Pug & Hound Pet Apothecary Takes a Holistic Approach to Pet Care

Pug & Hound Pet Apothecary, Geneva, IL

OWNERS: Krysta Fox and Jeff Di Re; FOUNDED: 2018; locations: 1; AREA: 2,100 square feet; WEBSITE: pugandhound.com; FACEBOOK: pugandhound; INSTAGRAM: pugandhoundpetapothecary; TIKTOK: pugandhoundpetapothecary; TOP-SELLING BRAND FEATURE SPONSOR: Four Leaf Rover; TOP BRANDS: Adored Beast Apothecary, AnimalBiome, BarkNBig, CBD Dog Health, CocoTherapy, Dr. Conor Brady/Dogs First, Dr. Harvey’s, Earth Buddy Pet, Farm Hounds, Four Leaf Rover, Green Element, Green Juju, MycoDog, Nature’s Logic, Raw Bistro, Smallbatch, Solutions Pet Products, Steve’s Real Food, Woof Creek Pet Wellness

Krysta Fox and Bruce Wayne | Jeff Di Re and Willy

WHEN BRUCE WAYNE the Pug passed away in April at age 14, the loss was devastating to Krysta Fox, co-owner of Pug & Hound Pet Apothecary in Geneva, IL, with her husband and business partner, Jeff Di Re. “He was the reason I became who I am today,” she explains. “I would not have become a veterinary technician, met my husband, nor had our store without Bruce and all that he taught me.”

At 5 years old, Bruce developed intervertebral disc disease, which was the beginning of health problems eventually tied to Pug myelopathy. “His myriad issues — eye, dental, spinal, urinary, hepatic, hematological, respiratory — forced me to learn fast and intensely, in terms of how to manage these issues holistically, without serious pharmaceutical intervention or damage,” Fox says. “His history literally is the foundation of knowledge I have, around which Pug & Hound is built.”

Congratulations From One of Your Top-Selling Brands

She and Di Re met while working at another holistically minded pet store. With her background as a seasoned veterinary technician and his as a fresh-food advocate, it made sense to start their own business. They founded Pug & Hound Pet Apothecary in 2018 to provide pet parents with a reliable resource for using natural supplements and remedies, with Di Re as president and chief sales officer and Fox as chief executive officer, training director, and veterinary practice manager for the in-house clinic.

Fox says, “In just six years, we’ve grown from a small store with one freezer to a 2,100-square-foot space with a 2,600-cubic-foot walk-in freezer to accommodate fresh-food sales. We now offer the largest pet supplement selection in the Midwest, along with holistic veterinary services and personalized nutritional consultations. Our business has flourished, reaching over $1 million in sales in the first four years and projecting $2 million in 2025. Pug & Hound is now a full-service health and wellness destination for pets.”

SHELF AFTER SHELF: Pug & Hound offers the largest pet supplement selection in the Midwest.

Design Reigns

The business moved from its first site a mere block and half away to the current location in June 2024. “We were running out of room for frozen products, selling out in 48 hours for some brands,” Fox says. “We found our new location and were able to build a huge walk-in freezer to accommodate our fresh-food sales.”

Staff and customers love the new red-brick building’s private parking lot and inviting layout. Boasting an open concept, vines cover beams in the 20-foot ceiling to emphasize the brand’s devotion to plant-based medicine. A color scheme of green, black and gray with wood accents flows throughout. Rustic industrial makes up the vibe, with repurposed nail bins and other antique fixtures to create an elemental theme of wood, fire, earth, metal and water, highlighting the couple’s dedication to Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine (TCVM) principles. Fox says, “We also offer no-slip rubber flooring throughout the entire store to ensure our clientele do not have to worry about traction. We have no steps to get in and out of our building, making it highly hospitable to disabled pets and their parents.”

Located behind the register, they converted the office into a fully equipped and stocked veterinary exam room. “Dr. Heather Nickel sees patients right in our store,” Fox says. “We’re able to perform standard blood draws, mineral analyses, microbiome evaluations, mycotoxin panels and more — offering both holistic and integrative care in one seamless experience.”

11 DOORS: A custom-built 2,600-cubic-foot walk-in freezer accommodates fresh-food sales.

Products Rule

Pug & Hound carries everything from pet supplements and frozen foods to collars and leashes to animal healthcare books. There’s an entire wall of toys and a custom-made chew bar, plus a small section of products for people. “When I find brands that I really like and they make a human line, we’ll carry it,” Fox says. Examples are human supplements, Bee Coco candles, Fatworks Tallow, and the line of Sweet Taste of Sunshine Local Honey, sourced from an area beekeeper who rescues bees. Human T-shirts with the store tagline “What animal cooks their food?” also are available, which Di Re hopes gets people thinking.

In the largest pet supplement selection of arguably any store in the Midwest (see 5 Cool Things, p.72), products are divided into ailments or body concerns, such as cardiac or liver detox, with signage oriented toward that. And although supplements are a major focus, cat and dog food play a big role, too. “Food is 75% of our total revenue, with 70% of that being frozen, including treats,” Fox says. “Supplements are 18%, supplies 4%, services 2% and growing. We only did nail trims before our vet came on board. Now that our vet practice is growing, this number will as well.”

The husband-and-wife team makes decisions together on which products to carry. Food and treats cannot contain glycerin, any type of sugar (molasses, maltodextrin, high-fructose corn syrup), grains, glutens, dyes, GMOs, cellulose, pea protein/fiber, silicon dioxide, natural or artificial flavoring, seed oils or have origins in China. The all whole food-based selection doesn’t allow synthetic vitamin packs. Fox explains, “We have these rules to ensure our customers do not have to fear picking out something that could feed disease or contribute to inflammation within their pets’ bodies since we are heavily focused on addressing medical needs like cancer and autoimmune illnesses.”

Setting such standards has been one of their biggest payoffs. She says, “Over time, not only have customers come to greatly appreciate it, but brands seek us out for our approval and to be allowed in our store. It was a risk that paid off immensely and brings us great pride now six years into it.”

RUSTIC INDUSTRIAL: Antique hardware bins mix with state-of-the-art freezers at Pug & Hound Pet Apothecary.

Knowledge Leads

Pug & Hound is almost entirely staffed by veterinary technicians who guide customers in making informed decisions for their pets. “Our staff goes beyond because we are heavily focused on addressing medical concerns,” Fox says. “We know our customers and the problems their pets face. We regularly check in to make sure our product recommendations are working.” Di Re adds, “We also have Staff Picks of the Month for supplements or products to get their recommendations out there, which is important.”

Education is just as essential as the products offered. Expert-led events regularly happen in store to help create an unforgettable experience that sets Pug & Hound apart from the typical pet retail space. “From in-depth talks to intimate book signings, we bring nationally recognized voices in pet wellness directly to our customers,” Fox says. “These events feature formulators, authors and specialists who share firsthand insights into the products they’ve created and the science behind them.”

CURB APPEAL: The focus on plants in pet care extends to the store’s exterior.

Passion Forward

Fox and Di Re hope to pass on their holistic passion to other pet pros. Fox is working on a supplement masterclass for retailers “so they can understand how important supplements are and how to effectively choose them and sell them.”

Their five-year plan includes stepping back from directly running the business and focusing more on Fox’s personalized health consulting and Di Re’s consulting with other stores on how to choose and merchandise products. For the more immediate future, they are working toward 50% growth in sales and revenue, with the veterinary practice expected to spur the majority of that increase.

As pet parents themselves, the couple totally relate to their customers. They have two dogs: Hound-mix Willy, part of the brand name and logo, plus sweet Xena, a Pitbull mix. As for Pug Bruce Wayne, he continues to be the face of the brand. “Bruce’s legacy will live forever through the thousands of dogs helped by Pug & Hound because of what we all learned from Bruce,” Fox says.

Five Cool Things About Pug & Hound Pet Apothecary

1. IN-STORE VET CLINIC: In 2024, the brand partnered with long-time customer and small-animal veterinarian Dr. Heather Nickel, who has holistic experience and is certified Fear-Free. She does telehealth consultations and is in-store usually every other week, which will become more frequent as the practice grows. This has sparked interest from other local holistic veterinarians looking to collaborate.

2. BRUCE WAYNE: The beloved Pug was a constant presence at the shop with his sassy, raspy bark that made everyone smile. He hung out behind the counter, waiting for people to greet him and give him a snack. Part of the name and logo, Bruce also took part in brand videos and funny seasonal campaigns, where he’d make appearances with Taylor Swift or on the red carpet. Fox says, “He embodies the heart of Pug & Hound: joyful, intentional and just a little fabulous.”

Bruce Wayne co-starred in many social media videos with Fox.

3. PRODUCT VIDEOS: The business is known for its videos on social media. Many feature Bruce as a sidekick, which viewers love. Views can reach up to 2k-plus. Di Re says they keep videos short to keep viewers’ attention: They name the product, two of its benefits and name the store. People regularly come into the store saying, “I saw that video, and I want that product.”

4. EXTENSIVE SUPPLEMENT INVENTORY: The shop carries so many different brands and types of supplements for cats and dogs that they fill 45 industrial shelves, measuring 24 inches deep by 48 inches wide by 72 inches high each. Selling supplements successfully can be challenging. Di Re says that it takes time to learn about everything. “You have to know how to sell them and to talk about them.”

5. CUSTOM 2,600-CUBIC-FOOT FREEZER: A local, family-owned refrigeration company built the massive freezer at Pug & Hound panel by panel, with a taller ceiling than a traditional walk-in freezer to allow for an 8-foot storage rack on the back wall. Customers can open the 11 glass-door fronts, merchandised with raw food, toppers, bone broths and healthy frozen treats. The backside of the freezer, open to employees only, stores backstock as well as bulk treats in air-tight containers to kill any uninvited beetles that climbed aboard before delivery to the store.

PHOTO GALLERY (11 IMAGES)