In our PETS+ Brain Squad survey on how COVID-19 has affected pet businesses, we asked, “Have you made any change in your cleaning/hygiene policies? If so, what are they?”
Respondents made it clear that cleaning was already a top priority in their operations, and shared what they are doing to protect staff and customers.
- “I’m straight up OCD about cleaning anyway, so that hasn’t changed. We are now wiping down door handles every hour; before it was once a day.” — Anna Woodcock, Brown Dog Bakery, Ankeny, IA
- “We created a spreadsheet/checklist. Some things are hourly, some every two hours, some a couple times a day depending on what surface it is and how often used.” — Jennifer Larsen, Firehouse Pet Shop in Wenatchee, WA
- “We wipe down the counter and register after every transaction. Increased cleaning to high-traffic areas.” — Niki Libarios, Hawaii Doggie Bakery, Honolulu, HI
- “We have always kept our shop cleaned and disinfected. As a groom shop with dogs in and out all day, it is a must. However, we are being very proactive as each customer comes in to disinfect the counters, door handles and charge machines. I ask them if they want me to do the touching of the machine with their input. They can insert the card, and I can push the buttons. So far our clients are cheerful but diligent.” — Melissa Ripple Paws & Effect, LLC, Eustis, FL
- “We Lysol everything between ringing up customers.” — Kim Loper, Harbor Pet, Greenport, NY
- “We wipe down the counters, pin pad, freezer door handles, and the entry/exit door handles after the customer or group of customers have left. (We are a small store, so we don’t usually get more than three customers at the same time.) We use hand sanitizer before and after each customer is served.” — Kimberly Gatto, The Wagging Tail, Las Vegas, NV
- “We are sanitizing our floor more frequently and doing ‘high touch’ wipe-downs every two hours during business hours. Also wiping down the restroom and breakroom more frequently.” — Kate Lindburg, Animal Crackers Pet Supply, Corvallis, OR
- “We just clean more frequently. We are wiping down every surface, iPad screens. We have hand sanitizer at the front counter for customers and extra for the staff.” — Ramie Gulyas, Follow Your Nose, Evanston, IL
- “Cashiers wear latex gloves and spray a viraside along the counters and doors several times a day.” — Frank Frattini, The Hungry Puppy, Farmingdale, NJ
- “As of March 16, we’ve implemented an hourly cleaning schedule of all door handles, restroom and high-touch surfaces. Hand sanitizer available at registers and around the store. Employees are being asked to wash hands every 30 minutes.” — Keefer Dickerson, Nashville Pet Products, Nashville, TN Y
- “Washing hands at every stop and using hand sanitizer in between the client stops we have left. Not touching anything we don’t have to.” — KellyCatlett, Waggs 2 Whiskers, LLC, Bagdad, KY
- “While we have always regularly disinfected our boarding area, we have increased cleaning in our front desk/retail area. We are wiping all surfaces (including desk, computer, mouse, door handles, pens, etc.) with an approved disinfectant multiple times per day, and we do a final wipe of all frequently touched surfaces as we are closing the building for the night.” — Myra Tsung, Camp Kitty, Decatur, GA
- “We have set up self-service hand sanitizer bottles throughout the store. Areas in which customers and employees come into contact are frequently cleaned with hospital-grade disinfectant.” — Robert Durham, Willis Feed Mill Co, LLC, Willis, MI
- “We’re really focusing on our attention on ensuring our lobby and reception area is sanitized during the day (countertops, credit card reader, computers, door knobs, etc.) as well as the back of our facility for our employees.” — Natalie Bosch, Albany Pet Hotel, Albany, OR
- “Added hand-washing and leash Lysol spraying as leashes and collars pass hands.” — Angela Pantalone, Wag Central, Stratford, CT
- “Staff wears latex gloves, wiping down surfaces more frequently, staff washing hands often.” — Audree Berg, Auggie’s Doggies Pet Supplies, Fort Lauderdale, FL
- “We have increased the amount of cleaning that we normally do. We wipe down door handles, freezer door handles, credit card terminals, registers, etc., with Lysol wipes every hour. We wear gloves when ringing up customers.” — Victoria Park, Park Pet Supply, Atlanta GA
- “We’ve always had good cleaning practices but we’ve ramped them up so now all counters, pin pads, scanners, keyboards, restrooms, and shopping baskets are being cleaned and sanitized multiple times per day. Freezer doors and shop doors are being cleaned multiple times per day.” — Jeff Jensen, Four Muddy Paws, St. Louis, MO
- “Provided gloves and hospital grade disinfecting wipes to all staff.” — Beth Cristiano, Pretty Paws, LLC, Harrison, NY
- “We have increased our daily cleaning, wiping down all high contact services (door handles, CC machines, etc.). Display tables are disinfected every day. Hand sanitizer is provided at checkout. Employees are encouraged to stay home if they feel under the weather.” — Jamie Judson, City Bark, Detroit, MI
- “We’re now using the cleaners we use in grooming in our store: Virkon.” — Nancy Guinn, Dog Krazy, Fredericksburg VA
As of March 20, 73 owners and managers have responded to our survey. Stay tuned for more results. Join the PETS+ Brain Squad to take part in surveys. To hear more from your independent pet business peers, join our Facebook Community.
