Acton Store Chosen Retailer of the Year!
 

On Friday, January 30, 178 members of the local business community gathered at the Boxborough Holiday Inn to enjoy the Middlesex West Chamber of Commerce Annual Awards Dinner. The event featured networking, dinner and dancing and most importantly, honored local area businesses and individuals who work to make their towns a better place to live. Especially for Pets was honored to be among those businesses recognized at the dinner.

Especially for Pets, Acton was chosen as Retailer of the Year by the SOARR (Stars of Area Retail & Restaurant) AWARDS. Nominations for the SOARR Awards were received from all eight towns that the Chamber serves (Acton, Boxborough, Carlisle, Concord, Littleton, Maynard, Stow and Westford). Award winners were chosen due to their creativity, enthusiasm and commitment. As Retailer of the Year, Especially for Pets was chosen as a business that continuously goes above and beyond in providing exceptional customer service, unique products, as well as community and/or charitable involvement.

(Photo: Patti White, Acton Store Manager accepting Retailer of the Year Award from Sarah Fletcher, Executive Director of Middlesex West Chamber of Commerce. Photo credit Karen Burke, Mobius Business & Life Coaching.)

Store manager, Patti White said “We are proud to receive this award as it exemplifies Especially for Pets’ core values in providing high levels of service to our customers, their pets and our community.”

Since the first store opened in Newton in 1988, Especially for Pets has been dedicated to promoting responsible pet care and their stores have served as a venue for teaching and educating the public. A 10% discount is offered on all products and services for rescued animals for one month from adoption. Their Adoption Initiative Program has helped numerous animals find permanent homes, as well as raised money and awareness for the thousands of homeless animals within the community. 

Fundraising is ongoing for local non profits and rescue organizations including shelters such as MSPCA and small breed specific groups as well as Massachusetts Canine Response Team (an organization that trains search-and-rescue dogs to respond to emergency events). One example of a popular ongoing fundraiser is free in-store nail clipping for dogs and cats—$12,000 per year is raised on average from this one event which is given to local animals in need.

Especially for Pets has won numerous awards over the years from local and state authorities in the pet industry and the retail community.

Sarah Fletcher, the chamber’s executive director, said she was pleased to be able to call attention to the efforts of hardworking businesses and community members that she sees every day, but whose efforts might go unnoticed by others.

“From my position, I see how much giving there is on so many levels,” said Fletcher. “To share that with the community is to expose the greatness that’s out there.”