Finding that ultimate pet destination in downtown Los Angeles
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Pet lovers Janene Zakrajsek and Rob Gaudio found that living in downtown Los Angeles presented some difficulties for their four-legged friends. So the couple opened a non-traditional pet store called Pussy and Pooch, which Times’ retail business reporter Andrea Chang recently profiled in a smile-inducing Small Business feature:
Although Pooch carries the usual pet staples -- food, toys, accessories -- it isn’t the traditional warehouse-type Petco or pricey pet boutique. To fit the character of the city and to reflect their own personalities, the couple thought the store needed some bite.Which means that many of Pooch’s offerings are decidedly unconventional.For example, the store sells a pet shampoo called Sexy Beast and a doggy T-shirt with the image of a name tag and the words: ‘Hello, my name is Stud.’ (There’s a matching shirt for female dogs, but we won’t go there.)The 3,200-square-foot store also houses a self-service pet wash area, a patio with wireless Internet and an art gallery for animal-themed works.Over at the Pawbar, owners can treat their pets to made-to-order meals. Typical menu items: raw chicken and turkey nuggets, sausage stew, organic frozen yogurt and two kinds of nonalcoholic ‘dog beer.’’It’s kind of like beef-flavored vitamin water,’ Zakrajsek, 35, said.Aside from its products, Pooch boasts a social calendar that is loaded with parties, such as one for Halloween, monthly Mutt Mingle mixers, obedience classes and pet adoption days.
-- Francisco Vara-Orta