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Alison Bowser knows her customers. She knows their dogs just as well.
“If they don’t bring their dogs, I give them a hard time,” she jokes. “I tell them they better bring them the next time.”
Alison is owner and founder of Basset & Lab, the stylish Lancaster pet boutique stocked with healthy foods, non-toxic toys, curated accessories, and treats homemade on the premises.
Alison’s journey begins with her love of dogs. She has had five black labs, including her pets today, 5-year-old Carly and a puppy named Declan. After enduring an “emotional roller-coaster” with the ill health and death of Declan’s predecessor, Lochlan, Alison planned to postpone getting a new puppy. Then her breeder called about a 7-week-old male looking for a home.
“How do you say no?” Alison says. “Declan came a little sooner than we thought, but that’s okay.”
Lochlan’s illness wasn’t her first go-round with drawn-out veterinarian treatments, so she started researching the connection between dog health and nutrition.
“That’s where my passion is,” she says. “What we put in our body is important, and it’s the same for dogs.”
For 11 years, Alison worked in a law firm, where she eventually took on the duties of the CEO. It was a great place to be, but in her volunteer life, she was facilitating foster-home placements for a Labrador retriever rescue. That work led her to resign from the law firm and work full-time watching dogs in her home.
Lachlan’s illness cut that venture short. After his death, Alison knew it was time to launch her dream of a boutique store catering to wellness-minded owners and their pets.
Basset & Lab opened Nov. 2, 2018, in a convenient location along Lancaster’s Harrisburg Pike. Alison’s husband, David Bowser, did all the construction. Her sister-in-law Karen, interior designer of Karen Dussinger Design, turned Alison’s ideas for the former salon into a chic, bright boutique.
“I knew I did not want the typical pet store look,” Alison says. “I wanted it to be warm and inviting.”
The store offers dog and cat food from top names in non-processed, whole foods free of chemicals and GMOs. Freshly prepared treats, festive cakes, and food toppers come from the in-house kitchen of the B&L Bistro. Those cakes for dog birthdays and special occasions are made from healthy, human-grade ingredients with naturally colored cream cheese as the frosting. Everyday specialties include three-cheese treats, peanut butter-bacon sticks, and signature Basset & Lab cookies.
Dogs can also enjoy food toppers for their kibble such as beef stew with sweet potatoes and vegetables. Only spices that are good for dogs, such as turmeric, are added.
Does all this mean that our dogs are eating better than us?
“I know mine are,” Alison says.
Many of today’s pet owners bring health consciousness into all aspects of their lives, she adds. Basset & Lab is their destination, offering a fun experience to complement the confidence of shopping for food, treats, and toys that cater to their pets’ well-being. Some customers stop by just to say, “Hey, guess what my dog did the other day”.
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“We love to meet everyone’s pets if they bring them along,” Alison says. “We love to spoil them with treats. We also like to talk with our customers to see what they’re looking for, see what they’re interested in, learn about them, learn about their pets, and answer any questions they have. If we don’t have the answers, which we don’t always, we can always recommend they contact someone."
Basset & Lab also offers activities including puppy socialization classes and “pack walks.” Alison and her store can be found supporting animal-relief causes and appearing at local events such as Paws in the Park and Puppy Mill Awareness Day.
“If we all work together, wouldn’t it be great if we didn’t have shelters anymore?” she says.
Through her business, Alison is always learning from her customers about pet behaviors, good places to take the dogs, or great vets.
“I have met wonderful, lovely people that I look forward to seeing every day,” she says. “My clientele is great. I really have met just wonderful people–and their pets.”
Basset & Lab
1352 Harrisburg Pike, Lancaster, PA | bassetandlab.com
