Occoquan Attracts New Boutique For Pet Lovers

Fetch Dog and Cat Bakery Boutique has re-located from Lorton to Occoquan and the neighborhood has open arms to welcome the new business.  Fetch is a friendly store that caters to animal owners who want to spoil their pets with accessories and treats. 

The owners, Lisa and Doug Erbe, first opened Fetch in 1997 with prior locations in Alexandria and Lorton.  Upon finding a larger location in Occoquan in January, they jumped at the chance to become a part of the historic town. The Erbes, who have been married for 13 years,  opened Fetch in February.  Notification of the big move was word of mouth as well as emails to the loyal customers who had signed their guest book.

“It’s going wonderful.  Everything is going great and everybody is so sweet,” said Lisa Erbe.

The new location at 305 Mill St. draws in tourists and potential customers due to the history of the haunted town and events, such as the biannual craft shows. 

“Even though we are only one mile away from the Lorton store, it is like a different world,” Lisa Erbe said.  “There’s more foot traffic and people stopping in. There’s a lot of locals and the tourists are coming in by the bus loads.”

Some of the top-selling items are baked goods provided by several different bakers, including baker Leslye Cox of Polished Pooches Puptowne Café & Bakery in Occoquan. Special ordered pet-friendly cakes are also a big hit at Fetch. Due to the larger floor space, new merchandise has been added, including pet wall hangers with cute sayings, animal-shaped luggage tags and various dog food brands.

Fetch employee Tracy Feerick said, "I love the new location.  It’s a nice small-town feel, the store is bigger, and there’s more traffic from people that live in the area.  New people are discovering us as they are out shopping or walking their dogs with friends.”

The store features local artists' consigned work, such as handmade pet beds, bandanna and animal shaped soaps. They also offer the Rewards Program which is a frequent buyer program for their dog food.  Although the Erbes attribute maintaining many of their original customers to the Rewards Program, they are now offering free delivery on the pet food for the program to enhance customer satisfaction.

Fetch has also decided to join forces with another new store, Sugar Buzz, by selling pet-friendly treats in the popular cupcake store down the street.

The Erbes count themselves lucky for not only surviving a slow economy, but also for a brain aneurysm that Lisa Erbe suffered in the past, which put her in the hospital for 30 days, 15 of which were in a coma. They are proud of their family, the boutique and becoming a part of Occoquan.

For more information about Fetch visit www.fetch-bakery.com or call (703)491-8686.