Pet Services in Winchester Center

In the fall of 2003, Bryan was working as a successful business analyst. He had a great job, had recently purchased his own house, and adopted his new best friend, Tuckerman. Bryan struggled leaving his 9-pound black-lab puppy at home when he went to work and grew weary of his unfulfilled search for a place with compassion, knowledge, and resources for him and his new pooch. Hoping to fill that gap in the community, Bryan opened Appalachian Tails Pet Company in 2005. He recruited staff members who matched his passion for pet care. Together, they opened a pet-nutrition center stocked with high-quality pet food backed by a satisfaction guarantee, toys and snacks for cats and dogs, and an aquatic center that houses African cichlids, fancy guppies, and misguided swedish fish. The pet-friendly facility, which houses more than 10,000 products, also stocks food, toys, and accessories for ferrets, hamsters, birds, and reptiles.

Man's best friend isn't just a pet to the staff at this pup parlor, but a member of their client's family. As such, each canine is treated like a four-legged king and rewarded with luxuries ranging from spa appointments to birthday parties. At the pet "spaw", canines can bid adieu to excess fur with a grooming session or release stress from chasing their ever-elusive tails with a white-tea-and-vanilla bath. Though denied a driver's license by state law, furry pals can still get from point A to B with taxi services, which employ a van outfitted with special harnesses to shuttle dogs to their daycare or grooming sessions. The Good Dog Spot also boasts a small boutique stocked with pet food, collars, and treats from local New England manufacturers and trusted national brands.

The staffers at The Landlocked Dog don't put sugar into dogs’ birthday cakes. To cater to doggy palates, they only use all-natural ingredients such as bananas, honey, carrots, and peanut butter, though they can still spell out the name of the birthday pooch in icing. They also handcraft treats for their store's brand, Sophie's Seabiscuits, shaping delectable morsels into hearts and ladybugs. They concoct seasonal bites for the treat-of-the-month club, which gives pups two half-pound bags of incentive to do their owner’s laundry.

Their dedication to wholesome pet care extends beyond gustatory rewards, however. The boutique stocks fashionable collars, leashes, and grooming products tailored toward specific ailments, including odor and itchiness. Their selection of calming music—composed specifically to put dogs at ease—fosters peaceful car rides, in which pups aren't compulsively changing the radio station. At doggy daycare, small packs can frolic about the cozy and comforting setting while their owners check in via webcam.