Gift basket raffles, vendor giveaways, special merchandise discounts, healing therapy demonstrations and a barbecue by Homegrown Meats of La Jolla are just some of the activities offered Saturday, May 2 at Noah’s Natural Pet Market as the shop marks its official reopening following a major expansion. Pacific Beach-based Frosted Faces Foundation, the beneficiary of raffle proceeds, will also offer senior dog adoptions. The celebration will run from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The community-oriented pet market, located at 4431 Cass St. in Pacific Beach since 1997, sells a wide variety of high-quality pet food, treats, supplements and accessories, rarely available in big box stores. They also offer two tubs for do-it-yourself washes for dogs and cats.
“We only carry what we know are trustworthy products for dogs and cats, mostly from family or privately-owned companies producing their own food with ethical and reliable sourcing, companies such as The Honest Kitchen, SmallBatch, Animal Essentials and Horizon,” explained co-owner Mary Knight, a trained nutritionist.
Most of the pet foods, whether frozen raw food, dehydrated, canned or kibble, are produced in North America, with all ingredients non-GMO, documented and traceable, and nothing originating in China.  Knight and co-owner Liz Oshant, who purchased the business in 2001, monitor the ingredients in the foods they sell as well as changes in the products’ or manufacturers’ reputations.
“We grill the sales reps and ask all the hard questions before we bring a product into the store. If they can’t answer our questions to our satisfaction, we won’t carry it,” Knight said. And, Oshant added, if a pet food company is sold to a large-scale  commercial manufacturer or conglomerate or if the quality falls below their standards, they quickly pull products from the shelves.
Knight, Oshant and store manager Maegan Turnquist are excited about the expansion, which more than doubled their retail space and enabled them to create a special section just for cats. When the adjoining shop became available earlier this year, Knight and Oshant jumped at the opportunity for expansion. Noah’s had long suffered from cramped quarters and needed additional space for more products.
New also is the 600-square-foot Noah’s Wellness Sanctuary.
“We’ve always wished for a space where we can offer educational programs, rescue group adoptions, puppy training and holistic healing therapy sessions,” Oshant said.
The shop started life as a dogwash and, after Oshant and Knight took over, rapidly expanded into carefully screened premium pet foods, treats and supplements. Noah’s staff regularly provide advice to pet parents concerned over the quality of their pets’ nutrition. The business took off following the pet food recalls of 2007, when consumers began scrutinizing what pet food manufacturers were incorporating into their food.
As small companies entered the pet food market, Noah’s expanded their lines of new, more healthful frozen, freeze-dried and dehydrated raw food as well as grain-free canned and dry foods. With the added space they plan to expand their product lines with more food and pet accessories.
For more information, call 858-270-8161, or visit www.noahsnaturalpetmarket.com.