Colaiacovo took over ownership of Animal Addiction in May 2010.

"The woman who owned it was selling it on Craigslist," she said. "Originally she had a kiosk in Roosevelt Field Mall, but then she gave that part of it up because it was too expensive. It was something that appealed to me. It was a no brainer. I would have been her best customer if I had seen her in the mall or at a dog show. The average price of an item is $10."

Colaiacovo grew up in Rockaway Beach before her family moved to Uniondale which is where she attended high school. She lived in West Babylon for 20 years before moving to Holbrook in 2006.

"I moved here because I owned a flower store in Holbrook, Lisa's Little Flower Shop on Main Street," she said. "The commute from West Babylon was too much. But then I sold the flower shop in 2007. It was successful and I liked it, but it was also very busy and too much work for one person."

The flower shop was Colaiacovo's first entrepreneurial endeavor.

"I have my B.A. in Accounting, so I have generally worked as a controller," she said. "The reason why this is a side job is because after the flower shop, I was looking for another business I could grow. But then in July I got a job as a controller for a local company. It was too good to turn down. So Animal Addiction is a side business for me."

Her products can purchased on her Website or from her Ebay store.

"I really like the Ebay aspect of it," she added. "The shows get me out there to meet people and see other pets. I always enjoy going to the shows. You meet a lot of great people and you learn something from each show about dogs."