Ty Taught Me Why Independent Pet Businesses Really Matter

ON JUN. 6, I SAID goodbye to my sweet pup, Ty. It was very sudden — elevated kidney values quickly turned into kidney failure. I was devastated, and grief remains a constant companion, just like Ty had been for seven wonderful years.

Why is this in my Editor’s Note, you may ask? Because Ty has appeared with me here since 2020, and because many of you were involved in helping him live a full, well balanced life.

Thank you to every independent pet business owner who guided us on Ty’s journey from a scared, skinny rescue dog into the more confident, healthy pup who could handle just about anything with me by his side.

Trainer Matt Bryant made that possible, as did the owners of our home stores, Trace Menchaca, Cynthia McKinney, Becci Johnson Scott and Megan Ames, as well as countless others — including brand partners — during his lifetime. I am so grateful to have joined the PETS+ team in 2017, so I could learn just how much you all better the lives of pets and their people.

That truth is what we celebrate with our annual PETS+ America’s Coolest contest. You’ll meet the 2026 winners in this issue (p. 68-80), and the industry judges who helped us choose them (p. 81).

Congratulations to the nine pet businesses that earned America’s Coolest honors this year. For those that didn’t place in the top nine, I hope you’ll re-enter next year because as two of the 2026 winners can attest, the second time can be the charm.

Big thanks to our judges and to returning sponsor SUPERZOO. We couldn’t do this contest without you.

Looking forward to seeing you all in Las Vegas,