“People who like animals are special people,” said Patti Howell, president of PJ’s Paws and Claws. “Their pets make them special.”
Which is why some specialness will be leaked out of Magnolia on June 30 when PJ’s Paws and Claws, a fixture for more than a decade in Magnolia Villages at 3320 W. McGraw St., closes after serving thousands of fluffy friends and their humans for over a decade.
The specialty pet store, a boutique-style retail store with a grooming salon, has not been able to compete with major suppliers.
“You used to not see pet supplies with many stores, but now with Amazon.com you could get better pet supplies for cheaper,” Howell said. “As well as at Fred Mayer, Target, Safeway and Costco. The window is closed for the little guy now.”
This is also true for pet information.
“You could do research on the Internet,” she said. “You don’t have to come to me.”
“People come in, shop around, ask questions, but then go home and find the best prices online. It’s no one’s fault; it’s just the nature of the beast. People get used to buying stuff on screen. It’s difficult to compete with free shipping and two-day service.”
Howell’s sister, Lorraine Howell, also an entrepreneur, helped her sister put on special events, sell raffle tickets and facilitate fundraisers.
“There’s a wonderful feeling about this place,” Lorraine Howell said. “From the logo to the brand imaging to answering obscure questions about pet needs.”
The name of the store was well thought out. “Paws in claws” is a common pet store name, according to Howell, so she put the PJ before to represent herself with the “P” and her cat at the time, Jif with the “J”. The J now stands for the store’s official cat, Jelly.
Prior to owning the pet store, Howell worked at Starbucks headquarters. Before that she had worked in several corporate positions, having received a degree in business from the University of Washington.
When deciding to start her own business, Howell debated between pets and sports. She went with the pets since they appeal to a wider demographic.
“You live with dogs and cats whether you’re rich or poor, where you live, what your economic status is. Pets make people happy,” Howell said.
The salon will continue – it has been bought and will reopen in July in a new Magnolia Village location. It will be called Magnolia Paw Spa.
Lae Ann Hayden, Magnolia resident and shopper of PJ’s Paws and Claws for the past six years, is saddened by the store’s closure.
“Living in Magnolia, this is very convenient,” she said. “They do everything from bathing to one-stop shopping. If they don’t have what you want, they’ll give you advice. Everything they carry are quality items.”
“No pet store is better than this one,” she continued. “I’m really upset this place will be gone. There are no other stores like this in Seattle at all.”
The last day to redeem PJ’s Wags with the PJ Wags Reward program will be May 31. An all-store sale will run from June 1-30. The space will be available for lease in July.