Eight years into a career in the corporate world, Brenna Shoultz made a change.
Shoultz decided to follow her passion, and took a cue from her family by joining the pet business industry. As a result, she now offers North Bend a one-stop shop for pet needs.
Animals have always been around in the Issaquah resident’s life. Her father and stepmother run a pet resort and grooming salon in California. Her cousin is a police dog trainer in Idaho.
For Schoultz, it was dog washing that started her on the road to “doing her own thing.”
In 2007, while out to dinner with her husband Tim in downtown North Bend, the Shoultzes spotted a location for rent next door to George’s Bakery along North Bend Way. As soon as Brenna walked inside, she was instantly envisioning how her passion for pets would transform the place. Before long, she had opened Renaissance Pet Boutique and Spa, a place for dog owners to self-wash their pets while checking out the new trends in dog-ware.
Three years later, Brenna’s success had outgrown the shop. Last January, she moved to what is now Pet Place Market on Bendigo Boulevard, more than doubling square footage.
Over the years, Shoultz picked up more products and services, such as animal nutrition, giving her the opportunity to help dog owners on a budget find alternative food options for their pets with allergies.
“Nutrition-wise, a lot of dog nutrition is related to human nutrition,” she said. “People need to grasp that general idea.”
Today, Pet Place Market went from offering eight dog food lines to more than 18, along with a cat and small animal section.
Schoultz said she puts lots of food on sale to owners can accord their pets’ special diets.
Valley residents also come in for small purchases, such as dog collars; Schoultz has dedicated a whole wall to a collar selection that changes constantly.
“I don’t know anyone who can really top it around here, I’m pretty well known for that,” she said.
Successfully moving to a bigger space, Schoultz’s goal is now to expand to horses, an interest she originally grew up with and would like to get back into.
“We’ve definitely grown here,” Brenna said. “People welcome us and we actually get more traffic here.”
