Grand Opening of Petsmart by Bette Rhea
If you didn’t go to the grand opening of Petsmart on Saturday, then you missed a treat.
I thought I would miss the initial rush so I arrived about 9:45 a.m. Finally finding a place in the crowded parking lot, I exited my car to the sound of barking dogs and laughing owners. Even the parking lot was an “event” as people hurried to and fro with taut leashes on dogs of every shape, breed, and color.
The barking seemed to be coming from outside the store as the Humane Society had a booth set up showing off dogs looking for a new home. A lab mix was making sure no one missed seeing him, while a couple of others sat quietly waiting for someone to fall in love with them. As I stood there, one lucky fellow was adopted, and the Humane Society volunteers were so excited!
Entering the store was like going to a pet competition in Madison Square Garden.
There was a tiny terrier in the baby section of the shopping cart, warmly seated (and almost invisible) on Mom’s fake fur coat that matched the terrier exactly. There was a bulldog sporting a spiked harness instead of the traditional collar. There was a weimaraner dressed as a pumpkin and a number of other costumed dogs ranging from Superman to clowns. There were burly men standing beside broad-chested chocolate labs. There were women with chihauhuas in each arm. There was an older gentleman in a wheelchair with a tiny pet sitting in his lap, attached to him with a jeweled leash. There was a delightful Corgi whose mother was as proud of him as the queen of England. There was a bizon whose owner declared him her very best friend and constant companion.
There were dogs walking easily by their owner’s sides; there were dogs safely secured in shopping carts; there were dogs struggling in owner’s arms; and there were dogs calmly dozing in purses.
It was a sight to see, and I thoroughly enjoyed the show.
I went in to buy large breed Puppy Chow and a dog bed for my six month old Golden Retriever Archie (who thankfully I didn’t take because he would have been in sensory overload). I ended up buying a bag of dog food and standing in line for 30 minutes. But, you know, no one seemed to mind the long lines, or the noise, or the crowd because we were too busy oohing and aahing over each others’ dogs. The only two unhappy souls in the store were a 2 year old little girl who was way past nap time and the poor pooch who had just been shampooed and was being groomed in front of a crowd of children. The lady in line in front of me offered the little girl a dollar if she would just quit crying but to no avail. The rest of us were happily petting and complimenting and even sharing photos of the pets left at home instead of complaining about anything.
Pets just seem to bring out the best in us. They love us so unconditionally that they change our lives and our attitudes for the better. They help us make friends, even in the parking lot of Petsmart on a beautiful Fall day. They make our lives fuller and happier.
So, I’ll go back on a quieter day to Petsmart, taking Archie with me so we can buy a few treats, make some new friends, and enjoy the ambience of “his” store together.
