Pupology, Georgetown, TX
OWNER: Janet Cesarini | FOUNDED: 2016 | LOCATIONS: 1 | AREA: 1,300 square feet | EMPLOYEES: 2 fulltime, 1 part-time | URL: shoppupology.com | FACEBOOK: pupology | INSTAGRAM: pupology | TOP BRANDS: Green Juju, Steve’s Real Food, Primal Pet Foods, Northwest Naturals, Stella & Chewy’s, Fromm, FirstMate, Weruva, Pets Global, Earth Animal
JANET CESARINI lets love guide her. In 2016, she combined her passions for holistic health and pets into Pupology. First a popup shop, the business now offers nutritional guidance, biologically appropriate foods and treats, supportive supplements, and healthy chewing and playing options in a 1,300-square-foot 1950s cottage in Georgetown, TX. A stenciled “I Woof You So Much” adorns a section of the white picket fence out front, and as shoppers exit the store they see “Love One Another” painted above the door.
“It’s a reminder that we are all family,” Cesarini says. “My personal mission is for people to leave feeling good after we’ve had an interaction,” and to better the lives of pets and people in her community.
She does exactly that, serving as a respected resource for healthy pet products and a generous supporter of fellow local businesses.
Congratulations From One of Your Top-Selling Brands
HOME SWEET & SAVVY HOME
For her pop-up shop, Cesarini created a fun, whimsical style. She continues that aesthetic in Pupology’s now permanent home. Brand colors pink, white and black pop throughout the business, alongside additional stenciled messages and artwork.
Occupying a 1950s cottage gives Janet Cesarini the freedom to have fun with her exterior.
The store’s layout includes five themed rooms designed to build strong relationships with customers and provide them with an engaging and personal shopping experience. Upon entering, customers find the checkout desk, feature wall and Supplement Station lit by two crystal chandeliers.
“Seasonal and impulse buys, and items warranting a conversation before purchase, such as supplements, tinctures and CBD,” Cesarini says of the products she offers here.
The Supplement Station’s location up front creates educational opportunities.
Next up: the Toy Room with interactive and plush toys for dogs and cats, as well as gear such as leashes and collars. This room also features the Celebration Station, a display of ready-to-eat hand-decorated birthday and gotcha day bones, cake and ice cream mixes, and celebratory accessories.
Stencilled artwork adds to the fun and festive atmosphere at Pupology.
A disco ball hangs from the ceiling in the Treat Room, which offers a curated mix of single-ingredient and limited-ingredient options and functional chews. Customers also find here the Doggie Deli, set up like a candy store with glass jars for an interactive shopping experience.
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The Raw Room best represents Pupology’s core business: healthy, biologically appropriate diets for pets. Seven freezers store raw foods and supplements here, with three holding additional stock in the back. The Dry Room with thoughtfully selected kibble and canned foods sits just beyond it.
“The way we set up the store was strategic. As customers make their way to the Dry Room, they must pass the raw food freezers, purposefully prompting conversations and questions,” Cesarini explains. “We want to meet people where they are. So we want to see where they are, educate them about healthier options and then marry the two. We have the opportunity to speak with them about adding toppers like bone broth and about the treats they give their pets.” Raw makes up 50% of overall food sales.
Customers will find a selection of raw foods and toppers at the store, plus multiple places to pose their pups.
Clear glass jars, galvanized metal buckets and tins, and wooden crates continue the homey feel of the store, as does the team’s customer-service approach: to make all feel like a much-loved member of the Pupology pack.
LOVE FOR HANK & HOLISM
In August of 2022, a cancer diagnosis for Cesarini’s beloved Australian Shepherd Hank confirmed she and Pupology were on the right path. Inoperable metastatic cancer had spread to his lungs and should have taken him within a few months. She believed an approach that combined holistic methods with veterinary specialists would improve Hank’s quality and quantity of life.
“Hank is now 11 1/2 and living with cancer — he’s outlived his prognosis,” Cesarini says. “It’s a daily journey, but he’s healthy, happy, active, eating, and continues his integrative holistic protocol of Chinese herbs, CBD, mushrooms, whole foods, hyperbaric oxygen therapy and intravenous vitamin C sessions. Hank is my heart. He is my teaching dog. He helps me help others.”
Hank inspires much of what Cesarini does at Pupology.
She and the Pupology team share a love of learning. Ongoing sales and nutrition training by Cesarini herself and manufacturers combine with independent study and hands-on experience. She says, “My three employees are seekers of knowledge.”
They all also have a passion for sharing their knowledge of holistic pet health practices with Pupology customers.
“We always try to come from the standpoint of not having to add to the load the body already carries,” Cesarini says. “Whether it’s runny eyes, leaky gut, hip and joint or skin issues, our approach always comes from the standpoint of what does the body provide?”
Assistant manager Harley Mitchell adds, “It’s about looking at root causes, and diving a lot deeper than just putting a bandage on things. Our passion and purpose are interchangeable: How can we educate pet parents and make pets’ lives better using natural sources?”
EXTENDED FAMILY
Pupology still pops up at area market days and other events, and FURst Saturdays invite local rescues, holistic health practitioners and other small businesses to set up on the PAWtio. Free quarterly microchip clinics and annual Photos With Santa Paws also contribute to the sense of family Cesarini fosters with customers.
“By building relationships, you build trust,” she says. “That helps us to execute our mission, which is to educate pet parents about natural ways to feed and nurture their pets.”
Five More Cool Things About PUPOLOGY
1. PUP-FRIENDLY: To say Pupology welcomes dogs would be an understatement. In addition to the warm welcome they get inside, two tables topped with purple umbrellas out front draw customers who want to sit outside for a bit with their pups after shopping.
2. LISTEN UP: To promote holistically focused choices and their businesses, Cesarini co-hosts a monthly podcast with Pam Roussell, certified holistic health practitioner and founder of Purrrfectly Holistic, and Jessica Fisher, pet parent coach and R+ dog trainer. The team has posted 10 episodes since December and totaled 1,000 downloads. Raw diets, natural parasite control and vaccination are among the topics so far.
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3. PHOTO OPS: The store serves as a regular backdrop for pet parents who like to share pics of their dogs on social media. They can pose in front of the “I Woof You So Much” mural year-round, and greenery-covered sections of fence change with the seasons and holidays. This has helped the store grow its social media reach to nearly 10,000, a nice number for a small city of 75,000ish residents.
4. SENIOR CITIZENS: Pupology supports Living Grace Canine Ranch with ongoing food donations and fundraising efforts. The organization saves, serves and values the lives of displaced, unadoptable and unwanted senior canines in Texas. Cesarini’s own five dogs are all seniors, so she is all too aware of the fragility of life.
5. SHOP SMALL: Cesarini loves to support her fellow small businesses — pet and other — in the area. In addition to inviting them to FURst Saturdays, she regular shares their events and promotions on social media and tells customers about the services they provide.
JUDGES’ COMMENTS
Katherine Carbonaro, Astro Loyalty: I love how each room is themed — so much fun, encourages exploration and discovery. I also really love that supplements and tinctures are at the front. They do require a conversation, and it bums me out when I see amazing supplements in the back of a store collecting dust. I love how their staff is able to advise and counsel customers on the products they carry, and it’s awesome that they also refer to other holistic businesses within the community. There’s obvious trust there, which is awesome.
Nancy Guinn, Dog Krazy Inc.: The “I Woof You So Much” photo op spot is adorable! Definitely a place I would bring my dog to for photos!
Lyn M. Falk, Retailworks Inc.: Great exterior. Fun name. Clever marketing and display work in a small space.
Missy Limbeck, Pet Palette Distribution: Very unique space and well-done decorating the exterior, seasonally and every day! Love the idea of having a PAWtio with photo opportunities for pet parents. The business logo is super cute, and that follows through with all other marketing and online efforts. The story of Hankgave me chills, what a fighter!
Peter Scott, American Pet Products Association: Everything here looks so personal and heartfelt, which makes it great. The building looks like an extension of her family.
