April Lawrence looked at every pet store in the Beaverdale, Iowa area for a healthy pet food that she would feel good about feeding to her dogs. She couldn’t find high-quality pet food anywhere, and she didn’t want to order it online. That’s when she decided to open her own pet store, Bone-A-Patreat, on Des Moines’ west side.
She opened the small store in 2004 and it has grown astronomically over the last decade. That is why she decided to open another Bone-A-Patreat in West Des Moines last fall. The goal for both stores is to provide excellent customer service and offer pet owners a healthier pet food that they can be proud to feed their animals.
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The stores only sell quality pet foods with no corn, wheat, or by-products. They also have several completely grain-free foods to choose from. They carry brands like Acana, Blue Buffalo, California Natural, Dr. Harvey's, EVO, Holistic Select, Natural Balance, Nature's Variety, Stella & Chewy's, Taste of the Wild, and many more. They sell food for cats, dogs, birds, and small pets.
Although they don’t carry all the formulas that each brand offers Lawrence says that they will order any blend that a customer requests. Over the years Lawrence has also added a wide selection of other pet products to her store shelves as well. Bone-A-Patreat stocks chew toys, leashes, collars, and flea and tick treatments as well.
Along with an extensive collection of dry kibble they also have canned dog food, dehydrated dog food, and freeze dried dog food. Lawrence says that raw foods are a big seller as well. She said that Bone-A-Patreat is a full-line pet supply store now, although they don’t sell any live animals.
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Pets are welcome in the store as long as they are on a leash. In fact, Lawrence brings her dogs to work with her almost every day. She has a long-haired miniature Dachshund, Spencer, and a terrier mix, Roma. She also has a cat at home.
Lawrence enjoys working with pet owners and is hoping to continue to expand her business in the future. Right now pet owners can stop by either of the pet stores’ Iowa locations or they can place an order online through the company’s website. Residents of Iowa, Minnesota, Illinois, Wisconsin, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota even receive free shipping on orders over $100.
