Purrrfect Bark awarded People & Pet Partner award for good work

COLUMBUS — Whether it is organizing food donations for the Foothills Humane Society, assisting Paws, Prayers and Promises, or helping the family of a police K-9 officer killed in the line of duty, Purrrfect Bark believes in supporting the community.

The four-legged community, that is.

In June, the business received national recognition for its efforts, when Pet Product News selected Purrrfect Bark as the People & Pet Partner winner for its 2018-2019 Retailer of the Year awards. The awards honor outstanding pet specialty retailers, groomers and service providers throughout the U.S. and Canada.

Purrrfect Bark owner Eric Mack credits his customers for the store receiving national recognition. Were it not for the store’s  loyal customers, he and his staff  would not have the resources to give back to the community.

“Our customers are the reason we’re a ROY winner,” he said.  “I feel a tremendous amount of pride and excitement for all that we’ve accomplished in making pets healthier.”

Since the business opened in 2011, Mack and the Purrrfect Bark staff have worked to supply food and funding to Foothills Humane Society and P3. They also donate raw goat’s milk for rescued puppies and kittens.

One of the more rewarding efforts they organized was supporting the personal pets of Greenville, Spartanburg and Shelby police officers killed in the line of duty, Mack said.

“In these types of tragic events, everyone focuses on the family and the kids, which is wonderful,” he said. “We’ve always been concerned that the family pets were skipped over, not intentionally by any means, just part of processing a tragic event. With our help, the family doesn’t have to worry about being sure the pets have food and care during such a difficult time.”

Purrrfect Bark recently began working with Thermal Outreach to donate dog and cat food for those who need help feeding their animals.

When visiting Purrrfect Bark, customers are greeted by Luna, the resident shop cat, and Sophie, who mans the counter and begs for doggie biscuits.

The store is located in the Dunns Commons building at 155 W. Mills St., Columbus. For more information, people may visit purrrfectbark.com.