It all began with a picky eater. A picky eater who was also a very good boy.
“We had a German Shepherd, and he was incredibly picky,” recalls Chelsey Westerbeek. “He didn’t like anything that had fillers, and he was very, very picky about what he ate. We went through a number of different brands before finding Canadian Naturals. He was 10-years-old at the time.”
The new pet food changed everything.
“It energized him,” says Westerbeek, owner of LR Horse & Pet. “He was playful, he was jumping. He was like a puppy again!”
Already stocking Hoffman’s line of horse feed on her shelves, Westerbeek added the Canadian Naturals line for pets. Made in B.C. using locally-sourced ingredients such as salmon, chicken, pork and brown rice, she wanted to bring the nutrition that had turned her own dog’s life around to a wider market.
“I wanted to find products that were high-quality yet still affordable,” she explains. “We also carry exclusively Canadian products. I feel it’s important to support Canadian as much as we can, and I’m very selective when it comes to the pet food I have in my store.”
Westerbeek has spent considerable time researching and testing various food brands. The fact that Canadian Naturals is family-owned helped it gain her trust. She says if she doesn’t trust a food product for her own animals, she won’t stock it on her shelves.
“I am super-passionate about feeding animals properly,” she says. “We, ourselves, try to eat well and nourish our bodies, but some of the stuff in commercial pet food just isn’t any good.” She points out that Canadian Naturals products are free of corn, fillers and GMOs, and that chicken-free and grain-free options are also available.
Response to LR Horse & Pet’s nutritional and supplemental products has been overwhelmingly positive, and the store recently opened its new location at 11 Main St., Unit E in Kleefeld, MB.
To mark the occasion, and to celebrate Christmas with customers and their pets, LR will be hosting a special drop-in event on Saturday, December 10, from 9 am – 4 pm.
“We’ll have coffee and Christmas treats, and there’ll be some sales going on,” explains Westerbeek. “We’ll have deals on our pet food, toys and beds, so it’s a chance for people to come by and stock up for Christmas and pick up gifts for themselves and their pets.”
Customers will also be able to take advantage of the store’s Christmas Pet Packages, which include everything required to welcome their pet to its new home. There will be dog and cat packages (pet not included) as well as fish and hamster packages (critter included).
The store has also hired a professional photographer – Sandra Marie Photography – and visitors will be able to have Christmas pictures taken of their furry friends.
“Customers can get some really cute photos taken—of their pets, or of themselves and their pets,” says Westerbeek, adding: “A portion of the proceeds will help support Steinbach & Area Animal Rescue.”
Everyone and their dog (or cat) is welcome to stop in at LR Horse & Pet for snacks, sales and pictures on December 10. They can also reach the store at (204) 951-4088 with questions about the event, inventory or animal nutrition.
“Our animals are a part of our families,” Westerbeek concludes. “They deserve quality food and treats that nourish their bodies.”