ABOUT US

Fetch & Friskers is a specialty pet shop and barkery built on the belief that pets deserve better nutrition and care. We offer curated products, fresh and raw nutrition, and an in-house Barkery in a welcoming, educational environment. Our team — including seven certified pet nutritionists — works together to guide and support pet parents. We don’t just sell products; we provide solutions, helping pets live healthier, happier lives.

I've dedicated my career to helping pets and the people who love them. I began as a veterinary technician before spending 10 years as a store director for a national pet retailer, opening and remodeling stores along the East Coast. Those experiences gave me a strong foundation in retail, customer service, and building great teams.

In 2011, I opened Fetch & Friskers with the goal of creating a unique independent pet store unlike anything else in the San Antonio area. I wanted to offer products and experiences customers couldn't find in big box stores, including fresh, handmade treats from our Barkery.

As the business grew, so did my passion for pet nutrition. The more I learned about the impact of fresh food and species-appropriate diets, the more it became the heart of our business. That commitment has transformed Fetch & Friskers into a trusted destination for pet wellness, with seven certified pet nutritionists, one of the area's largest selections of raw and gently cooked nutrition, and a strong focus on education.

Today, my greatest passion is helping pet parents make informed decisions and creating a place where pets, people, and our community thrive together. Every day, I'm still learning—and sharing that knowledge with others so more pets can live longer, healthier, happier lives.

His name was Leo.

Leo was my first Cane Corso — my soul dog. The kind of dog that chooses you just as much as you choose them. He had just turned three years old when our world stopped.

It was July of 2020. The world was already upside down from Covid. My normal vet had been treating Leo for something minor but deep down I knew something was not right. A mother knows. I switched vets.

I was not prepared for what came next.

My new vet called me shortly after he examined Leo. I answered the phone never expecting the word cancer to come out of his mouth.

GASTROINTESTINAL LYMPHOMA

He was only three years old.

I remember that moment like it was this morning. The way time slows down when you hear something that changes everything. The questions that flood your mind all at once. The disbelief. The guilt. The grief that starts before you are even ready to feel it.

We brought Leo home that Friday evening so I could care for him over the weekend while my vet worked to find the best answers on how to treat him. I held onto hope with everything I had. I loved on him. I stayed close. I was not ready to let go.

By Monday morning his condition had become so dire that when we took him back in we already knew in our hearts what was coming. We gathered our family around him. We said goodbye a few hours later.

From Friday to Monday. 3 days!

I still cry when I think about him. I will never forget Leo for as long as I live.

Out of that heartbreak came something I did not expect — a hunger to understand. A deep and relentless drive to learn everything I could about pet nutrition, holistic care, and what it truly means to support an animal's health from the inside out.

One of the first things I picked up was The Forever Dog by Dr. Karen Becker and Rodney Habib. I did not just read it — I read it several times. I highlighted it. I sat with it. I let it change the way I thought about everything. If you have not read it, I cannot recommend it enough. It is one of the most important books a pet parent can read, and it became one of the biggest inspirations behind everything I have built at Fetch & Friskers.

I threw myself into learning. I connected with experts. I asked hard questions. I challenged everything I thought I knew. And the more I learned the more I realized how much information was out there that everyday pet parents simply did not have access to.

I also made a decision that I have never looked back from.

I changed the way I care for my animals completely. Every dog & cat in my life now is raised holistically and fed raw. It is not just a preference — it is a commitment. Because after losing Leo the way I lost him, I made myself a promise that I would never again sit with that feeling of I wish I had known. I will not wonder if I could have done more. I will not look back and wish I had asked different questions or made different choices.

I refuse to feel that way again.

And I do not want you to feel that way either.

Because I do not want another pet parent to sit in that vet's office feeling blindsided. I do not want you to spend years Googling and never finding answers you can trust. I do not want the moment you finally learn about raw feeding or gut health or functional mushrooms to be the moment you are already in crisis.

I want you to have the information before you need it.

It is also my love letter to Leo.