Belle View’s Pampered Pet Boutique and Barkery is More Than Just a Pet Store

If you have been to Belle View Buying Center lately you might have noticed a new tenant at 1612 Belle View Blvd. Karencita Echeverri quietly opened Pampered Pet Boutique and Barkery in Oct 2021 and held a grand opening celebration and ribbon reducing in December.

Step inside the shop and two factors will leap out at you. Initial, there is the big offer of pleasurable, high high-quality and special toys, treats, foods and other pet components lining the shelves. Second, you will quickly feel a heat and home-like environment. Frames with photographs of area puppies are interspersed with the drool worthy canine treats and on the checkout counter. Stroll to the again of the retailer and you will see an antique wooden mantel, couches and dog beds organized to truly feel like your grandmother’s residing area.

Developing this environment was important to Echeverri, who greets shoppers like they are family members, with an enthusiasm for animals and the products she carries that is clearly apparent.

“I needed a place that canine could arrive to, and pet mother and father, that would sense welcoming, it does not really feel like a sterile pet retailer, and you can give them good, high quality foods without the markup. Our motto below is we pamper your pet just like our individual,” she mentioned.

Initially from Very long Island, New York, Echeverri has been in Northern Virginia for many years. She lived in Del Ray for a even though and managed a pet retail store in Previous Town for 5 several years, right before launching out on her possess (with a minimal economic guidance from mother and sweat fairness from her fiancé, Daniel).

“This is in fact my passion. I have worked in the corporate environment for more than 20 a long time. I’ve had genuinely large-profile positions/annoying careers and I understood at the finish of the working day, you have to do one thing that would make you joyful,” Echeverri spelled out.

Echeverri credits her now 12-calendar year-previous pit bull, Zeus, for inspiring the trajectory her daily life has taken, which features opening her personal business enterprise. His encounter is on the symbol of the shop and his portrait hangs above the wall of toys.

Alexandria is broadly recognized for getting pet-friendly. The Metropolis was declared a accredited “Better City for Pets” by Mars Petcare in January.  For Echeverri it just made feeling to open up her organization in this spot. “I discovered that this was my specialized niche, it is one thing that I’m utilized to, I’m utilized to the demographics all around listed here. They [Alexandrians] actually have a enthusiasm for their pets. It’s not just a pet, it is really a member of their spouse and children,” she stated.

Pampered Pet carries 8 lines of dry food which include Dr. Marty, Dr. Gary, Fromm, Stella and Chewy’s, Critical Essentials, Grandma Lucy’s dehydrated and the large protein Acaina for very energetic or working canines.

Echeverri is a large proponent of uncooked food stuff and she carries 6 diverse strains of it in industrial sized freezers. She was very first released to raw food items by Terri Grow, a pet nutritionist who ran the pet food retailer PetSage in Alexandria, prior to she recently transitioned to delivering solutions via her web site and partnering with pet mothers and fathers, veterinarians and other pet-linked professionals like Echeverri.

“The just one point I like about uncooked is that it delivers the pet dogs and cats again to their primal intuition. Men and women have this misunderstanding of raw foodstuff that you are just throwing a hen down and the canine are tackling it. No – these are complete, balanced foods. The usually have the bones, organs – it’s a finish food. Indeed, it is higher in protein but you do not feed the doggy as a lot,” Echeverri defined. Raw foodstuff is specifically useful for animals with allergy symptoms, like Zeus who is allergic to anything at all with feathers, and for overall pet health and fitness.

For Echeverri it’s all about educating pet mom and dad and producing them cozy with the merchandise they are shopping for, not about the offer. She is effective with unique spending plan and not only delivers two 7 days samples, but if a product does not do the job, consumers can carry back foods that is at the very least half entire and she will donate or discard it.

In addition to pet dog and cat foods, Pampered Pet carries high high-quality toys, collars, treats, clothing and other pet goods. Lots of of the items that Echeverri carries are from women of all ages-owned, minority-owned, and community organizations.

Echeverri is in particular thrilled about her “barkery” which carries human grade doggie baked merchandise sourced from 4 various bakeries. Merchandise consist of pet donuts, puppy candy, birthday cakes and seasonal cookies. There is also a raw bar which carries healthier chews like bully sticks, beef cheeks and even, dehydrated duck heads which are essentially a person of the shop’s prime sellers. “Parents invest in it as a gimmick and they come back and they’re like my canine ate that total issue, they adore it!” Echeverri stated with a laugh.

Echeverri is dedicated to using her company to give back to the local community and leads to she is passionate about. She has hosted adoption situations and charity fundraisers to support rescues like Venture Second Probability and Stand Up For Pits. She designs to supply gatherings and activities like portray with your puppy, coffee and donut with your puppy, CPR for your pet classes and ask the coach.

She is partnering with other retailers in the browsing heart to make it additional of a place. EMMAvet, an crisis vet is found only a couple of doors down from Pampered Pet. EMMAvet lately expanded and started providing primary treatment expert services late past calendar year. The store supplies a stress-free spot the place pet dad and mom can hold out although their pet is currently being examined or obtain a special handle to shock their pet when they are finished. That, blended with Westgrove puppy park which is positioned less than a mile from the shopping heart are generating the searching heart a hub for animals and their mothers and fathers.

Echeverri states the reception she has received from the community has been incredible. Quite a few of her shoppers discover her by using word of mouth and she has some prospects that generate 45 minutes to store with her.

Towards the stop of our interview, a gentleman entered the retailer with his modest doggy who quickly started off functioning about the retailer and coming up for affection. They seemingly stop by the shop daily, and that is just the form of group that Echeverri is hoping to produce at Pampered Pet. She has an off-leash coverage in the shop, in which she needs dogs to have the liberty to be by themselves. She understands that not all puppies are relaxed all over a large amount of folks or puppies so she features VIP hours one hour before opening or following closing for clients who work late, have COVID fears or have pet dogs with social panic.

Halt by Pampered Pet Boutique and Barkery at 1612 Belle See Blvd. Monday by Saturday 10 a.m.-7 p.m. or Sunday 11 a.m.-5 p.m.