Noe Valley Pet Company

bout ten years ago, Paula Harris and Celia Sack were sitting (dog-sitting, that is) in the middle of San Francisco’s dot-com boom.

“Everyone was working 14 hour days, and the dogs were getting ignored, so we started a dog walking service and it just took off,” said Harris. Soon, they realized that there was no “nice” place for all those dog owners to come for supplies. The other nearby pet shops were chain stores with fluorescent lights and linoleum floors (not that there’s anything wrong with that).

Harris and Sack wanted something for dog owners she described as, “Restoration Hardware – but for dogs.” They wanted to provide high-end dog accessories and supplies, but not snotty stuff.

Everything had to be durable, especially for the chic, outdoorsy clientele of San Francisco’s Noe Valley neighborhood - clients who want pets to look as casually wonderful as they do. They also wanted the pet fashions and supplies in the store to reflect their own aesthetic: classic sweaters, sporty accessories, basic gear for everyday walks in the neighborhood and weekend outings.

And so, the Noe Valley Pet Company (NVPC) was born, and the dog walking service…stayed (Good Stay!).

Page