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Marissa Sheehy, owner and manager of Busy Paws Pet Supply, stands outside her new storefront in Islington.
Come this fall, Westwood will have a new, centrally located pet store in town. The owners of Busy Paws Pet Supply plan to opens its doors to the shopping public in mid to late September, or October at the latest.
Owned by spouses Marissa and Dennis Sheehy, manager Marissa plans to be a daily face at the shop while husband Dennis may help out on weekends. Dennis currently works full-time selling antique car parts in Newton.
As reflected by a message on the Busy Paws Pet Supply website, the shop originally had an anticipated opening date in May, but issues with the initial contractor and architect caused a delay. With a new team in place, things are going much more smoothly, says Ms. Sheehy.
Ms. Sheehy was attracted to the available space on Washington Street - next to Islington Pizza, and across the street from CVS and Morrison Field - because of its central location. It is also a convenient commute from her home in Dedham.
With pets of her own and a background in retail, daycare and grooming at PetSmart, Especially for Pets and Loyal Companion, Ms. Sheehy brings personal and business experience to her new enterprise.
As an employee of those chains, Ms. Sheehy says it didn’t feel very good to be told she was a “good worker” only to get surpassed for a management position by someone whom she was then asked to train as her new boss.
Unhappy, she wanted to do more. She had tried grooming but didn’t think she had patience or the eye required to do that job. But she knew she was good at retail. After the Covid-19 lockdown, she had time to think. Opening up her own business was the answer.
“It just snowballed into being with pets,” she says. “You can’t have a bad day when a dog is licking your face.”
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Ms. Sheehy hopes Busy Paws Pet Supply will be there for pet owners at all stages, from preparing to become a pet owner to caring for a pet.
Ms. Sheehy notes that she is not a veterinarian or a dietician. However, she can point customers to helpful products based on her retail experience coupled with her own personal experience as a pet owner.
“I’m someone to talk to, instead of a big business that points you down an aisle, and says, ‘Good luck.’”
Ms. Sheehy is currently working with a distributor to select products for her store. She says the shop will offer a mix of mainstream products like Purina or Blue Buffalo brand food along with less common offerings.
“I can point you to [a product] to try and you can work with your vet. You might need to go to a goat or catfish [protein] – something you never would have thought of,” she says.
Along with food, there will be toys, collars, leashes, small animal chews and vitamins. The store may also carry products for birds if there is enough customer demand for them.
Ms. Sheehy hopes all different types of customers will visit her new shop. Seniors walking their dogs by her storefront are invited to come in to find a daily treat for their furry companion. Likewise, she hopes there will be families stopping by after attending baseball games at Morrison Park. She also plans to offer online shopping for millennial hipsters and others who don’t feel like walking into the store.
While customers can visit the new business when it opens, they also can meet Ms. Sheehy at the Busy Paws Pet Supply table on Westwood Day.
Thanks to Ms. Marissa Sheehy for being interviewed for this article.
