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Our History
Healthy Pet is a local, independently-owned pet supply store founded by Mike and Deborah Seitz. The dream of Healthy Pet started with Tanya - Mike and Deb's Irish Wolfhound puppy. Deb wanted to know everything about grooming Tanya properly, so she went to a pet grooming school in Eugene, Oregon. Mike and Deb opened their first pet-related business in California in 1977. It was a little grooming shop called The Plush Puppy. It was there they first started selling the best, and most natural grooming products for pets. This idea then flourished into opening full-line pet stores, specializing in healthy and holistic pet foods and supplies.
After opening a few stores in California they took a family trip to Oregon. While driving down Boones Ferry, on their way to see friends, Deb noticed a "for lease" sign on a building. Mike pulled into the parking lot, peeked in all the windows while Deb jotted down the phone number. That was in August of 1986. Two weeks later they moved to Lake Oswego where Mike began building Healthy Pet, (originally Pet City), fixture by fixture. Nearly 40 years and 11 stores since The Plush Puppy opened, Mike & Deb retired due to Mike's ill-health. They have kept their favorite store though - Healthy Pet in Lake Oswego, thanks to their outstanding crew!! In August of 2018 Mike's difficult battle with ALS came to an end when he passed. Over the last few years Deb has taken the reins of ownership and she feels very fortunate to have such a caring & competent staff. Healthy Pet continues to provide "The best for your pet - naturally!" all these years later. Mike & Deb always enjoyed being a small part of the ever-growing pet industry. It has been an especially fun, happy & often hilarious business in Lake Oswego - a wonderful community.
For several decades we've prided ourselves on having a passionate, knowledgeable, dedicated, and friendly staff. Here's a little more about us as a business and the familiar faces you'll see every time you stop by Healthy Pet, still in it's original location. (<<< Can you believe that's the same building?!)
Healthy Pet Isn't Just A Name
We take the name Healthy Pet seriously, because we believe a healthy pet is a happy pet! And we want to help you make sure your pet lives the longest, happiest life they can! We have everything you need to fulfill your pet's nutritional, supplemental, exercise and enrichment needs to ensure their longevity and well-being.
Above all else we believe that good nutrition is the foundation for a healthy pet. And, like with people, what we know about pet nutrition is constantly evolving. We pride ourselves on educating our staff and staying up-to-date with the latest research and information the pet nutrition world has to offer. Ask us what you can do to optimize your pet's diet today!
Pet parents run into a myriad of challenges during their pets lives. Whether it's their sensitive skin or stomach, aging joints, pent up energy, picky eating or something else, that's what we're here for! And we know that no two pets are the same, so neither are the solutions to these problems. The pet industry is massive, and misinformation online is rampant, so let us help you navigate!
While we are a business, we often joke that we work in customer service, not retail. Because our bottom line is not just measured in dollars and cents, but instead in how many people and pets we're able to help. We're here because we love what we do. You'll never catch us trying to sell you something you don't need or raising our prices unnecessarily. We want to make sure that quality pet care is easy and affordable for everyone.
Manager
Sadie has worked at Healthy Pet since 2002 and became manager in 2007. She's married with three kids and ALWAYS has at least one pet (usually many more). Everything from the typical cats and dogs, to fish, hamsters, rats, mice and more! Sadie and her family can never turn away an animal in need and have taken in quite a few strays over the years. There was sweet Diego, a literal stray Plot Hound Mix who kept showing up on Boones Ferry having escaped the yard of an owner who no longer wanted him. Elderly Mimi, a little Bichon that Sadie adopted after a customer passed away. And even one brave baby field mouse who had to be bottle fed. Animals in need are always lucky to find themselves at Sadie's house.
Currently, Sadie has Scarlet, a Pit/Greyhound/Boxer mix who loves to hang out with her people and be picky about her food. Scarlet is obsessed with balls and her mom's cooking. Sadie also has two cats. Padme was a Healthy Pet kitten Sadie got in 2013 and Sonic was born to a stray that an awesome customer adopted, and went home with Sadie in 2024.
Sadie loves working at Healthy Pet because pet people are the best people! Customers are always kind and happy to talk about their pets when they come in the store, so it's not your typical high stress retail environment. She says the most rewarding part of her job is helping customers keep their pets healthy and living a long, happy life!
Sonic
Fishies
Assistant Manager
Kate can’t remember a time when pets weren’t one of the most important things in her life. So it's no surprise Healthy Pet became just her third job out of high school in 2007 and she's never wanted to leave. Since then, Kate has amassed quite the zoo...
She currently has three rescue kitties: Yuna (a Dilute Torti), Stanley (Grey and White Tabby) who came all the way from Texas in the wake of Hurricane Harvey, and Jim (Light Orange Tabby) who was born to a "chunky male" stray that Kate's friend took in thinking all orange cats were boys!
If you've been in the store recently you've probably met Kate's dog, Snickers. Being able to bring Snickers to work and share her with customers is one of her favorite things about working at Healthy Pet. Snickers has become such a recognizable face, she's considered part of the staff, so you can find her very own bio below! Kate also has a rescue French Bulldog named Trout. He has taught Kate just about everything there is to know about allergies in pets. And just in case her menagerie wasn't big enough Kate also has chickens, ducks, crested geckos, and frogs!
Kate loves working at Healthy Pet because she has a strong desire to have a positive impact on the lives of other people and animals. So regardless of your pet problem, she's here to help. She loves a challenge and has probably dealt with a similar issue!
Snickers
Katie's always had a lot of pets in her home. She had many cats as a kid that had been rescued from a dumpster or saved from other various places. She also got to experience fostering/rehabilitating other creatures like bunnies, tarantulas, raccoons, and even a scorpion!
When Katie started at Healthy Pet in 2022, she hadn't worked with professionally, but she already had quite the gang of critters at home! Katie inherited Cassie, (along with her now-husband) in 2018. She's a 9-lb Yorkie/Poodle mix who's obsessed with all things cheese. When not snacking she's using playing fetch with anything she can find, and being a professional bed-hog.
Katie's Australian Sheppard, Millie, was a COVID puppy. Millie is obsessed with her Mom and Dad more than anything else. Sadly at 4 years old she was diagnosed with glaucoma and lost both her eyes. But, that did nothing to diminish this girl's spunk and playful spirit! Millie now loves to use her nose even more to get into trouble and find even the most well hidden snacks!
Finally there's Elka, a German Shepherd/Husky/Wolf Hybrid. She joined the pack in 2022 as a 1 year old puppy and was bigger than all the other dogs in the household combined! Elka is a big baby who loves to carry around soft toys and bird watch from under her favorite tree in the backyard.
Although Tortuga the Russian Tortoise has since passed, he gets an honorable mention in Katie's pack. And you never know when her family might get a new addition!
Tortuga
Jamie is Healthy Pet's newest addition, but as you can see from all her animals below, she came to us with a lot of pet experience! And not only that, she has a zoology degree too and hopes to be a vet someday.
Jamie grew up surrounded by rescue animals and golden retrievers so it's no surprise that's what she has as an adult. First is Beemo, the adorable, high maintenance Golden who's a doppy, lovable garbage disposal. Jamie quickly decided Beemo needed a dog of her own, so she got Froggy later the same year. Froggy is a ball dog at heart who is super loyal, and loves to cuddle with his people. Kirby, a rescue, fell into Jamie's lap a year later, and what's one more dog once you already have 2... right? Kirby's a talkative little ankle biter that made herself right at home in the pack.
Sylvester was Jamie's first cat and all the other cats have been desperately trying to live up to the standard he set. A polydactyl king, Sylvester ruled the house with a firm but fair many-toed paw, that was often busy making biscuits. He passed in 2024, leaving a huge hole. The other kitties are working hard and looking cute, doing their best to fill it.
Jamie also has a rabbit named Cookie, and a snake named Monty!
