'It's Like Family Here,' Dog Lovers Crew Says

It has been 15 years, since Anthony and Sherri Aita took over Dog Lovers and they say the value of a loyal local customer is still priceless. 

With big wigs like Walmart and Petco opening just down the road, Sherri Aita said loyalty is more important now than ever before.

"We all live here and spend our money here," Sherri told Patch. "When people spend money at those big businesses, the money does not stay in this community."

Sherri's statement about locally spent dollars staying local does not stray from the truth.

According to LocalShops1 business guru, Ester Venouziou , about 70 cents of each dollar spent stays local when folks buy from a small business in town in comparison to the 40 cents that stays local when Tarponites buy from large corporations in the area. 

Dog Lovers opened in the mid-90s, but in 1998, the Aitas decided to take it on as their livelihood.

Sherri Aita has been in the pet business since she was 19 years old working at various pet stores. Sherri said she was working for the previous Dog Lovers owner when the business went up for sale.

She talked to her husband about buying it and with Sherri's experience and Anthony's support, the duo decided to go for it.

"I've loved animals my whole life and we figured it was time to give it a try," Sherri remembered.

Like a lot of small business owners in Tarpon Springs, the Aitas said it's the people that keep them going. 

When folks frequent Dog Lovers, they can expect to be greeted by name and hopefully feel more like family than customers.

"Our customers know about our animals and vice versa," said manager, Santana Titolo. 

Titolo, 23, has worked at the store for four years and said she wouldn't have it any other way. 

The crew at Dog Lovers agrees that the store runs more like a family than a list of staff.

"We don't have employees that come and go," Anthony added. "We build those relationships and we keep them."

As animal lovers, the Aitas invite local rescue organizations to come and try to find homes for orphaned kittens and puppies. 

Earlier this year, Dog Lovers hosted its first ever rescue event where a large number of organizations came together to raise money and awareness for animals.

Sherri said they plan on repeating the rescue event every year.

With Dog Lovers' success under their belts, Anthony and Sherri said they would like to open another location in the future. It's just a matter of time and finding the right spot.

The growth of the brand doesn't have anything to do with financial gain. The Aitas' main concern is their employees.

"You want your people in your store to be able to grow and you can't do that with one location," Sherri said.