It’s not hard to love your job when your day is spent helping families spoil their lovable companions. Owning two Pet Valu locations may not have been where she thought she’d end up after studying environmental sciences at Trent University, but Nicole Courtney would now have it no other way.
“I fell in love with the chance to get to meet people’s pets and be a part of their growth in their families,” Nicole says. “It’s such a refreshing industry because people come through our doors and they’re really happy to be there, because they’re shopping for somebody they really love. I get to see that joy and excitement as they spoil their pets.”
A trusted Canadian company with more than 800 locations in over 370 communities across the country, Pet Valu carries more than 1,000 Canadian-made pet products. Nicole and her husband Sean have owned the Pet Valu store in Bancroft since December 2020, and the Bobcaygeon location — just across the lake from their Ennismore home — since October 2022.
Beyond the fun of interacting with customers’ pets, Nicole says another joy of her job is getting to share essential knowledge with pet owners, especially in the Bancroft area where the rural location can make it difficult for customers to access veterinary care.
“We have a lot of high-quality health and wellness products,” she says. “A lot of people don’t know about them or don’t have the knowledge about what they can do, but we are able to share that.”
All of the employees who work in the Bancroft and Bobcaygeon stores live in the communities they serve, and complete company-provided Animal Care Expert training courses during the onboarding process to provide them with knowledge on a wide selection of pet care topics such as fundamental care, nutrition, and more. Employees also take a refresher course every year to keep their pet care knowledge up-to-date with developing trends and new pet care products.
For even more specialized insight, the two Pet Valu locations host demonstration days where employees share more information about a new product with customers.
“With the increase of products that we’re seeing becoming available, it can be really daunting and create challenges for people to really understand and learn on their own,” Nicole says. “If we dedicate some time aside to give people that knowledge if they need it, then at least it’s there for them. Nobody knows their products better than the vendors themselves.”
Both Pet Valu locations are stocked with Canadian-made pet food and treat brands like Go, Crumps’ Naturals, Acana, First Mate (which was recently introduced to the Pet Valu shelves), and the popular Performatrin brands Prime, Ultra, Naturals, and Culinary.
“Ultra is what I used to feed my dog all the time, and he had the most beautiful shiny coat while on it, and my cats are on Ultra and do really well on it too,” Nicole says. “I love to talk to people about that because it’s my personal experience.”
Both stores are also filled with toys, treats, and accessories for other pets, including reptiles, bunnies, hamsters, birds, and more. The knowledgeable staff are always available to help customers find a solution to their needs and, if a desired product is not in stock, will order it directly for the customer.
“Our staff do a very good job of giving you as much as much information as they can,” Nicole says. “The value behind the Pet Valu brand is certainly something that resonates not just within my local stores.”
As one-stop shops for pet needs, both locations offer more than just pet products. For years, the Bancroft location has been hosting a monthly nail trim clinic done by local groomer Lexy Bird.
“Lexy has such a passion for pets and has such a good reputation,” says Nicole. “A lot of people only really have to trim their dog’s nails or pet’s nails once a month, but that consistency is definitely something we want to offer. It’s very reasonably priced and can only take ten minutes.”
The Bancroft nail trim clinics are held on the first Wednesday of each month (with the exception of holidays). The clinics also launched in April at the Bobcaygeon store on the second Wednesday of the month.
As local owners of two Pet Valu franchise locations, the Courtneys are intentional about using their stores to support other related organizations in the regions they serve. In Bancroft, Pet Valu hosts “Caturday” every Saturday, where local pet shelter Home Again Bancroft brings in cats that are available for adoption.
“They do such fantastic work in the community, so I love that we can facilitate that — and who doesn’t want to come see the cats?” Nicole says. “It’s always a good thing when people want to come in and just see the pets. Maybe they’re not looking for a cat today, but maybe down the road they’ll be looking. They’ll know where to come back to welcome a new pet and family member, which is such a cool opportunity for us to get to be a part of.”
The value of getting a kitten on Caturday means customers can also get everything they need at the same time they pick up the pet.
“We love being this one-stop shop where you can pick up this awesome pet you’re about to bring in your family, but also make sure you’re actually prepared for everything you need,” she says. “I take pride in the fact that we are here to provide that service.”
Pet Valu Bobcaygeon also supported the regional branch of Carlota Galgos Rescue Canada when it was located in Bobcaygeon. The non-profit organization spreads awareness about the Galgo Español — Spanish hunting dogs that live in horrific conditions before being abandoned or killed when they are no longer used for hunting.
“This organization devotes themselves to trying to rescue as many of these dogs as possible,” Nicole says, noting the organization will bring a few dogs to the store to meet customers. “Learning about it and meeting the dogs was such an impactful experience for me.”
The Bobcaygeon location also regularly supports the Kawartha Lakes Humane Society through donations raised from hosting in-store Christmas and Easter pet portraits, and has partnered with the Dog Guides of Canada. They will once again be sponsoring the registration area for the walk-a-thon in support of Lions Foundation of Canada Dog Guides through the Bobcaygeon District Lions Club.
“I have so much respect for the partners we have in our community and are so grateful to get to work with them,” Nicole says.
Being passionate about pets, Nicole encourages customers to bring their dogs with them when they visit either location.
“Getting an opportunity to take dogs out and have it be a positive experience for them is so important,” she says. “It also makes our day better, so I selfishly want everyone to bring their pets in when they shop.”
Pet Valu Bobcaygeon is located at 101 East Street and Pet Valu Bancroft is located at 8 Station Street. You can browse products and find out more information about each location at www.petvalu.ca.
For updates on what’s happening at each store, follow Pet Valu Bobcaygeon and Pet Valu Bancroft on Facebook.
This branded editorial was created in partnership with Pet Valu Bobcaygeon and Bancroft. If your business or organization is interested in a branded editorial, contact us.
