Creating Community at Independent Local Pet Stores with Amanda Wilbourne
In this episode of Your Natural Dog with Angela Ardolino, we’re joined by Amanda Wilbourne, founder of The Nautical Dog, Williamsburg’s only independently owned and operated pet market. Amanda shares her journey of opening The Nautical Dog in 2006 and its evolution into a trusted local pet store known for hand-picked, high-quality products. Angela and Amanda discuss the importance of supporting local independent pet stores, vetting products thoroughly, and educating pet parents on nutrition and wellness. They explore issues within the pet food industry, including recalls and the dominance of big corporations. Additionally, Amanda highlights The Nautical Dog’s community involvement, including their partnership with the humane society in their Cat Cove.
Episode Recap:
- Importance of local independent pet stores
- Vetting products for The Nautical Dog
- Doing the research and educating pet parents
- The pet food industry & pet food recalls
- Big pet corporations owning everything from pet food to veterinary clinics
- Schwartzy’s Cat Cove & partnering with the humane society
- The Nautical Dog winning awards in the community
- How The Nautical Dog started
- Seeing the impact on pets & their families
- The More You Know – Pet Wellness Summit
- There’s always more to learn when it comes to our pets
- The importance of finding the right vet for you and your pet
Episode Resources:
- The Nautical Dog and Schwartzy’s Cat Cove
- The More You Know – Pet Wellness Summit
- Follow The Nautical Dog on Instagram and Facebook
- Have a question about your pet that you want answered on the podcast? Email us at [email protected]
- CBD Dog Health
Note: Like all discount codes, they don’t last furever!
Follow Your Natural Dog on Facebook and Instagram and if you want to see what Angie (our founder) is up to, follow her on Facebook
About Angela Ardolino
Angela Ardolino, a certified holistic pet health coach, certified cannabis & fungi expert, and animal advocate, brings over 20 years of experience to the field. As a graduate of the inaugural class of Medical Cannabis for Therapeutic Use at the University of Vermont. She has been a member of the The Society of Cannabis Clinicians since 2017, as well as a vocal supporter of safe, natural, and ethically-grown whole plant and fungi medicine for pets.
Angela’s dedication to animal welfare extends beyond her advocacy work. She owned and operated Beautify the Beast, a pet salon and shop with two locations in Florida, where she developed innovative programs for boarding, training, and fostering dogs at her animal rescue, Fire Flake Farm.
As the founder of CBD Dog Health and MycoDog, she prioritizes pet wellness through safe, effective Full Spectrum Hemp Extract CBD for dogs, cats and horses, and wild-harvested, triple extracted mushrooms for dogs and pets. Providing the best in natural whole plant and fungi supplements, made ethically, grown in the U.S., and formulated specifically for pets. Angela also continues to educate and empower pet parents with her popular podcast, Your Natural Dog with Angela Ardolino, where she engages with experts in holistic pet care to explore topics ranging from nutrition and natural remedies to behavior and training.
About Amanda Wilbourne & The Nautical Dog
Amanda Wilbourne first opened Nautical Dog in 2006. What started out as a small gift shop for pets has expanded into the store that we are today. We are Williamsburg’s only independently owned and operated pet market.
With a passion for dogs and cats and a vast knowledge of pet nutrition, we only sell items that we would give to our own pets. Since we are not a franchise, every item is hand-picked by Amanda and her enthusiastic, animal-loving staff. Stop by often with your pup for a treat, a dog wash, or to pick out their favorite toy. And say hi to the shop cats, Ollie & Chili, while checking out our cat section.