From the hardcourt to the pet store

Jay Mendoza used to play professional basketball with Shell from 1995 to 2001. Today, he and his wife Doreen own and run Animals and Things. This pet shop has everything that a dog lover could want, from shampoo to food to accessories. But more impor-tantly, the shop is also home to several pure breed and rare dogs. These dogs are well cared for, as the Mendoza couple are both dog lovers.

"When I left basketball, I wanted to try a different kind of work," says Jay Mendoza. "Since I have a lot of dogs, I went into the business."

Jay says that he likes big dogs, but he has also learned to appreciate the beauty of small dogs. Matter of fact, for Jay, learning how to groom dogs is something to be proud of. "I just look at the magazine or dog book and then I follow the style I see," he adds. And Jay has not yet met a dog owner who did not like the way he trimmed the hair of his pet. And no, that’s not because Jay towers above six feet.

But what has got the pet-loving couple chirping this days is their recently opened pet shop in Cartimar. The first Animal and Things is at Tiendesitas. The second is at Cartimar.

"We waited for this space to become vacant for a long time," said Doreen. "We grabbed it as soon as we found out we could."

It is a dream of Jay and Doreen to have a first-class pet shop in Cartimar. One where the pets for sale are treated well. This means that the area where the pets are housed is air conditioned and is kept clean at all times. Doreen insists on keeping their shop clean because she says it is their way of helping improve the quality of pet stores in Cartimar. Doreen hopes that Animals and Things will set an example so other pet shop owners would follow their lead.

"We have gone around and checked the prices of dogs for sale here," she points out. "Our prices are the same as the other pet shops, but our pets are much, much healthier."

Animals and Things has brought new life and a new face to pet ownership in Cartimar.

And that’s great news for pet-loving Pinoys.

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We got an e-mail from Albie Sia of Compassion and Respect for Animals (CARA) Philippines recently regarding a missing dog. Albie informed us that the owner of the dog has been looking for his dog since Oct. 1 when the dog was last seen. Owner and dog were at SM Megamall on Oct. 1, when they participated in the celebration of the 20th anniversary of Animal House. For anyone who knows the whereabouts of the pure-bred small dog, contact Yasmin at 633-2240 or CARA at 810-1459.