“Be Your Pets’ Advocate”
What does it mean?!
“To promote the interests of another; to be the voice for another”… in this case our pets!
It was easy to make this our tag line because it is short and sweet but means so much. We even put it on our shirts, and business cards!
Whether to rescue or buy from a breeder,what to feed, grooming & health care, training, to where to board, how much to exercise and on and on, there is a lot to know in order to be an informed owner, doing the best for your pets.
The internet has made things easier and harder at the same time. Because of the volume of information available to us it can be daunting to know what is fact and what is fiction. There is a LOT of fiction!!
We like to think we at The Bark Market, deliver the straight dope. We are pet owners on the front lines of the industry, debunking the myths and passing on what we believe is the right stuff to our clients. I personally have been involved in the industry in some form or another since the late 70’s. It is a whole new industry now and in most ways better.
What we believe to be essential and appropriate is reflected in our product mix, and grooming services and in our own practices with our own pets. We willingly share all that we know and all that our clients care to learn.
We stay abreast of the current information, product recalls and developments.
We have Veterinarians, pet professionals and industry people who mentor and support us. Of course there are as many opinions as there are pets, and we respect those opinions. We do feel strongly that there are species specific needs that we as owners need to provide the animals that share our space (& bed!) such as species appropriate nutrition.
The key to being an advocate for anyone or any cause is to be educated. Learn all you can from trusted sources. (We would like you to think of The Bark Market as one!) In most cases product websites, print & TV ads, and marketing are self serving and one sided. Everyone thinks theirs is the “Best Dog Food in the World”! Learning the basics of canine and feline nutrition are critical; after that everything else will make sense and the marketing and salesmanship so prevalent in the industry will not affect you and your decisions.
Make a conscious effort to learn something new about nutrition, vaccines, training, and grooming if those topics apply to your pet. You don’t have to have a college degree to make informed decisions, and we are here to help.
The ultimate goal is optimal health and happiness for our pets, which in turn will provide a quality of life into their golden years and ours!
We all know the heartache of an ill pet. It is sometimes unavoidable regardless of our efforts. Thankfully, if we are our pets “advocate” we can avoid many preventable illnesses and complications and enjoy a priceless, rewarding relationship with our pets for many years.
We hope you visit our blog again soon!
We will post any time something of interest presents itself, and we promise most of them will be shorter than this one.
