Business of the Week: For Paws

9 Bolinas Rd., Fairfax

(415) 456-4685

What do they offer?

For Paws offers natural and nutritious foods for cats, dogs, rabbits, guinea pigs and chickens. They also have treats, costumes, custom pet portraits by owner Marguerite Cimino, raw food, toys, grooming products, beds, nutritional supplements, dental care products such as brushless toothpaste, and gravity water.

The knowledgeable staff at For Paws helps solve, as best they can, dietary problems and allergies by suggesting changes in the food your pet eats before customers resort to medication.

They work with the Milo Foundation and always have kittens for adoption, usually four at a time, until they find new homes. 

Cimino is happy to special order anything her clients request. Delivery services are available at no additional charge for purchases of $25 minimum.

Who are they?

Marguerite Cimino grew up in Fairfax and attended and schools, then went on to Independent Studies.

A lifelong animal lover who, with her roommates, currently shares a home with three dogs and three cats, Cimino worked for five years with veterinarians, in animal boarding facilities and at several pet stores. She wanted to take what she learned to a community that would benefit from it. 

Ricci Glavis, a roommate of Cimino, and Rusko, her Pomeranian Yorkie mix, are members of the team as well.  

How long have they been here?

Cimino purchased the already established pet store in 1997. Her mother, Patti Patterson, joined as partner two years ago. 

The store mascot Fran, a one-year-old Boston Terrier, one of Cimino’s dogs. 

Why are they business of the week?  

“It's a fun environment,” said Cimino. “It’s great to have contact with our neighbors. We are a small business that strives to do the best for the animal community by hosting adoption days and foster kittens from Milo Foundation.  

“The difference from when I grew up here in Fairfax is that many more people have a growing awareness about being healthy and are they are also interested in environmental issues. This extends to their pets too. When my mom came to work here, she did a lot of studies on nutrition. She knows the properties of food and how it breaks down and that knowledge helps our customers and their animals,” said Cimino.  

“I need additional shelving to create more space, because we are currently adding new lines of food,” said Patterson. “Even though the store is like a tiny cottage, we are not moving in the short term. I enjoy being a main street business. It is such a joy to see people on the street and be part of this neighborhood. We provide a warm environment where people can come to talk to us about their pets and visit the kittens who are available for adoption. School kids often stop by in the afternoons to cuddle with them.”     

“We started seeing skin problems in animals and have brought in a variety of foods to help with allergies,” said Cimino. “Sometimes there are patches of skin with no hair because, due to itching, they have been licked dry by the animal.  We might suggest a change in diet from, say, chicken rice to salmon. Often, oils help to hydrate the skin. It’s amazing how quickly many of these skin problems can be cleared up just by changing the diet.   

“The staff is dedicated to keeping pets happy and healthy and giving friendly, knowledgeable service to our customers. We treat people the way we would like to be treated and your animals as if they were our own.”