The Paw Shop is a new store in Cranbrook that specializes in dog and cat supplies, where your furry friend is welcome to accompany you on your shopping trip.

The store is co-owned by Becca Drake and Steph McGregor and upon entering The Paw Shop not only will you get to meet them, but you might also be welcomed by their dogs Oscar and Gibson and Wilson, a friend’s dog.

Located at 22 10th Avenue, the store has a wide, colourful variety of everything you might need for your pt or furkid, as they are referred to at The Paw Shop’s web site.

“Furkids, hairy babies; some people see their pets as surrogate children and it’s an endearing term,” says Drake.

“People really love their pets,” McGregor adds.

If you are looking for a new activity to do with your pet, you will certainly find one at The Paw Shop. On the third Monday of every month there is a small dog social held at the store.

“We invite people to bring down their small dogs, leave them all on the floor, and have a good time and run around. Well socialized dogs are happy dogs,” McGregor says. “We have cookies for humans and cookies for dogs, the people socialize, the dogs socialize and just run around and have a good time.”

At the social they ask people to donate whatever they feel they can and that money is currently going to the SPCA’s Paws for a Cause Walk that is held in September.

Other events include art nights, spa nights and even birthday parties. In fact, you can see one piece of doggy art hanging in The Paw Shop. To sign up for an event just talk to Drake or McGregor at the store.

The two decided to open the store together after working together in a completely unrelated field and finding themselves always talking about their dogs.

“I guess we both wanted a store like this and nobody was doing it so we decided to do it ourselves,” says Drake.

They say response to their store has been very positive.

“Response has been much more overwhelming than we had imagined,” says Drake. “When we started shortly after Christmas it was a fairly bad economy so we’ve been really surprised.”

The store carries a variety of lines, including West Paw Design, which makes eco-friendly toys, beds, and apparel. Then there’s Chilly Dog Sweaters, which are hand-made of 100 per cent wool in the Northern Highlands of South America following fair trade guidelines. For the hikers that like taking their dog along with them there is Ruff Wear, that makes innovative performance dog gear, like hiking booties. There is also a canine spa line and several different pet foods available.

People are encouraged to bring their pets with them to the store and you never know, they might be able to pick out the perfect item for themselves.

“We encourage people to bring their pets. Sometimes they do their own shopping even. They will grab a toy off the wall, it’s so cute,” says McGregor. “A lot of things we have like the harnesses and the clothing and the boots, you want your dog to come down to make sure they are getting the right size. Also, we have free treats.”

To learn more about the store, drop in between 9:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday or between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Saturday, or check out their web site at www.thepawshop.ca.