Story Photos
 Photo by Christy Caballero For questions about snake care, Lea Parrett is the one to ask at All About Pets. |
Store is all about treating pets right
Monday, November 6, 2006 7:01 AM PST
By Christy Caballero
Printable version
E-mail this articleSCAPPOOSE, Ore. --- If your sugar glider needs a playmate, your ball python can't shed or you need a place to bathe Fido, All About Pets has you covered.
The shop carries the goods to meet the needs of cherished pets and takes good care of their owners in the process. The customer-oriented, hands-on approach makes people feel welcome.
"We like to walk around with people while they shop and talk about what they need," said Geoff Cook, store manager and son of the owner. "We have a very holistic approach to things and if there's a way to get to the cause of a problem nutritionally, that's how we approach it."
That's why customers drive from Rainier, Hillsboro, Portland and Tillamook, for example.
"I went in when they first opened, because my beta (fish) wasn't looking so good," said Mary Horn, of Rainier. "Their advice was friendly and affordable; my beta got well and lived a very long life.
"I go there because it's worth the drive. My grandkids want to go with me because they can see the entire cast from 'Finding Nemo' in their big display tank."
Store owner Cathy Cook dubs herself a "high-tech dropout." After the Sept. 11 attacks, her U.K.-based employer pulled the plug on its Oregon office --- and her executive director position.
"I knew we couldn't be the only people in Columbia County that were tired of traveling to Portland to get quality pet products," she said.
Her husband, Skip Cook, is operations manager and expert bird man, helping customers find the right bird to suit their lifestyle.
"And all our birds come from local Oregon and Washington breeders," he said.
On board for two years, employee Keith Allison managed the fish department in a California pet shop. Here, he's the resident fish expert and a great resource for large birds.
He brings his blue and gold macaw, Coco, for in-shop visits, and is helpful in wing- and claw-clipping for the larger birds.
If a customer's snake won't eat or is having a hard time shedding its skin, they can call Lea Parrett, another long-time employee.
Customers find things at All About Pets they can't get at larger pet stores, and many animals can be special ordered.
Although the shop can get customers exotic animals like rock pythons or large monitor lizards, the screening process is extremely thorough.
The same ethic holds true for the other animals and fish in the shop; they only are sold to homes equipped with what the animal needs to be cared for properly. Children can't buy pets unless accompanied by their parents.
All About Pets carries a broad range of reptiles, amphibians and insects depending on market availability.
"We sell captive bred reptiles rather than wild caught," Cathy Cook said. "This is better for the environment and makes for healthier animals. Wild caught often have parasites and usually don't live as long. We have bearded dragons, water dragons, chameleons, geckos, skinks and a variety of other lizards. A variety of corn snakes, boas, ball pythons and rat snakes."
The store also carries various crabs, scorpions, tarantulas, tortoises, freshwater and saltwater fish, gerbils, hamsters and Norwegian rats.
The kittens are from the Columbia County Humane Society and all adoption fees go to the Humane Society.
"We are often asked if we carry puppies," Cook said. "We feel that puppies need attention, lots of space, and daily walks." Instead, All About Pets provides space for posting information for breeders and others who have puppies or dogs that need homes.
"We've worked really hard to make a unique store," Cook said. "A place that would make people say 'hey this is really something special' and I think we've gotten there."
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