For Chelsea Westerbeek, it all began with horses.
Having moved her business, LR Horse & Pet, to Kleefeld, MB three years ago, she followed her passion by initially focusing on equine feed and supplements.
“Everything started with the health of the horse,” she says. “That’s where I started.”
Fast-forward to the early summer of 2024 and LR Horse & Pet are preparing to celebrate their move into a new, bigger space. On Tuesday, June 25 they’ll have a Grand Opening with a BBQ lunch, courtesy of Kleefeld Construction.
“We’re very, very blessed that Kleefeld Construction is donating the lunch for us,” says Westerbeek. “They’re the ones putting that on, and we’re very grateful to them.”
The cooperation between businesses underlines the community spirit Westerbeek finds so meaningful in Kleefeld.
“We absolutely love the community we’re in,” she says. “It’s been nothing but supportive, welcoming us with open arms.”
As part of the Grand Opening event, LR Horse & Pet will have prizes for attendees as well as sales on many of their wide range of products. Although horses remain an integral part of the business, Westerbeek points out that steady growth and the bigger space has allowed her to stock more products for more animals, including pets.
“We were able to expand and now have stuff for goats, chickens and pigs,” she says. “We’ve got a little bit of everything. We’ve been able to bring in new brands of dog food and expand some of our existing lines. And we’ve also brought in some new pets for people looking for a furry, feather, finned or scaly friend.”
The “scaly” she refers to are the reptiles in the store. There’s also an expanded fish department, and birds are available now as well. Westerbeek says that while the birds can be chatty, the extra bit of noise in the building is pleasant.
Something that hasn’t changed since LR Horse & Pet first opened, however, is its commitment to carrying products of the highest quality. In fact, Westerbeek researches and tests them herself.
“I have very high standards for my own animals, which is why I started selling feed – because I want the best for my animals,” she explains. “We’ve done a lot of research and a lot of testing to make sure that products are effective, feed works and toys are safe for the animals they’re designed for. We have very high standards about what is in our store, and we are dedicated to maintaining that.”
Upon arrival at LR Horse & Pet, at 11 Main St, Unit G in Kleefeld, customers will also find a freshly-poured parking lot. They’ll also notice that the store is actually in the same building, just on the south end and in a space three times the size as their previous one.
“We’re able to offer so much more,” Westerbeek says. “We’re looking forward to seeing everybody when they come to check us out on the 25th. It looks a little different from where we started!”
LR Horse & Pet is open Monday-Friday, 9am-6pm and Saturday, 9am-1pm. They can be followed on social media or reached by calling (431) 205-7387.