About Us and Our History

Mia Mundale & Sharyn Faro

Love Dogs and Cats, Too! first opened its doors in September, 2004.  It was the brainchild of Mia Mundale and Sharyn Faro, two professional women and animal lovers from Atlanta.  They had purchased a second home near Blue Ridge and saw a need in the area for a shop that catered to people who wanted the best for their furry children.

The decision to sell the shop was a difficult one for Sharyn and Mia.  Their professional careers became more demanding and they weren’t able to spend the amount of time necessary in Blue Ridge to grow their business.  I guess I was in the right place at the right time, because, on May 13th, 2006, I bought Love Dogs and Cats, Too!.

Ricki and Oliver

Our philosophy is to provide the best new and unusual products for both humans and their furry children in a fun environment.  There’s nothing more enjoyable than the sound of laughter coming from the art gallery upstairs!  And it’s not just the people who have fun; our four-legged friends love all the great smells (as well as the treats).

People have a choice in where they shop.  More often than not, the service they receive is just as important as finding the right product.  We’re committed to providing our customers with the best possible service.  If we don’t have an item in stock, we’ll do our best to find it.  We want our customers to keep coming back.

It's taken me a long time to update our website with the news that we lost our beloved Oliver last year to cancer. I realized I needed to do this when we received a wonderful email recently from a customer who had visited us last year. She was kind enough to include a picture she had taken of Oliver and me in the park across from the shop. Oliver was a wonderful boy, funny and stubborn, who liked everyone and everything and will be sorely missed.

We couldn't, however, live without a dog - it was just too quiet! So, we adopted a five-year-old female Lab who looks a lot like Oliver. Her name is Paulie and she loves to go to work with me. I don't think she had gotten much attention in her previous life, so she loves all the attention she gets at the shop. Sophie and Charlie, two great rescues we adopted after Paulie, have completed our family. We're very blessed.

Paulie and I would like to invite each of you to come by and see us the next time you’re in the Blue Ridge area.  We guarantee you’ll have a good time!

Ricki & Paulie

Store Dog Paulie

Paulie at her best

All the humans who come into the shop think I’m really cute and usually give me a scratch behind the ears, or, if I’m lucky, a really good belly rub.  My mom says I’m shameless when I roll over on my back and wag my tail but who cares, it works!!!  The dogs who come in all think I’ve got it made.  My mom gives each dog a treat or two (I get one, too, of course!) and then they get to pick out a toy or more treats to take home.

Speaking of home, I do share my home with four cats and two other dogs .  Jasper and Beavis are the old cats, and Gatsby and Zipper are pretty young.  They all love me, but I try not to pay any attention to them (it’s a dog thing).  The dogs, Sophie and Charlie, are pretty new and they don’t go to the shop like I do because they are not nearly as good as I am at greeting people and other dogs.