08/26/2026
Seems only fitting on International Dog Day to share photos of my canine companion who inspired the creation of Animal Connection on September 26, 2000. Yes, in 30 days we'll be celebrating Animal Connection's 26th Anniversary and Ernie's spirt has been with us all the way.
Ernie was diagnosed with cancer at age 8... traditional vets didn't give much hope.. a holistic vet, Dr. Nelly Bierley, encouraged us to eliminate what we could surgically and then try raw food and Chinese herbs. In her words "what do you have to lose?" Several years later, he had no trace of cancer... plus his skin, coat and teeth were beautifully healthy and clean. Dr. Nelly's plan truly supported his recovery and he was fed raw food until he left us at age 18-1/2.
By the way, Ernie was named after a famous NASCAR driver, Ernie Irvan... who won many races, had a horrible wreck, recovered and came back to win many more. I had the great opportunity to meet him on pit road at the Michigan Speedway. (Which explains the photo of me with Ernie and the pit crew shirt that was given to me by the man, himself.)
Back to the story... We actually became Charlottesville''s first truly holistic pet store in 2000 by selling to other like minded dog owners with raw food freezers at my farm. In 2003, we moved to a brick and mortar location at McIntire Plaza next to Cville Coffee.
After several expansions, we became the crazy people who would move and enlarge a business during the covid pandemic. Because that's what crazy people do.. we take chances... we had already weathered two recessions, three years of bypass construction, trade tariffs and Harris Street floods, so we figured we could outlast covid. Crazy people are also creative and find ways to figure out what seems impossible... we take inspiration from family pets, holistic teachers, retailers and restauranteurs we admire, and even from cowboys like Buck Brannaman.
In 2026, we continue to look for inspiration from the many family pets who share their stories with us, whether it's how we helped them become healthier, how much they love their toys, to how we created dog birthday parties their families will always remember.
In the words of Jerry Garcia "What a long, strange trip it's been." If I had planned out our last 25 years, I wouldn't have had it any other way. Here's to a great 26th Anniversary Party on Saturday, September 26, which is also by chance National Neighborhood Pet Store Day. We hope you will join us in our celebration. Watch for details to come... you won't want to miss it!
PattieZ (and Ernie)
