Our four-legged friends need some adventures, too, am I right?
For our recently adopted Mara, a stroll down to Gerrard definitely constitutes exploration. Compared to our quiet side street, there is so much to smell, so much to try to eat off the sidewalk (DROP IT, Mara!), and so many new humans. As a rescue pup, she still has some stranger danger. So the line between SO excited and maybe a little bit anxious is very thin, especially if Mom or Dad gets crazy and takes a turn going into a store for a minute. (Looking nervously at the remaining leash holding parent… “They’re coming back, right?!”) Just buying cheese curds, baby girl. Mama needs treats, too.
But Furballs Pet Stuff is there for Mara.
And Mara LOVES it. As Aaron asks questions about the best food for this health issue or what snacks to give her, the staff offer thoughtful advice while quietly (and with permission) offering Mara treats under their COVID prevention “aquarium” created for safe shopping. Offering free delivery and curb-side pick up through the worst moments of the pandemic, Furballs has created a comforting bubble for customers and staff even when things are relatively open.
Owner Eva Eiduks started in television. When it was time for a career change, she wasn’t quite sure what to do next and started spending time with creatures she loved. Eva started dog walking. Living near Coxwell and Gerrard, she soon realized that there was a need for a pet store for neighborhood families who otherwise had to venture up to the Danforth or down to Queen. She also loved her fur-clients, but was excited to start working with people again, too. Eva opened Furballs ten years ago, offering a range of products that might be difficult to find elsewhere. She’s especially proud that they can hunt down specific items that people need with a personal touch. And she takes care to offer a range of choices, from standard kibble to raw food and more natural options. Eva chuckles describing a favorite product, the P.L.A.Y. Pet’s “Commuter Set” complete with a London Double-decker bus. It’s clear her business genuinely brings her joy.
And while she loves her fur babies, the people have been one of the things keeping her going during the pandemic. Her staff are warm, knowledgable, and talented. Geo makes his own cat toys, and Maureen can fix almost any dog jacket (or anything else, really) with her needle and thread. They’ve been calm during tense times, keeping their cool and holding firm with the occasional anti-masker. And Eva describes her customers as no less than phenomenal. “They’ve been so lovely, so generous, and so loyal.” Thinking about them frequently brings tears to her eyes.
This has been critical given the challenges of operating a retail business during sometimes unpredictable closures. Eva wishes the logic were more clear for why some things are open and others closed, why the focus isn’t more targeted to prevent and address outbreaks. “I wouldn’t want to be [in the government’s] shoes, and I don’t mind running a business [safely] but I wish it was more clear.” In the meantime, business is good but takes ten times the work for the same result. In the past, people could wander through the store and choose what they liked. Now staff painstakingly select items for customers, offering choices through the aquarium window. Eva doesn’t love using the computer and much of their supply orders are now online. She misses conversation with sales representatives and lingering regulars making small talk. She’s grateful for booming delivery requests, but it is a lot to keep up with and lacks the personal touch that she enjoys delivering from her small business.
As we wrap up Mara’s excursion, the best thing about Furballs is very clear. Mara feels safe and happy there, the staff sneaking her one more treat are immediately trustworthy even in her rescue dog risk-aversion mind. Mara looks back at me, “Still figuring out the rest of those people, but this lady is definitely a friend. Can we play with her more?” Yes, baby girl. Just as soon as we can.
The Backyard Projects 