Pet boutique is a pooch’s paradise

A mother-and-daughter team of entrepreneurs is ready for pets in the Rivermont area to beat a path of paw prints to their door.

Laura Read and Amy Cobb opened Fur Kidz Pet Boutique in November. They put the store on Rivermont Avenue because the road is a popular place for people to walk their dogs.

They hope to find plenty of people who, like them, feel their animals are worth a lot of time, attention and money.

“We offer unique items for the pampered pet,” said Read, Cobb’s mother.

The items range from $1 tennis balls to $300 dog beds, with treats, toys and hand-made pet clothes in between.

Animals have always been a welcome part of their family. “Growing up, we always had a dog and at least one cat,” said Cobb. Since then Cobb has raised two Rottweilers and Read has three Maltese.

“I love them like they’re my children,” Read said. “They give us a lot of unconditional love, and in turn I spoil them.”

Over the years Read and Cobb have visited small pet boutiques in other cities and states, and they loved what the small stores had to offer. They discovered Femmes and Fidos in Newport News while visiting family, and got to know the owner. “She gave me a lot of inspiration,” Read said.

Last year the mother and daughter brainstormed possible business ideas. Read said that since she is retired, she was looking for something to do. They decided to replicate the successful and fun pet shops they had seen in other places.

They chose a storefront that was available at 2488 Rivermont Ave., near Magnolia Foods. Cobb said that end of town needed a shop for pets because Pet Smart is quite a drive from there. Also, the street is a popular spot for walking the dog, Cobb said.

They stocked the store with a lot of merchandise made in the Lynchburg area: Poochie’s Pride bakes dog cookies in Bedford, Lynchburg-based Morfs makes hand-made pet clothes, and several friends and neighbors make pet-themed jewelry or ornaments.

For people who are serious about their pets, spending on them is essential. “When it comes to your dog or your cat, you’re still going to get those items for them,” Cobb said. However, because the economy is tight, “Maybe some of the larger-ticket items aren’t selling because of that.”

The more expensive items include crystal-embedded collars made in the Netherlands with a price tag of about $200.

The shop opened in November. “We had a great Christmas,” Cobb said. “We just had a really good time. The community around Rivermont has been wonderful.”

Read said business slowed in January, but it has started to improve. “Since the weather changed, it’s really picking up,” she said. “People are walking by and saying, I didn’t know you were here.”

About a month ago the shop added a dog bathing service. Last week they added pet grooming with Buffy Anderson, who has been grooming professionally for two years.

Right now the shop is open from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, although the owners plan to extend their hours in the summer.