Get to Know: Mud Bay | WA & OR

I liked this picture of the Wulffs so much from BizJournals / Anthony Bolante. Find the article and original run of the image here.

Name: Mud Bay

Location: PNW (as their site says, “Mud Bay may have stores from Bellingham, Washington, to Bend, Oregon, but each individual Mud Bay is part of its own community.”)

Website: mudbay.com

Hours / COVID rules: Mud Bay is considered an essential business, so they have in-store shopping with social distancing, curbside pickup, and online ordering (which can lead to pickup or delivery, your choice). More here. Hours vary per store at this time.

Founders & history: Mud Bay has served Washington and Oregon pet parents for about 30 years, and they call their employees “Muddies.” The bro and sis founders, Lars and Marisa Wulff (what an appropriate last name!), support the Muddies’ commitment to their communities and recently posted a great letter about supporting Black Lives Matter. They’re actively dismantling their own prejudices and racism in the company and themselves. They are also deeply involved in animal welfare through local shelters and pet nutrition initiatives, including the “Mudlet” which is in the Seattle Humane Society facility and 100% of the profits are donated right back to Seattle Humane.

Why I love ‘em: I live right near the Belltown Mud Bay location and it is my dog Kitty’s favorite place in the whole world, of course. “Kid in a candy store” can be updated in 2020 to “dog in a Mud Bay.” She goes straight up loco to get there -- and rightfully so, there are bins and bins of her favorite treats, tennis balls galore, and squishy, squeaky toys around every corner. My heart nearly exploded when we brought Coconut to the store for the first time; she looked so happy. She was a little intimidated, but when one of the Muddies handed out treats, she was won over. Oh yeah, did I mention they always hook it up with little freebie treats for your pup while you check out? Golden.

Small businesses need our help every day, but especially now during COVID-19. If you'd like to see your pet biz here or if you’d like to submit a business you love, holler at me via email. We would like to highlight small businesses committed to diversity or are women-led, who operate with kindness and transparency.