For many people, California is a mythical locale of countless celebrity sightings, a place where year-round tanning is a requirement, and the only things predictable are traffic jams and earthquakes. Although those of us fortunate enough to call California our home may see “The Golden State” through polarized sunglasses, it doesn’t mean we are not down-to-earth nor value ties to our neighbors and local communities.
A case in point is the beautiful coastal city of Ventura, whose residents are a tight-knit group who take care of their town and each other. An indispensable part of this community is a wonderful collection of stores called The Wharf. Established in 1949 (now owned by the founder’s children, Todd Butterball and Darren Borgstedte), The Wharf has three unique brick-and-mortar stores in one location at 980 Front Street: An Apparel store, a Gift shop, and a Feed/Pet store. The Pet and Feed store is managed by Doug Dannevik, a former PGA club pro who then began a career in pet food retail management.
At the Wharf Pet and Feed store, each day is unique. On average, 240 people walk through their doors daily, where both people and their four-legged family members are always welcome. This caring and devoted community of animal lovers have relied on The Wharf to provide them with quality goods and excellent customer service for decades. For Doug, one of his favorite parts of any day is “fulfilling customers’ needs when it comes to the nutrition of their dogs.” His advice to pet parents: “Quantification from how much protein comes from the animal source is a definable quality of the food they choose for their pet.”
When asked why he brought in the D.O.G. line of products, Doug noted that both he and the people of Ventura appreciate that D.O.G. is a family-owned company (like The Wharf) and that it is headquartered locally in Ventura County. He believes that the single-meat proteins and commitment to sustainability will resonate with his customers.
Doug understands the importance of pet nutrition to ensure a long, happy, and healthy life for dogs. He adopted/rescued two senior black labs three years ago (they will be eleven in February) appropriately named Brew and Anacapa [learn more about senior dog adoption in this month’s D.O.G. Newsletter Lifestyle article].
If you are ever in the city of Ventura, we highly recommend a trip to The Wharf to be on your itinerary. Feel free to give them a call at (805) 648-5035 or visit their website www.TheWharfOnline.com. It is a ‘golden’ destination in this Golden State!
