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What is lauded as the best pet store in Los Angeles isn’t just a pet store. People also mistake it for being just a dog store, and it’s not.
The Urban Pet, which first opened on Beverly Blvd. in Los Angeles and then in South Pasadena in 2012, has almost everything pet lovers would want, says the owner and CEO, Zack Grey. They now have shops in Silver Lake and West Hollywood as well.
“I think it’s important that people realize that we’re not a boutique, that we are actually a full service, pet supply store. That’s the most important thing,” Grey said. “Also the foods that we carry, and we have about 80 different brands – no wheat, no corn, no by-product, and that’s the rule for everything in the store. So everything is clean. And then we carry what I believe to be the largest selection of cat supplies, which are very difficult to come by.”
The Urban Pet considers itself as a lifestyle and an experience, and the staff enjoys the personal interactions while providing a friendly and knowledgeable service to compliment the expansive collection of pet supplies – for your dog, cat, bird, small animal, and even your reptile! – all offered at competitively low prices.
“We always say that we are the ultimate destination for the pet enthusiast,” Grey continues. “This is something that I bring up frequently within our meetings: ‘why are people coming to our store versus any other store, when a lot of our products can be found at other stores?’ And over the years, the reputation that we’ve earned is knowledge, number one. Also, very very friendly and very accommodating. Very one-on-one. Many people we know by their first name here know exactly what they want. We’ve become a destination.”
The Urban Pet also does dog obedience classes, pet photography by Furtographs.com, and vaccination and dental clinics that compliment the best pet supply.
Speaking about serving the community, The Urban Pet also boasts of its close relationships to pet rescue organizations, such as Luxe Paws Cat Rescue and Downtown Dog Rescue, both of which have rescued countless animals.
For $20, The Urban Pet offers a membership, which provides customers a five-percent discount off all pet food items, and 10-percent off all supplies every day.
“And then we do special sales four or five times a year, where it’s 20-percent off and 10-percent off,” Grey says. “Twenty dollars is way nominal, because people who shop here, they earn that money back in a second. So it’s really good for the customers.”
Something more unique about The Urban Pet may be no other than the owner. Zack Grey was a professional dancer for 14 years, before segueing into being a personal assistant to a well-known dog trainer with high-profile clients. From there, he launched his own dog-training company, UrbanTails, in 2004, earning praise for his innovative personal training and technique.
When the pet store that hosted his group obedience classes closed, Grey was inspired to open one of his own, and that evolved in 2007 through The Urban Pet, a sprawling 5,000-square-foot zen-like space featuring the finest pet foods and supplies the industry had to offer.
In 2010, he opened a second store in Silver Lake, followed by Moon Shine grooming salon, the South Pasadena retail location. In 2016, he opened the Eagle Rock location, shortly followed by West Hollywood.
Grey’s presence in the industry has generated enormous momentum. The industry’s leading publication, Pet Product News International, has listed him as one of the top 25 people to follow. He has been invited to speak in Las Vegas at Super Zoo, the largest pet industry trade show.
The Urban Pet has also been recognized as Retailer of The Year for its outstanding merchandising and design.
To learn more about The Urban Pet, visit www.theurbanpet.net or call (626) 403-9100.
The South Pasadena store is at 900 Fair Oaks Avenue.
