I know, I know: we are first and foremost supposed to support our local pet supply store. Believe me, if I had one in my town, I would not be writing these words. The closest independent pet supply store is 30 miles from me, and believe me, when I go to that town for any reason at all, I also go to that store and buy stuff. (Shout-out to my friends at Trailblazer Pet Supply!)
In my town, we have a chain pet supply store, and I was super glad when they opened a store here a few years ago; it meant that there were at least a few foods I could pick up there, and at least a few toys, leashes, and other items that meet my standards for safety and quality.
When I want really cool, top-quality stuff made by U.S. manufacturers, I go to the independent stores. And I mean, any independent pet supply store I see open in any town in any state I travel to. My family members all groan when they see me spot a “pet supply” sign when we are on vacation, because they know we are going to pull over and they are going to have to amuse themselves for at least a half-hour while I walk the aisles and chat with the employees. (Independent store owners all stock different, unique stuff that grabbed them at one or two of the huge annual pet supply trade shows, and I think of them as curators; almost every independent store offers something that I’ve never seen before.)
But, guys, when I open the dog food container and all of a sudden it’s incredibly low, or I’m feeding a starving mama and her nine growing puppies and going through food at an unpredictably fast rate and I’ve been crazy-busy putting the magazine to bed and haven’t so much as taken a shower for a couple of days, being able to punch up my favorite online store and order food and have it on my porch in two days – you guys, that’s a blessing.
Mama is not keeping up with the demand, and I just ordered five pounds of milk-replacing formula to get us through the next couple of weeks. And the dry puppy food I like to soften in formula and feed to the growing pups is not one I can get in my very close chain store, OR my favorite independent store 30 miles away. Yes, I could have them order it, and wait a week, and drive a half-hour over there and a half-hour back… but no, placing an online order is just too easy. And when you are feeding four big dogs – Otto, Woody, my tenant’s dog (I don’t know exactly how this happened, but here we are…) and the foster mom – food goes much faster than my fractured attention span can keep up.
What about you guys? Are you using online dog food delivery? Or are you strongly against it?
I am 69 years old, with severe arthritis in my hip, knees, ankles, and shoulders. (One hip was replaced 11/21/2018) Limited mobility. If not for online ordering, it would be much more difficult to feed my 300 pounds of rescue dogs. There are five; two small, two labs, one very large GSD puppy.
With this coronavirus mess, I am lucky to have been able to get about everything we need by ordering online and having it delivered. Also, I can always find the varieties of the premium foods I feed my dogs.
I feed a blend of three or four varieties — from different manufacturers — in case there is a recall. *IF* there is a recall of one of the foods, it’s only one-quarter or one-third of what my dogs are eating. That’s a smaller chance for a problem. I also research a dog food maker’s history of recalls prior to feeding that brand or formula. Lastly, I mix fairly small batches of the kibble blend (in case there is a recall) and keep it stored in a tightly sealed food storage bin.
Once we can safely go to grocery stores again, I plan to start preparing part of their diet in my kitchen.
I order online. I get fresh products from Chewy and the selection is fantastic! Not only food but brushes, combs and toys. And, it’s all delivered to my door! Especially with COVID-19 out there, I appreciate being able to keep my pets’ food in house thanks to home delivery.
I used to order on Chewy a lot and I see the benefit of doing so. However My dog has inflammatory bowel disease and needs to be on a special diet of freeze dried raw food which is not sold everywhere and is very expensive. He can eat Primal or Stella and Chewy freeze dried raw only which goes for about $30/14oz on average in my area which is incredibly expensive. Petsmart and Petco don’t carry this food in my area. Chewy carries it but I go to my local Pet Supplies Plus because they have constant sales and coupons so I usually only pay in the range of $20 – $25 per 14 oz bag which is worth the local trip to the pet store for me, even in the pandemic needing to wear a mask/social distance, etc. Granted Pet Supplies Plus is not an independent store, but it is a franchise and provides jobs in our area and had great products and I love the service and staff there.
I love chewy. I am able to send my 90yr old grandma quality food for her dog remotely. She is 90 and partially blind and I live on the opposite side of the USA. She cannot drive to buy raw food for her dog let alone prepare it. Food delivery is a blessing for many of us. Those who judge and ramble can keep on doing so. Chewy is here to stay and I will be forever grateful for them.
Quite frankly, I was shocked when you wrote this article. I am typically a supporter of WDJ however, I will now take a longer look. I own an independent retail store that also educates the consumer on proper foods. I am also a Clinical Pet Nutritionist. This is something you won’t find at Chewy/Petsmart or Petco. As a small business, we are all trying to survive the economic climate and when you tout the services of an online big box store I wonder where your allegiance really lies.
Do you sell medicinal dog food also?
I understand the big temptation here, but I think it is hugely important that we resist our addiction to convenience because over the long haul and in so very many ways, it is killing us!
Instead of aiding this newer adjunct to industrial consolidation, we ought to be making the efforts to increase our competence to use whole foods and to cultivate relationships with local sources – for our own food and for our pets.
We can take the short view on occasion. I have occasionally bought a book from Amazon when I could absolutely not find it anywhere else. Usually an out of print to replace a copy that disappeared after being lent to customers or friends. But Amazon is destructive to independent book sellers, publishers, exploitative to its workers and horrific for the environment. You have to understand how consolidation — in ALL industries, including pet food — only appears to increase consumer choice and convenience. Over the broad spectrum and long term, it corrupts by undermining standards and coming to own government regulators. It rewards only size and efficiency. It destroys the distinction between the values of commerce and industry and those of professions.
Our store has taught homemade pet food making in a way that increases people’s flexibility when market disruptions occur. Yes, it takes some time to learn how to do this, but it is not any more difficult than the knowledge and competence acquired through a good high school home ec course. You can wean yourself off commercial pet food to whatever extent you are comfortable with, and yet know that if suddenly your favorite store can’t get your usual brand, or there are supply chain issues that interfere with availability, or a major recall occurs – you can go to local producers and ordinary grocery stores and get what you need. Your animals will be better off if their bodies are accustomed to handling different types of food – the way ours are! You can substitute with confidence, when you need to.
By getting on the Chewy bandwagon, you are supporting a trend that undermines quality and accountability, supports the industrialization of veterinary medicine, and makes us more dependent of ever larger, more vertically integrated industries whose core interests are NOT ours.
I implore you to take the widest and deepest view possible here and support not only the independent pet supply stores, but local food suppliers and independent pet service providers. Do you want a world where PetSmart/Banfield provides everything but dictates the range of what is possible, including mandating the vaccines a dog must have to even be served? PetCo may have dog training classes that are convenient, and some of them are even taught by good trainers. But they sell shock collars, too.
As an independent provider of services, plus carefully selected commercial foods, but who strives always to increase people’s competence and ability to support cross sectional initiatives for environmental sustainability, organic and family farms, decent labor compensation and safety standards, and professional clinical practices that don’t serve rapacious industries. Don’t be seduced by the convenience of these food delivery systems! Sure, use them in an emergency. Don’t fall into the purist trap! But take the time to plan ahead and commit to making your buying habits support a better world — while there is still time (I hope) to be effective.
I also live out of town(80 miles either way) and order on line as well. It’s a god sent.
I never order online. My dog eats a raw diet and I like to go to the store myself to buy it. I think buying local is good for the community.
I always order online because local stores don’t carry what I prefer to feed my dog. I can choose from more variety, and have super quick delivery, can change delivery dates, quantities, flavors, etc. much easier than going to a brick-and-mortar store.