By Stephanie Noordewier

When you walk into the Dog & Cat in Essex Junction, Vermont, you can’t help but be impressed by the squeaking, toting, fluffy variety in this neighborhood store. Brightly colored bags of treats, aromatic bottles of shampoos, and colorful leashes hanging loose against the wall add to the ambiance of a store chock-full of carefully selected products and owner favorites. Behind glass, rows of fresh, mouth-watering treats sit guiltily waiting to be bagged in wax and given to well-behaved pups.  Also sitting visibly on a shelf ready to greet you are a wide variety of Pet Naturals Supplements. For carrying almost the full line in her mom-and pop-boutique, we give owner April Wright a big thumbs up!

April picks up the phone when I call to chat. She laughs, “You’ll always get me when you call because I’m the only one who works here.” April runs the Essex store as a one-woman show, while her husband, Chris Wright, runs a second Dog & Cat in Stowe. “When customers come in I try to find the right combination for their individual pet,” says April. “Some can’t do wheat; some people’s pets need softer food. We try to sell products that meet their needs.” April owns five dogs herself, most of who are rescues, and she spoke to me gracefully about taking in dogs that were down on their luck and restoring their health.

With style, knowledge, quality products, and a kind spirit, the Dog & Cat is a store that deserves our compliments. That’s why this month we are giving April our super dog seal of approval and our kudos as the Pet Naturals store of the month!