Shop Dog: Cassie of Zen Pet Retail and Grooming
New Orleans, LA – It is not surprising that a pet store employs a pup. Cassie, a playful 2-year-old chocolate Labrador retriever, serves as the face of new neighborhood business, Zen Pet Retail and Grooming (4500 Magazine St., Suite 5, 504-301-4736; www.zenpetnola.com).
“I opened the business nine months, ago, and she’s come to work with me every day,” says Belinda Wharton, owner of Cassie and Zen Pet.
A lifelong dog lover, Wharton spent years taking in rescue and foster dogs, as well as supporting the Humane Society of Louisiana. After a lengthy career in medicine, Wharton decided to pursue her passion. She wanted to be a dog trainer but decided to go into the pet retail and grooming business when she saw the need for a shop that provided a holistic and natural diet for pets. Wharton became an advocate for clean, healthy pet diets primarily because of her experience with her former Labrador retriever, who suffered from severe food allergies.