Market Spotlight: Seattle
With more dogs than children, Seattle ranks first in the US for married households with pets but no children, according to The Seattle Times. WalletHub also ranks Seattle first in the nation for dog-friendly restaurants per capita. The city boasts 14 off-leash dog parks spread across more than 28 acres, a tech culture that allows Fido to come to work, and public transit that welcomes leashed dogs.
Pet-focused Businesses
Corri Langlois, Owner of Gastro Pup, located in Bremerton, got her start in the pet industry at a young age as a dog bather. Her own dog, Ruby, was her first love and paved the way for a career centered around pets. Langlois held a variety of roles in the pet industry, from working at Mud Bay to working for a pet food distributor, before opening her own shop. “I would help people in stores, and I realized that was the best part of my day. My husband is my biggest cheerleader and support, and he said we could do this. There was no independent pet supply store in Bremerton. I found an empty space in the heart of downtown. I loved the big window displays, and I took a leap.”
Langlois shared what sets the store apart. “A personal touch. The world is missing one-on-one, in-person interactions. For us, the most important thing is a sense of community. That’s what I wanted more than anything when I opened my store. I could name 75 percent of the people who walk in my door. I know their names and what they need. That’s important to me. That this is a safe space.”
Sustainability shapes Gastro Pup’s store design. “The store doesn’t have conventional shelving. I’m obsessed with reusing and recycling. So the store has secondhand furniture and is organized to feel organic.”
Langlois continued, “We bring in new and innovative products. Our product mix is one of a kind. That is something that has helped us grow. Customers always find new things.”
She reported that natural animal-part chews were selling fast. “The store has two massive tables of body parts—cow snouts, cow ears, rabbit skin and feet. We’ve got Christmas coming, and customers love to see our holiday toy selection. And this year, HuggleHounds has a Krampus toy, which I know our customers will love because Bremerton has one of the nation’s largest Krampus Nacht celebrations.”
As for emerging pet trends, Langlois noted, “Interactive and functional dog and cat toys are so valuable. We have this huge selection of puzzles, food toys, licking mats, and snuffle mats. They are great for mental stimulation and enrichment. We often forget that pets need that. Especially cats. Cats can be trained. And they can be entertained way beyond a wand toy.”
After a career in the mortgage industry and tech, Beth Jester is thrilled to now be Owner and Founder of her own business—Jester’s Pet Supply in Edmonds. “We have a wonderful pet community but no local pet store. I saw a gap, and I love pets and decided to open a quirky pet shop by the ferry. I wanted my business to be community-connected, and you can’t get closer to people than their pets,” explained Jester.
Jester’s Pet Supply works hard to represent its local community through collaborations and events. “I do yappy hours with a local bottle shop. Our store hosted Pet CPR, so owners could be more confident with their pets. We worked with a local photographer and did a pet photo booth. We had an event featuring pet portraits with local artists. I love collaborating with local businesses. We all succeed together. Small needs to support small.”
When customers walk into Jester’s Pet Supply, it has a living room with antique furniture and “the largest selection of pieces and body parts in the Puget Sound area,” shared Jester. “People tell me that it’s a relaxing, comfortable and fun place to be. Our best-selling products right now are water buffalo collagen discs, which are long-lasting chews. Our frog legs have been out of stock because they sell so fast. They’re great for small dogs and cats. It’s a novel protein that’s very digestible and the texture is unique. People come for the things they can’t get elsewhere. And they come knowing they can engage with someone knowledgeable who cares about their pets.”
She continued, “I know the pets in my community deeply. I know their scratch spots and what they can and can’t eat. There’s a Frenchie who is on a vegetarian diet, and the parent is always amazed that I grab the plant-based treats. You get to know their poop, belly problems and skin.”
Jester sees plenty of opportunities for her unique shop, which even has an antique gum ball machine filled with dog treats. Jester explained, “I’m in Edmonds, 20 minutes north of Seattle, and people pass many other pet stores to come to my pet store because of stuff that they can’t get anywhere else. I’m lucky. Word of mouth has been golden for our shop.”
B.I. Barkery on Bainbridge Island was founded in 2012. Steven Facer purchased it in 2021. He shared his journey to ownership. “I have always loved dogs. My husband and I currently have 7 dogs with 3 of them puppies. I have been in the service industry for over 40 years, so owning a small gay-owned business was just a natural phase in my life as I got older. I started at the Barkery as an employee. When we found out it was for sale, we bought it.”
The store has a specialized approach to what it carries. “We do not carry dog beds, or food, or medicine or things like that. We specialize in unique one-of-a-kind toys and treats for dogs, cats and the humans who love them. It’s more of a pet boutique than a pet store,” commented Facer.
As for its location on Bainbridge Island, Facer relayed, “Visitors have allowed us to thrive. They are on vacation, miss their pets and come in and pick out a fun toy or treat, or both, to take back home. We don’t carry the usual toys found in the big stores, so when they walk into our store and see the different options available—they love it. Plus, we give out free treats and hugs for any dog that comes in the store.”
James Swanson and Walter Smith, Co-owners of Chopper’s Holistic Pet Food, are the store’s second owners. They bought the store in May 2019. Less than a year later, COVID-19 hit. “In early March 2020, nobody knew what was coming, and customers stocked up ‘just in case.’ We went through inventory faster than at Christmas. In the last two days before Washington’s shutdown, we rang up about a week’s worth of normal business. Pet stores were classified as essential, but we closed for nine days. We needed to restock, and more importantly, to work out how to keep our staff and customers safe. We reopened with ‘through-the-door’ service: one folding table outside our open front door and another just inside.”
“We quickly learned that many cat owners knew exactly where their cat’s favorite can sat on the shelf, or what color the label was, but not the product’s name. So we printed huge color photos of our canned cat food shelves for customers to point at. People loved them. Our community appreciated that we kept everyone safe, and that we kept the lights on for their pets.”
The business continued to grow. In August 2025, Swanson and Smith acquired Lucky Dog Outfitters in Tacoma and brought it under the Chopper’s name. Today the owners run two stores. Swanson and Smith have worked hard to protect and grow the neighborhood store. They explained: “The South Sound is its own market. Our customers are fiercely loyal to neighborhood businesses, and they want real answers about what they’re feeding their animals. They’ll drive past a big-box store to get that.”
“Our customers have noticed. Chopper’s took gold for pet stores in the Best of Pierce County awards in 2024, 2025, and again in 2026. This year’s win was our first as a two-store business.”
Swanson and Smith added, “When we took it over, we worked hard to keep that customer community intact, and it seems to have paid off. The biggest factor is our staff. Several have been with the stores for many years, and customers notice that continuity.”
Chopper’s Holistic Pet Food shows up for the community in many ways. “We run donation collections for several local and Pacific Northwest rescues and nonprofits, and we regularly donate gift baskets to animal charities for their auctions and fundraisers. Every summer we sponsor the Furry 4K walk/run at Fircrest Fun Days, a throwback small-town festival where you’d swear you’d landed in Mayberry. The route passes our Fircrest store, so we set up a relief station with water bowls and snacks for the canine runners,” said Swanson and Smith. “At the end of the day, our job is to nourish and nurture both our customers’ pets and the pet-loving community around us.”
Across the greater Seattle area, independent pet retailers are finding success by offering more than just products. Through unique merchandise, personalized service and strong community connections, they are creating shopping experiences that keep pets and their owners coming back.
