Petco

My first dog was named Simon. When he was only six months old, I saved him from the pound. I didn't learn what was permitted by law in dog food until he was nine years old. I was alarmed and outraged. I discovered an entirely unregulated industry in addition to deceptive labels, hazardous chemical preservatives, and nasty "ingredients." I started cooking for my own pets and noticed a difference right away. One that is extremely broken. The next thing I knew, I was feeding the dogs of the neighbors as well. This was the superior option, I knew. 

Vicki founded Natural Pet NW in 1998 thanks to her gorgeous Lab, Wally. Numerous health problems can result from poor nutrition. I quickly discovered that the pet food industry is a "by-product" industry where all the substances "not suited for humans" are allowed to be included in a bag of pet food. That occurred in 1998. There were not many high-quality pet foods available at the time. The rules of the industry have not altered much, but we now have a wide selection of excellent pet meals to offer our consumers.

Early on, Mud Bay offered a small selection of almost everything, including locally produced hog feed, fertilizer, hay, pop tarts, and folk art. The shop also suffered a loss. Lars, Elsa's son, joined Mud Bay as its third employee in 1989 after realizing that his mother couldn't afford for the company to fail. In 1993, Marisa, Elsa's youngest child and a recent MBA graduate from Holland, returned and joined the effort.