CHESTER, NJ — Guided by their focus on animals’ health and overall well-being, a local pet services company has opened a brand new shop in Chester selling organic and holistic products.
This pet wellness shop is related to Four Paws Inn, which is owned and operated by Samantha Sulse. Her daughter Racquel is the shop coordinator of the new Four Paws Annex on Main Street. Both spoke with Patch about their mission to provide dogs (and their owners) everything they need to be their happiest, healthiest selves.
“Throughout the years, I have been involved with many different companies that advertise their products,” Samantha said. “And I’ve noticed that there is an enormous amount of filler and preservatives in certain treats that people don’t know about it. So throughout the years, I have researched companies within the pet industry that focus on clean ingredients and maintain ethical values.”
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These companies produce their products in the USA and offer treats and supplements that are made organically, such as Native Pet Supplements and Polkadog Bakery. The shop also sells pet CBD products from PharmDog CBD, made by Totten Family Farm in Long Valley, and other holistic wellness products. And, they have enrichment toys and puzzles to help keep a dog’s brain active.
The annex is located at 54 Main Street, across from Benito’s Trattoria.
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The inn in Chester is appointment only, and has offered professional pet services including tailored private and one-on-one training, Dog Day Camp, pet boarding, and more for over a decade.
This new store is something they have been working on for five years, Samantha said, as they have decided on the best-quality brands and products.
“It’s been a long journey,” Samantha said. “A lot of work has been put into it, as far the products that we carry now in our store.”
And, while the store is primarily dog-focused, they carry cat-friendly products as well.
Four Paws Annex also offers scheduled personal shopping experiences for dogs who may be fearful of a new environment, so they can be the only pup in the store and “shop” with ease.
“So with training, (Samantha) gets a lot of reactive dogs, or dogs who suffer from anxiety and ‘stranger danger,'” Racquel explained. “We wanted to make the store an inclusive space for all dogs to come and shop and enjoy everything that we’ve curated for them.”
Samantha said the clientele at Four Paws Inn include people from Mendham, Chester, and Long Valley as well as nearby Peapack and Califon. The Sulse team is hoping to reach even more people and spread knowledge on dog health and wellness, and how owners can incorporate training into their daily lives.
They hope to have seminars and guest speakers in the space, as well. Samantha will also be providing education classes and continue to offer training for dogs, and help encourage owners to work on training and enrichment activities with their pets — cats, too.
“You can do so many things with your pet at home on your own,” she said. “To have a better connection with your dog, or your cat — because even though cats are a little bit different, obviously, than dogs are, but they also need some coaching and some fun in their lives as well.”
Along with their passion for pets’ emotional, social, and mental well-being, the Four Paws team is also passionate about supporting local shelters and advocating for organizations like Jersey Pits Rescue.
Hours for Four Paws Annex are as follows, according to their Instagram page:
You may give Four Paws Annex a call at 908-888-3134 or email the shop at [email protected] to schedule an appointment. The Instagram handle is @shopfourpawsannex.
And, Four Paws Inn may be contacted by phone at 862-579-9168 or by email, [email protected].
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