Pets are family members. Taking good care of them is very important to those who love their pet companions. Naperville offers stores, clinics and exercise facilities that cater to keeping those animal friends healthy and happy.
Two Bostons
Two Bostons Pet Boutique has two locations in Naperville – 103 W. Jefferson Ave. and 2523 W. 75th St . – as well as stores in Wheaton and Burr Ridge. Originally founded in downtown Naperville in 2005, the four-store venture is owned by AdreAnne and Andy Tesene.
The Iowa natives met while studying at the University of Iowa and though Andy is trained as a chemical engineer and AdreAnne as a speech pathologist, both quickly realized their passion for helping pets after they adopted two Boston Terriers, Roscoe and Daisy.
“We wanted to give them the happiest life possible. One needed health support and the other needed play therapy so we went out and got educated,” AdreAnne said. “Before long, we knew we wanted to open a store to help other pet parents. So, we spent about a year and a half doing research and going to conferences and trade shows. Then we found the yellow house near Potbelly’s and opened our first store.”
Two Bostons specializes in grain-free food, dry kibble, dehydrated food, freeze-dried food, fresh food and single and double-ingredient treats. No edibles they sell come from China, she noted.
They also carry vitamins and pet supplements, pet-related gifts, collars, harnesses, leashes and special-order pet beds in owner-chosen sizes and fabrics.
“Our aim is to make pet owners confident about their choices, so all of our employees go through 50 to 60 hours of training before they work in our stores,” she added.
Two Bostons is particularly known for special event activities, like their Thursday evening Community Walk (6:30 p.m., April through October) along the Naperville Riverwalk for dogs and their owners; a Halloween Trick or Treat pet parade; pictures with Santa and the Easter Bunny; and the September Adopt-A-Rama event featuring over 20 pet adoption groups.
Springbrook Animal Care Center
Springbrook Animal Care Center, 2759 Forgue Dr., is one of a consortium of five pet care clinics throughout the suburbs, including another in Naperville and more in Elmhurst, Glen Ellyn and Deerfield, all known by the tagline “The Pet Experts.”
Springbrook is overseen by Dr. Matthew Timmons. His staff cares for dogs, cats, rabbits, “pocket pets,” ferrets, reptiles and more.
All of The Pet Experts sites are full-service, state-of-the-art veterinary offices that offer CT scans, Ultrasound, surgeries of all complexities and dental care, as well as boarding, grooming, training, doggy day care and after-hours emergency services.
“Our clinics are also Cat Friendly (a certified designation) meaning that we have separate entrances and a separate waiting area and exam rooms so people can be comfortable bringing their cats (who prefer not to be around dogs),” said Kerry Ryan Morgan, marketing manager.
Springbrook opened in 2013 and recently celebrated its fifth anniversary. The 12,000-square-foot LEED-certified facility was designed and constructed to provide an environmentally-friendly and energy-efficient structure that maintains as natural a setting as possible for both people and pets, Morgan noted.
For instance, there is natural lighting and ventilation; solar panels that heat water; geothermal heating and cooling; and a rainwater recovery tank that captures and uses rainwater throughout the building. And that just scratches the surface of the animal care center’s environmental measures. There are even two electric car-charging stations in the parking lot.
All of “The Pet Experts” clinics, including Springbrook, are very involved in helping local rescue groups find pets “forever homes” through adoption events. They also host kitten and puppy “yoga” sessions; take photos of pets with Santa and the Easter Bunny, as well as in Halloween costumes; participate in local races like the Naperville Running Club’s “Community Fun Run” that allow dogs to run. Some events even feature Food Trucks for Pets and they have partnered with Pinot’s Palette to offer “Paint Your Pet” events allowing owners to use acrylics to paint portraits of their pets while enjoying wine and refreshments.
The Pet Experts are also Toys for Tots drop off locations every year and regularly collect items for donation to animal rescues.
Wag and Paddle
Finding places to take our dogs for exercise, socialization and fun can be a challenge for pet owners. But Naperville now boasts a new pet-and-owner destination which opened in the late summer.
Wag and Paddle, 1847 W. Jefferson Ave., is the brainchild and “pet project” of Shannon and Matt Bergman who wanted a fun place to take their own dogs in inclement weather, as well as a place to allow them to swim.
“Seeing people with their dogs always makes us smile so we wanted to create a place where dogs and owners could have fun together,” Shannon said.
The Bergmans created a facility that includes three carefully-sanitized and laid out in-ground pooch pools, a drying room where dog owners can take their furry friends for drying off and brushing out and a 9,000-square-foot indoor dog park with a rubberized, seamless floor filled with fun structures for climbing and crawling through. There is also a separate play park for dogs under 25 pounds. An outdoor play area is planned for the future.
In preparation for the opening, Shannon became a Pet Tech pet CPR and first aid instructor so that she could train her staff and traveled to Florida to earn her canine hydrotherapy certificate. She does not have a hydrotherapy license, however, so she cannot do rehabilitation work. But she and her staff are able to exercise dogs for weight loss purposes; injury prevention; and simply for fun and exercise.
Even dogs with no swim experience can enjoy the pool and be taught to swim, starting out in a lifejacket, Shannon said. Seasoned swimmers can be taught to use the pools’ built-in staircases to safely enter and exit the water and fetch a toy. But only one dog and one swim coach at a time enjoy each pool. There is no “group play” in the pools, Shannon noted, and owners may only get as close as the pool deck.
Training classes are also offered for interested owners on Monday and Saturday mornings and Wednesday evenings, taught by Allie Bender of Pet Harmony, LLC. Interested owners may pay on a per-class basis.