‘Green’ pet store making green

Pet owners seeking eco-friendly products are gladly spending green to go green at Crazy for Animals.
“People love their animals and they don’t want to give them something that’s going to harm them,” said Joan Stack, 51, a Queens native and pet lover who opened the store, Crazy for Animals, in the Shops at Atlas Park. “For a while, half of us didn’t realize that these byproducts were probably whatever was left over from the butcher thrown into a big processor and given to your pet.”
Crazy For Animals offers an assortment of green products, including organic cotton T-shirts with slogans like “Save Mother Earth,” all-natural pet shampoos, and hemp collars and leashes.
There are also beds, bowls and scratching posts made from recycled material - and organic catnip.
Even the store’s architecture is green.
“I wanted a non-toxic environment for the animals because they eat off the floor and get into everything,” said Stack. “I found this great architect who said if you’re going to go that way with the flooring, it would be really easy to go green all the way.”
The floors are made of bamboo. The wood used in constructing the cabinets and doors is hand oiled and contains no polyurethane. The paint is environmentally friendly, lighting is energy efficient, and the shopping bags and business cards are made from recycled paper, Stack said.
Although Stack would love for every product in her store to be green, only about 25 percent of the inventory actually is eco-friendly. There are simply not enough green pet products on the market yet, she said. Another challenge is that many customers choose products that are inexpensive or attractive over ones that are green.
“People have this perception that green is more money when it’s really not,” Stack said, adding that the price difference between green and non-green products is about 10 percent.
Crazy for Animals is Stack’s first retail store. She had been a secretary and a real estate agent but two years ago she decided she wanted a career change and she figured since she loves animals (she has five dogs), a pet boutique would be a good fit.
Stack has built up a steady clientele: 850 customers have signed her guest book for email notifications and she receives more than 1,000 hits a month on her web site, crazyforanimals.com.
“There’s a huge selection,” said Fran O’Kane, of Middle Village, who was purchasing a new brush for her cats, Tiger and Midnight. “I think it’s important that we do all we can to help the environment.”
“It’s unique for this area,” said Maureen Nash, of Forest Hills, who frequently purchases natural dried beef snacks for her dog, Regina. “It’s a really fun place to bring your dog.”
In the future, Stack plans to have a holistic vet and pet trainer come in once a month to give demonstrations, and invite an artist to visit and do sketches of her customers’ pets. She also will continue to scour trade shows and vendors for the best in new green pet products.
“We’re not perfect and it’s impossible to do everything for the environment,” Stack said. “But if we stay aware and try to make a few changes in our own living environment, we can help.”