BY GINNY RAUE
WEST MILFORD — We love our pets. Once they come into our lives, they become part of the family, worthy of our care and respect. And, it often seems, they love and admire us in return.
A quote by Anne Tyler says it succinctly.
“Ever consider what pets must think of us? I mean, here we come back from a grocery store with the most amazing haul – chicken, pork, half a cow. They must think we’re the greatest hunters on earth!”
While Dottie Anderson, the owner of Rockport Pet Gallery in West Milford, doesn’t claim to hunt for food, she does stock pet food and supplies as well as a pleasing variety of new companions to choose from. If you’re in the market for a pet, you may want to browse the shop for fish, rabbits, reptiles, chicks, guinea pigs, mice, hamsters, birds and rag doll cats.
Loving animals came naturallyAnderson, who has owned the store in West Milford for the last 26 years, is a Warwick, N.Y., resident. She grew up in Franklin Lakes and, from the time she was just a child, animals have captured her heart.
“I started by dog training and then got into grooming and everything else,” she said.
She had lots of animals at home and joined the 4H Club, eventually becoming a club leader. By age 16, she was employed as a groomer, and, by the time she was 18, she owned her own grooming shop. Hands-on training has worked well for her throughout her career.
A true animal lover, Anderson’s residence is now home to 30 of God’s creatures including goats, geese, chickens, rabbits, dogs, guinea pigs and cats. She prefers to breed many of the animals for her shop, giving her confidence in their backgrounds. She breeds her rag doll cats, which she describes as large, long-haired, blue-eyed “mushy cats” and sells them at her store when they are available.
Demonstrating her capacity for caring about her animals, when asked what happens when a pet in her shop is not one of the chosen few she replied, “We keep them and they end up being our pets.”
Neat, trim and well behavedAnderson grooms all manner of pets including birds who sometimes need wing, nail and beak care. Who knew?
Dogs, cats and small animals get the full beauty treatment including nail care, de-shedding and clipping. Anderson has been known to add a little pizazz to a dog’s life for the holidays, adding a dash of color to the tail or ears at the customer’s request.
Rockport Pet Gallery also offers dog training, holding classes and private training sessions.
Anderson’s “store rabbit,” who has free-run of the shop at times, is well behaved and friendly and loves to play. “He thinks he’s a dog,” she said.
Other animals get some supervised parole too, but the birds only get to spread their wings when no one else is around.
Telling it like it is
Anderson is up-front when dealing with her customers and encourages people to think about their choice of a pet; consider its age appropriateness, or the life span of the pet, for example.
“Basically, pets are not throw-aways. Sometimes people buy pets that don’t suit their purposes and they want to give them back," she said. "A pet is something you should love and take care of, they are part of your family.”
She cautions parents to be sure they are willing partners in pet care should their child become bored with the task after a time.
This train of thought may be particularly timely as the Easter bunny and chick season comes into play. Soft and cuddly, Anderson’s baby rabbits will soon be ready for sale.
Loving the jobAnderson said that she and her three employees are very knowledgeable and they strive to provide each customer with pertinent information and professional service.
“We all have lots of years of experience," she said. "This is not a job to us, we love these animals.”
Rockport Pet Gallery
1616 Union Valley Road, Suite K
Bearfort Shopping Village
West Milford
973-728-7769
Business hours:
Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Saturday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Sunday 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.