That’s why Kurt Jensen and Ross McNabb opened Metro Pet Market, Regina’s premier pet health and lifestyle store, in the first place: to give pet owners the opportunity to make informed, healthy choices for their pets to help prevent and, in some cases, reverse these kinds of illnesses.
Healthy food and accessories
“We wanted to focus on being a healthy food and accessories store exclusively, so we don’t offer an array of other services,” says McNabb. “We are constantly researching and bringing in the healthiest pet foods, treats and supplements available.”
“And we don’t just dabble in health products. Our fundamental philosophy is that we won’t sell any foods or treats that we wouldn’t feed to our own pets,” says Jensen.
Their extensive research means that if a product is of a high quality, Metro Pet Market will have it first: just call them “leader of the pack.” In fact, some of the products they carry are not available anywhere else in Canada. And it’s not just food and treats that are healthy and chemical-free: everything in the store meets their very high standards. Items like beds and toys are natural; free of toxic dyes, latex, vinyl, lead, or BPA, they don’t contain any damaging compounds that would pose a threat to you or your pets.
But the store is about more than just the products on the shelves. “Our biggest goal is information,” Jensen says. “There are so many natural options out there and it can be confusing for pet lovers to sort through them all. That’s why we’re here. We pass all of our research on to our clients so they can make informed decisions about their pets’ diet and lifestyle.”
All Metro Pet Market employees are pet owners themselves, and receive extensive training on health, nutrition and product ingredients and their impact on pet health conditions. This means employees are able to give informed advice and recommendations to customers on their pets’ specific situations.
This personal touch has caused Regina animal lovers to fall in love with Metro Pet Market, voting it Best Pet Store and Best Locally Owned Store in The Prairie Dog’s recent “Best of Regina” poll. The business was also named as a finalist for a 2010 Paragon Award in the category of Best New Business Venture.
“We are so flattered to hear customers constantly say they are proud to have a store like this in Regina,” says Jensen. “We even have international visitors come into the store and say that they haven’t seen anything like it, even in major centres like Vancouver, Toronto, Seattle or Los Angeles. It means a lot to us to know that people value what we do, and that they tell their friends and neighbours about us.”
Environmentally friendly
While Metro Pet Market’s main focus is on the health of companion animals, it never loses sight of the bigger picture: a healthy and sustainable environment. “We try to make our environmental foot-print as small as possible,” Jensen says. The store carries a variety of eco-friendly products, such as organic toys and pet beds, as well as items made from recycled materials. It even uses paper bags, with its signature paw print stamped on them in non-toxic ink. “We do our best to choose foods and treats that are made from organic, free-range, hormone-free and antibiotic-free meats. These kinds of choices make a real difference to the health of our pets and the environment.”
Giving back to the community
Metro Pet Market also gives back to the community as major sponsors of the Regina Humane Society and Regina’s Annual Pet Expo, and with donations and other support to local animal rescue groups. “We support animal rescue instead of selling pets because we believe there are too many abandoned pets in need of good homes. All of our employees have adopted rescue animals and we encourage our customers to do the same,” says Jensen.
With its fun, relaxed, and simple atmosphere, Metro Pet Market is the kind of place customers like to visit. The friendly staff members greet pets (and their people) by name and are passionate about their work…and it shows.
But for many, the highlight of visiting, other than a host of information and great products, is “having your paw shook” by Ruby, the store greeter and official mascot. Ruby is an American Staffordshire Terrier mix adopted from the Regina Humane Society and is a true testament to healthy foods and supplements.
It’s guaranteed you will always get a wagging, excited tail from Ruby. And if you are really lucky, you may even get a big sloppy kiss.
Metro Pet Market 1637 Victoria Avenue, Regina (306) 352-9663 www.metropetmarket.ca
