By Bob Tagert

Just as people are embracing the concept of farm to table with human dining, so is the pet food industry. People are becoming more concerned about what to feed their pets. That is one of the reasons that local Alexandrian Tom Schantz recently opened his new pet store, Ally & Indy Pet Supplies & Wellness Center. Located at 321 South Washington Street in Old Town Alexandria, it is a welcome addition to the south side of town.

Schantz has had a life long love affair with dogs and cats. In 2002, he started For The Love of Dog, a dog walking, training, sitting and boarding company for people and their best friends. Taking it a step farther, he also established a cat sitting service. Schantz’s began his love of animals when he started volunteering at the Humane Society in 1990. Since then he has adopted and rescued many dogs and cats.

The logo of the store is a dog with a cat perched on its back. The dog is Ally, a rescued huskie and the cat is Indy, a rescued DC cat. Although Ally is no longer alive, I am sure that his spirit runs through the store. Indy currently lives with a neighbor.

The opening of Ally & Indy enables Schantz to continue his service to his furry friends. Not only does he carry protein rich natural foods but also offers a wellness center for dogs and cats. He and his staff provide information on nutrition and how to make your own food. There are also upcoming presentations by veterinarians, holistic vets and information about lost dog tracking. He will be giving talks on basic training, behavioral training as well as several other pet concern based topics. These sessions will be held at 7:30 on Thursday nights and only run for about 20 minutes with a question and answer period afterwards. Reservations are required.

   Schantz has hand picked the foods that he sells in the store with a particular interest on locally made foods. For example, his treats come from Woody’s Goodys, which are made in Fairfax. Some of the dog foods are local as well. They carry Orijen and Welruva and VeRus pet foods. They also have World’s Best kitty litter – a personal favorite of our office cat Buddha!

In addition to healthy food and treats, Ally & Indy has a very fun selection of pet related inventory including locally hand-made cat and dog collars, fun coats for your furry friends and a large selection of special treats that are targeted for what may ail one of your pets. This is a great place to find some one of a kind gifts and stocking stuffers for those furry pals in your lives!

Like the opening page of their website says, “…..a pet center with everything from collars to kibble, toys to training, bones to behavioral training, and everything in between.” They will also be hosting upcoming adoption events along with the weekly seminars mentioned above.

321 South Washington Street

571-232-8683

AllyandIndy.com