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Business & Tech

Business of the Week: Pet Cottage

Affordable and natural products that meet the highest standards help pets achieve a healthy life.

218 Greenfield Ave., San Anselmo

(415) 485-1158; pet-cottage.com

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What do they offer?

“We try to educate our customers on what is in commercial pet food," said owner Sandie Vertos McCall. "Eighty percent of cats and dogs have some kind of allergy or digestion issue. Vets send people in for nutritional consultations, which we do all day long. Tummy problems are obvious, but something like chronic paw licking probably means your pet has a food allergy.” 

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Their holistic approach includes organic products as well as raw food. “Food trials are ninety days, but we can typically fix a digestion issue in about a week,” said McCall, who has developed a pet food pyramid with raw food at the top, followed by de-hydrated, canned, baked kibble and extruded kibble.

A caring and informed staff includes best friend and manager Lynne Nance, and assistant manager Lizzie McFadden. The store offers premium foods, made in the USA, and also food for small animals, wild and caged birds. In addition, there is a nice assortment of toys, beds, clothing, collars, leashes, bowls, shampoos, litter, sundries and treats.

Education and research goes beyond nutrition. For dog walking, McCall feels that a harness is better than a collar. She’s recently discovered “The Thunder Shirt,” a wrap which is like swaddling a baby. “It’s good for travel and any kind of anxiety like fireworks.” McCall is not in favor of sedatives, which she thinks boost the fear factor. “Our homeopathic drops work better on fear transmitters when pets travel,” she said.   

Pet Cottage also has rescue kittens available for adoption. 

Who are they?

Born in Marin County, Sandie Verdos McCall grew up in San Anselmo and attended l. She was a swimmer, dancer, and ice skater who took lessons for eight years at Raydine’s Ice Rink, which was just a few doors down Greenfield Avenue from where her store is today.  

“All my life,” McCall said, “I was attached to four-legged creatures and was always bringing strays home. My mom was so soft-hearted, she let me keep everybody.”   

When she was four, McCall got a long-haired calico cat she named Smoky. "The cat was a ‘gift with purchase,’ offered if you bought a twenty five bag of pet litter,” McCall laughed. “She grew up with me and lived twenty years.”

McCall earned a degree in performing arts from Indian Valley College, where pet duck Sasha attended classes too. (See newspaper photo next to article.)     

Dancing led to her appearance in “Thriller,” Michael Jackson’s music video. “Look for the girl with long grey hair,” she said.   

McCall, who lives in Petaluma, is “mom” to five dogs, seven cats and a bird.  

How long have they been there?

Opened as Pet Food Cottage in 1939, the store originally had a butcher counter, and was located on Greenfield Avenue. It moved to San Anselmo Avenue in 1950 and six years ago came full circle, back to Greenfield. Along the way, the name changed to reflect more items than just raw food for pets.

After working many years as a waitress for San Rafael Joe’s, McCall’s mom, Gay Hunt, purchased Pet Food Cottage, which she ran side by side with her daughter. Hunt passed away exactly a year ago, on July 12, 2010. “Mom was always a people person. She was the cornerstone of the shop,” said McCall. “I’m better with animals [than people], but I try.”    

The charming new logo ties into the former store. “It is actually the dormer of the San Anselmo Avenue shop and has a cat and dog in the window,” said McCall. 

Why are they business of the week?

On Saturday July 16, Pet Cottage is having a cat furniture sidewalk sale with demos and give-aways. You can also adopt a kitten. "I am consumed with rescue," said McCall, "we have twenty kittens now." Her group, which has handled upwards of 300 adoptions in four years, is called “Kittens and Kattens and Little Dogs Too.”  

“My rescue work started with Casey Coo, a little three pound blue Chihuahua who became the store mascot and stole the heart of every customer,” she said. “Casey opened my eyes to the beauty of rescue. She’s now in doggie heaven. I have her paw print on my motorcycle helmet and also as a tattoo. She will always be our CIO, Chief Inspiration Officer.”    

“There isn’t a better job in the world," said McCall. "I get to help animals all day long.” She just received a lovely note from a customer whose cat had been assessed to be put down. McCall suggested a change in diet and within three weeks the cat was completely healthy and the customer, as you can imagine, profoundly grateful. 

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