Opening a pet shop made sense to John Hatfield.
He started collecting fish when he was 10-years-old and has had an aquarium ever since. He managed the last pet shop in Hillsdale that went out of business a few years ago, and there have been no other pet shops in town since then. His friend, a previous pet-store owner egged him on to do it.
“Everything pointed to opening a shop. So I did,” Hatfield said.
Hatfield’s wife, Jenn, said that he had always wanted to open a pet shop and that it had become an ongoing joke between the two. Whenever they’d pass by a building for sale, they’d ask one another if a pet shop would look good there.
“He just needed someone to tell him: Yes, you can do it,” Jenn said. “When one of his friends, who had previously owned a pet shop, told him that he could, he went for it.”
The Hatfield’s Nature’s Call Pet Shop on North Howard Street had its grand opening on Dec. 1 of last year. The pet shop sells freshwater and marine fish, amphibians, reptiles, snakes, some arachnids including tarantulas and scorpions, a few different types of birds, guinea pigs, gerbils, and hedgehogs.
When the Hatfields bought the shop, there was no carpeting, the walls were white and the store was completely empty. Just over a month later, the Hatfields transformed the bare room into an open, natural showroom with aquariums and reptile enclosures lining the dark green and brick walls.
Hatfield said that he loves the shop’s location: downtown Hillsdale, next door to Toasted Mud.
“We get a lot of foot traffic just from being downtown, and Toasted Mud is a really popular place, so that helps us out.”
Toasted Mud’s owners, Eric and Jonna Macy, are actually Nature’s Call’s landlords.
Jonna Macy said that when they were looking for renters, they didn’t have a particular type of business in mind, but they wanted it to complement their shop and bring character to the downtown area.
“We didn’t want another pizza place or salon; we’ve got plenty of those,” Jonna Macy said. “We wanted something that would add color to the town, and Nature’s Call definitely accomplished that.”
It didn’t hurt that the Macy’s had actually been fish collectors at one time. They stopped collecting because they had to drive too far in order to buy supplies and food for their fish. With the shop next door, they’ve started their collection again.
“Our daughter and son just got fish, and we have a 28-gallon tank, so it’s finally being used again,” Jonna Macy said. “We love having an aquarium because it’s really relaxing. We are looking into putting one in the shop because I think it’ll go well with our atmosphere here. “
Like the Macy’s, regular customer Dennis Niner, is also happy that the town finally has a pet shop again.
“I love having it here. They’ve got everything I need or they can order what I need, and it’s a lot more convenient than having to drive almost two hours for [pet] supplies,” Niner said.
Niner, who has experience with lizards, has been helping the Hatfields with their lizards. The Hatfields don’t have as much one on one time for the lizards as they’d like, so Niner spends time with them.
“I’ve been coming in here on a regular basis to take care of the lizards so that they get comfortable around people and being handled by people. I really enjoy it,” Niner said.
Dennis is one of the many regulars starting to be seen at the pet shop, and Hatfield hopes they will attract more.
Hatfeld said that the hardest part about opening the shop has been trying to target customers.
“People interested in owning a pet are not as easily distinguished as sports fans or Nascar fans or hunters. Anyone – any age with any personality – can be interested in owning a pet,” he said.
A large range of animals are kept in the store because Hatfield wants to be able to provide customers with whatever animal they are interested in owning.
“I want to stress that if we don’t have the animal or animal supplies that people are looking for here at the shop, we will order it for them and have it here in seven days at the most,” Hatfield said.
The small size of the shop also helps customers narrow down what they are interested in owning if they don’t know when they first walk into the shop.
“Since it is more of a mom-and-pop shop, we are closer to the customer in the way that we can educate them on what they are buying and help get the best fit for them,” Hatfield said.
Hatfield’s knowledge and experience in terms of the different animals also help him satisfy customers.
“He really knows what he’s talking about when it comes to animals – especially fish – so when you go in there, he’ll help you find exactly what you want,” Jonna said.
Hatfield wants to expand the shop to add selling enclosures for amphibians and lizards, building stands for aquariums, as well as selling cat and dog supplies.
Although they will eventually start selling cat and dog supplies, Hatfield said he will refrain from selling dogs and cats.
“We’d probably hurt more than help. There are a lot of shelters already in the area trying to find homes for dogs and cats,” Hatfield said.
Hatfield said that the town of Hillsdale has been very welcoming and encouraging, and he’s loved the experience he’s had opening the shop.
Jenn agreed with her husband: “Being here doesn’t feel like work. We love this place and we hope to be here for a long time”
