Charlsye Lewis & Marcus Brunt
Metro Animals & Happy K9 D.I.Y Dog Wash,
Fort Worth & Plano, TX

Charlsye Lewis and Marcus Brunt live a full and happy life together. Doing so has allowed the couple to grow Metro Animals and Happy K9 D.I.Y Dog Wash — their day-care, boarding, grooming, taxi and retail pet businesses — to six locations. They also credit their teams at work and at home with helping them maintain a healthy balance, with Turtle the Staffordshire Bull Terrier mix (above), Duke the German Shepherd mix, Kelly the German Shorthaired Pointer mix, Baby the Macaw, and cats Jobie, Eva, Sheba and Owl filling out their family.

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Paige Elder
BUZZ N’ B’S AQUARIUM & PET SHOP, ERIE, PA

Self-care in a variety of forms helps Paige Elder be at her best in business. “I have a back injury, so I like to get a massage when I can make the time. I also like to get my nails and lashes done,” she says. “The better I feel about myself, the better I perform for my store.” Elder purchased Buzz N’ B’s Aquarium & Pet Shop, a full-line store that offers grooming, live animals and aquatic maintenance, in 2018 after working there for six years. Also helping Elder succeed are husband and business partner Josh and their pack and flock at home: Goldendoodles Penny and Pepper, Yorkshire Terrier Phoebe, Macaw Joey, White-Bellied Caiques Frankie and Bowser, and Canary Winged Parakeets Evie, Humphrey and Cardi. All of this self-care and support lead Elder to much success, with Buzz N’ B’s recently celebrating 50 years in business!

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Stephanie Bennett
BELIEVE IN DOG, HOUSTON, TX

At her Houston dog training and enrichment center, Stephanie Bennett uses positive, science-based methods that target the mind, body and spirit. She takes a holistic approach to her personal life, as well, finding balance through everything from true crime and travel to massages and meditation. Bennett’s professional and personal purposes also align. She says of Believe in Dog, “Our goal is for every owner to become the center of their dog’s universe, and our mission is to make the world a better place, one dog at a time.” She has certainly done that with her own pups, pictured here from left: Cash, Willow and Waylon, all rescues.

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Allen & Jennifer Larsen
Firehouse Pet Shop, Wenatchee, WA

Allen and Jennifer Larsen love to combine business with pleasure. When they attend industry trade shows, the couple enjoys socializing with fellow indies and other pet pros. They also always add a vacation at the end to take full advantage of the time away from their store. And when son Aidan, a supervisor at Firehouse Pet Shop, can come along, even better! Once back home, Allen and Jennifer love sharing all of the new products they found with their team and reuniting with their rescue pup Penny, rescue kitties Deja and Vu, and shop cat Carlos (pictured here).

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Angela Ng
PAWS FOR A MOMENT, WAUKESHA, WI

An aversion to blood and needles steered Angela Ng away from a veterinary career and toward pet grooming. In addition to her 10-year-old salon and boutique, she owns and operates Pawsitively Siberians, a successful Siberian cattery breeding program. “I’ve had seven international winners, four lifetime achievement winners, three international breed winners as well as many regional winners,” Ng says of the show kitties she has bred. Ng also acts as a cat agent of many different breeds, which, as it turns out, does not involve repping famous felines but instead providing professional handling services at cat shows. She has two shop cats, Noodle the Oriental Shorthair and Nova the Siberian (pictured here), as well as house Siberians Husky, Jane, Sporty, Bugsy and Zoey, all from Pawsitively Siberians.

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Jennifer & Maisie Flanagan
NATURE’S PET MARKET, SHERWOOD AND WILSONVILLE, OR

Like mother, like daughter. Jennifer and Maisie Flanagan find purpose and peace — both professionally and personally — in caring for animals. Jennifer and husband Matt own and operate two raw feeding-centric Nature’s Pet Market locations, with Maisie serving as general manager of both. And the Flanagan family’s urban farm lists among its residents Nigerian dwarf goats Drew Brees (above) and Buckley, Nubian goat Simon Le Bon, Collies Lilo (above) and Sully, Pekingese Ginger (above) and Gizmo, Russian Donskoy Winky (above), Domestic Shorthair Sally, Pug Mei Mei, Tibetan Spaniel Ted and Toy Australian Shepherd Frankie. The many pets and their people, which also include other daughter Quinnell, spend much of their time on the farm simply enjoying life in each other’s company.

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Sarah Gonzalez
LITTLE MONSTARS TRAINING ACADEMY, HOUSTON, TX

Work and play combine for this Houston dog trainer, who also puts on trick and disc shows with her pack throughout the year. They jump, fly and amaze audiences at pet-friendly events and private parties. To fully unwind, Sarah loves a good brunch with mimosas, watching Marvel movies and shows, and RVing with her significant other in work and play, John, and their pups. They include Zelda (shown here in action), Mollie, Misty, Darwin, Gamora, Nebula, Eva, Miles, Gwen, Peter Quill, Remus Lupin and Mad-Eye Moody (she’s also a huge Harry Potter fan).

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Maddie Shutts
MODERN COMPANION, CHAPIN, SC

To say Maddie Shutts is a champion of small businesses would be an understatement. She founded Modern Companion as a pet accessories line in 2019 and now sells her stylish products in the same-named store she opened two years later, as well as in independent pet retailers across the U.S. Shutts also will have hosted 35 different local events by the end of this year! And she serves as creative director of Pet Boss Nation, helping her fellow indies grow and succeed in their small businesses. Supporting her along the way are husband Jordan; pups Domino, Blaze and Cici; and cats Peppermint, Dakota and Rue — and Taylor Swift through her music.

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Keith Henline
ASHEVILLE PET SUPPLY, ASHEVILLE, NC

As manager of Asheville Pet Supply, Keith Henline continues the mission of his in-laws, Mary and Bob Hourihan, who founded the store in 1991 to provide holistic pet supplies and advice to their community. When not at work or out enjoying cool pastimes — like cruising around in one of his seven Chevy Corvairs — Keith says, “I love being home with my wife, Louise, and our three cats: Jade, Toulouse and Leeloo.” Also part of the extended furry family, Axel, above, who found a home with the couple’s son, Donovan, after being discovered in a car’s engine bay as a kitten.

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Rhonda Olson
RHONDA’S AVIARY, MILTON, FL

Baby birds bring joy to Rhonda Olson’s life, as do her teenage feathered friends/co-workers Roscoe the Panama Amazon and Jasper the Umbrella Cockatoo. Add to that a love of learning that extends well beyond professional topics for Rhonda’s Aviary, the business she founded in 2006, and Olson leads a busy life well balanced by her supportive husband, John, and regular self-reflection and acceptance.

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Jeff Jensen & Matt Brazelton
FOUR MUDDY PAWS, ST. LOUIS, MO

Je Jensen and Matt Brazelton look at life and work as adventures they experience together. Signs their approach works? This summer, they will celebrate 30 years as a couple with a trip to Kenya and Tanzania. In 2024, they will toast 20 years as business partners in Four Muddy Paws, which has grown to two locations in St. Louis, MO. Helping them to experience life and work to their fullest are still-a-pup George and his senior companion Potter, and their store teams, which they describe as “incredible.” Congrats to Je and Matt!

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Tammi Bui
Wishbone Pet Care, Missouri City & Sugar Land, TX

Tammi Bui first became interested in pet nutrition after adopting Benji, a Corgi mix with allergies. He inspired her to learn how food and supplements could help with the condition, and then to open Wishbone Pet Care in 2011. Now with two locations, Bui offers nutritional counseling, grooming, boarding and day care to the people and pets in her community. Prioritizing her family — husband Tim, 11-year-old daughter Madison, 9-year-old son Jacob, previously mentioned Benji, and 16-month-old Corgi Muffin — alongside her business leads to success in both, she says.

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Angie Scavone
SNIFFANY’S PET BOUTIQUE, ALBANY, OR

Angie Scavone made a dream shared by many come true: She and husband Joe founded a farm to enrich their already full life together. Called Scavone’s Outpost, it provides a home to an eclectic mix of animals, including camels, wallabies, coatimundis, rabbits, Clydesdale and miniature horses, goats, sheep, llamas, turkeys, chickens, a mini-cow and a rescue chinchilla. The Great Danes and Dobermans they breed, among them Foxy and Hayden above, inspired their nutrition-focused store and also live on the farm — in the house, of course. Angie finds that their private “zoo” helps bring balance to her life.

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Johnna Devereaux
FETCH RI, RICHMOND, RI

Clinical pet nutritionist and herbalist Johnna Devereaux not only owns a holistic pet store, but she also serves as director of nutrition and wellness as well as vice president of marketing for Bow Wow Labs. While this gives Devereaux a broader view of the pet industry, it does keep her super busy! She practices self-care with friends and family, the latter including pets Lola and Henry, who both miss family member Diego, who passed last year.

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Lashonda Geffrard
THE PAW SHOP, OCOEE, FL

To say Lashonda Geffrard has a lot going on would be an understatement. She owns, operates and grooms at The Paw Shop in Ocoee, FL. Geffrard also founded and heads the Black Pet Business Network, a non-profit organization committed to growing Black-owned businesses and leaders in the pet care industry. And she has a full family life with husband Josue, sons Noah and Adam, daughter Gabrielle, and pets Paxson (shown here), Penny, Skittles and Rose. Time alone and meditation are among the ways this entrepreneur, mentor and mom finds balance in her busy world.

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Angie Velasquez
The Kitty Bodega, Houston, TX

An animal rescuer and cat colony manager for 17-plus years, Angie Velasquez decided 2022 was the year to start sharing her feline health and nutrition expertise in a retail setting. She opened The Kitty Bodega in March and has since become the go-to for all things cat in her community. When not working, Velasquez spends time working on her house and car, and enjoying the company of cats Sergeant Pepper, Bobo, Raven and Champawat, plus girlfriends Taylor and Lilith.

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Stephanie Steelman
Wings, Wags & Whiskers, Amarillo, TX

A U.S. Army veteran, Stephanie Steelman works full-time as a research scientist while using her MBA at the store she owns with daughter Katie. Wings, Wags & Whiskers specializes in supplies for birds, rabbits and dogs, and has a closed aviary where they hand-raise birds like Quentin, the sun conure shown here. In addition to the sanity savers listed, Stephanie credits boyfriend Ken with reminding her to sleep, eat and stop “spazzing” over the little stuff.

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Ben & Lisa Prakobkit
THE MODERN PAWS, TAMPA, FL

When Ben and Lisa Prakobkit began looking for natural solutions to their dog Koko’s seizures, little did they know that owning two pet-supply stores — one opened during the middle of a pandemic, no less — was in their future. The couple works and plays together, the latter involving good times with Koko and their other pup, Mister, plus plenty of entertainment–filled activities. Their current future involves expanding The Modern Paws brand in Tampa Bay and beyond.

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When one door closes, this indie excels at building a new door and stepping right through it. Jennifer opened Northwoods Pets after a big-box chain put her employer out of business, and she expanded when another stopped selling fish. Recently, Jennifer took over the vacated space next door to add grooming! She finds strength within, but also draws on her husband, Stuart, and their 15-year-old twins, Jamie and Sarah, plus nearly 100 store and personal pets, including rescue bearded dragon Tilly above. Self-care and fun activities with friends help her find balance and relax.

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Jill Garrett
Jill Garrett Photography, Houston, TX

Meet Jill Garrett, the photographer behind many of the amazing images that have appeared on the cover of PETS+. She has been taking pictures of pets — from dogs and cats to snakes and bunnies — for more than 18 years. This busy lady also puts on dog festivals; donates her time as a HeARTs Speak artist member to help rescues capture the true personality of their adoptables; and serves as house photographer for Wuf World, an event and production space in L.A. To unwind, Garrett spends time with her own five-pack of pups, pictured above.

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