Cold Spring Pet Supply Opens

Kittens, all from shelters, will no doubt draw passersby to the window

By Alison Rooney

After moving from Atlanta to Cold Spring about a year ago, Ray and Jamie Martinez found themselves enjoying not only the convenience of purchasing dog and cat food super locally at Reigning Dogs and Cats Too, but also being able to obtain a specialized brand needed for one cat’s medical condition.

Disappointed at the news the store was closing, they jumped into thinking mode. Although they had no retail background, Ray, a tax accountant, has skills in the necessary number crunching, and has had retail establishments as clients, and Jamie’s last two jobs were as a shelter manager at Mid Hudson Animal Aid and as the adoption rescue coordinator at an animal shelter in Georgia.

Cold Spring Pet Supply’s co-owner Jamie Martinez

They decided to take the business over, retaining many of things that have drawn a loyal customer base to the 9-year-old establishment yet “having some ideas to make the space our own,” Jamie Martinez said, and enlisted Two Gatherers Events Styling and Staging to help renovate. It went seamlessly, with the store closing for just a week and a half, reopening as Cold Spring Pet Supply on April 11.

Ray Martinez said that both he and Jamie are “excited that we are able to get involved in the community so quickly.” All that’s missing is their new sign, held up by the approval process but now on its way. The spacious store, with newly painted hardwood floors, features stations designated as apothecary, boutique, etc.

While the front is streamlined, with displays of the more esoteric items such as charming toys and treats, the back of the store is lined with shelving for more of the essential items for dog and cat owners: food, bedding, kitty litter and the like.In terms of food, “most everything that the store offered previously is still here,” Jamie said.

Some of the brands stocked are Wellness, Orijen, Taste of the Wild, Solid Gold, Weruva, Fussie Cat and b.f.f. They hope to eventually get a freezer for raw food, something Jamie said customers have inquired about already. For a different kind of feeding, there is a Treat Bar, such as those in health food stores, replete with scoops and paper bags to stash the goodies.

For many of the more specialized items, the Martinezes are trying to focus on items made in the U.S., including some made in the Hudson Valley. Examples are the collection of leather leashes and collars, made for them exclusively by Outlast Goods, a Hudson Valley business, and Coast to Coast dog treats, made in Stormville.

The Treat Bar, scoops at the ready

A smaller room off to the side of the front space has lots of clothing for dogs; much of this is winter wear and on sale now that winter is (hopefully) behind us at last. There is also a large collection of leashes and collars in this room.

For now, aside from a small supply of rabbit food and bird food, everything in the store is geared solely toward dogs and cats. “We’re figuring out the space to see what our limits are — we’ll find out what we can do,” Jamie explained, noting that they “can definitely do special orders: Ask us, and if we can get it we will do it.”

Leashes and collars made exclusively by Take the Lead for Cold Spring Pet Supply

One space that is about to be occupied is the window area, which is soon to welcome some very special guests: kittens, all affiliated with local animal rescue organizations. They hope that the anticipated delight factor in their antics will translate into some adoptions (all handled through the rescue organizations), and it is sure to draw visitors and locals alike all the way up the hill to the new store.

Cold Spring Pet Supply is currently open from noon to 6 p.m. seven days a week; look for expanded weekend hours in the future. They are located at 169 Main St. and their phone number is 845-265-3239. Check out their Facebook page and website, coldpringpetsupply.com, for more details. After a soft opening, they plan on having an official ribbon-cutting opening on First Friday, June 5.