Retailer provides nutritious foods for animals

Shelves at Healthy Pet are stocked with natural, holistic pet foods and a wide range of treats, most of which are wheat-, corn- and soy-free, according to co-owners Chris Jabbori and Trevor MacKellar.

"We're very selective about [food] that we do bring in. We don't carry anything with any fillers in it," Jabbori said. "We really want to have the most nutritional products that we can on the shelves."

Food allergies can cause dogs to continually scratch at hot spots, or itchy patches of skin, and switching to the correct type of diet can have fast results, MacKellar said.

"A month later [customers] are coming in and saying ,'My dog's not itching. My dog's not having hot spots,' and they're just amazed. And that is what it's really all about."

MacKellar and Jabbori celebrated the one-year anniversary of opening Healthy Pet in June. The flagship store's aisles are filled with products primarily for dogs and cats, as well as the essentials for small animals, reptiles, fish and birds, MacKellar said.

MacKellar and Jabbori, both from Michigan, said they have always loved animals. MacKellar worked in a pet store during high school and worked his way up to a manager position. Jabbori, an entrepreneur, established a business processing and filling ATMs around 2005 and started doing business in Austin. In 2010, the friends decided to move to the city together and start a business.

MacKellar said the pet store at which he had worked thrived despite the down economy, and he thought Austin's health-minded population would respond well to a healthy pet store concept.

Healthy Pet opened a week before Whole Foods Market debuted its location in The Shops at Arbor Trails in 2012.

MacKellar said shoppers who have a healthy approach to living usually feed their pets the same way, so the location and timing were a perfect fit.

"It's a very warm, welcoming atmosphere," Jabbori said, adding: "We do anything and everything we can for our customers. That's our No. 1 priority."

The store specializes in hard-to-find items, MacKellar said.

"If we don't have it, I'll try to track it down," he said. "I'll try to order it especially for you or start stocking it on the shelves for you if it's going to be a regular item."

Healthy Pet stocks a variety of supplements, bath products, toys, collars, leashes, bowls and pet beds, as well as specialty treats, tins for food storage and unusual items. As an example, MacKellar cited the Kool Collar, a collar with a pocket that can be filled with ice, which then melts throughout the day to keep a dog cool.

Customers can bathe their own dogs or cats in the store's do-it-yourself pet wash.

On weekends, Healthy Pet hosts pet adoption events for local nonprofit organizations such as Austin Pets Alive.

"[Pet rescue groups] have very low budgets, so they can't really get the word out. ... It's good exposure for them that they maybe wouldn't always get if they set up in the park," MacKellar said.

Jabbori noted visitors to the store are often surprised by the large selection of products and pricing.

"The biggest misconception when people look at an independent store or family, smaller-run pet store is, 'I can't afford it—I'm going to go to PetCo or PetSmart' or something like that," MacKellar said. "But realistically, we're very competitive. We have something for everybody."

MacKellar said the store aims to educate customers who typically shop at big-box stores about the differences a holistic approach to pet care can make.

Meet Biggie

Biggie, a French bulldog, is Healthy Pet's mascot and official product tester, store co-owner Trevor MacKellar said.

"We joke around that [a product is] Biggie-approved. He's a bad tester on food, though, because he'll eat just about anything," he said. "But toys, he'll let you know whether that's the right one or not."

MacKellar said Biggie greets customers at the door almost every day.

"I'm lucky I can take him to work because not everyone has that luxury," he said.

Biggie's Likes: Treats, sleeping, sunbathing and meeting customers.

Biggie's Dislikes: Fetching (unless it's a treat).

Source: Healthy Pet

Food brands

Healthy Pet offers a variety of wheat-, corn- and soy-free foods. Brands include:

• Blue Buffalo
• Catswell
• Earthborn Holistic
• Fromm Family Foods
• Innova
• Merrick
• Natural Planet
• Orijen
• Pure Vita
• Redbarn
• Taste of the Wild
• Wag More Bark Less

This list is not comprehensive. A full list is available at www.healthypetaustin.com.

Source: Healthy Pet

Healthy Pet, 4301 W. William Cannon Drive, Ste. B-400, 512-892-8848, www.healthypetaustin.com, Hours: Mon.–Sat. 9 a.m.–9 p.m., Sun. 10 a.m.–6 p.m.