Look at your family. You may see your spouse, your parents, your children … and even your pet. According to prnewswire.com and the Harris Poll back in 2015, nearly all pet owners (95%) consider their pets to be members of the family. It’s something we can get on board with, and the trend of fewer children and more pets in a household is on the rise.

Treat your pet as you would your family and loved ones with nothing but the best. Lake Nona’s Woof Gang Bakery makes your pet a top paw-ority. Nonahood News spoke with Ryan Wesner, owner of the Lake Nona Woof Gang Bakery location that opened its doors in January 2013, to see why this local small business puts their best paws forward!

“Our mission is basically to provide excellent service to pet owners that are working to have happy and healthy fur babies through proper grooming and nutrition. This is the company blurb … ‘Woof Gang Bakery is the leading specialty retailer of pet food, pet supplies, and professional pet grooming in North America with more than 130 locations open or under development across the U.S.,’” said Wesner. “‘Woof Gang Bakery offers the very best in pet care by providing quality products and grooming with a service-oriented approach. Each location is a neighborhood store committed to the well-being, health, and happiness of pets.’”

Woof Gang Bakery was founded in 2007, and the story of how the company ended up in Lake Nona is one that will open your heart and make you hug your furry loved ones even tighter.

“I opened the Woof Gang in this area before the population really began to grow. At that time, I had spent over 15 years in commercial real estate and wanted to add something to my life that offered a little more food for the soul. I am a ‘crazy dog person’ and always have thought of my boys as my children. Before I made this decision, one of my boys had been injured at another groomer, and my other dog became gravely ill due to his food,” explained Wesner. “I began to research more about the industry and the needs of pets. There was a need not being met for myself and many others. From there, it just seemed like the obvious solution for myself and hopefully for those that feel the same way for their pets.” 

Woof Gang has something for everyone and every pup’s (and cat’s) needs, and the numbers show.

“We typically groom between 550 and 800 dogs per month depending on the time of year. We probably feed about the same number but not all the same people (some groom but not feed with us, some feed but not groom). [For] products, [we have] high-quality nutrition foods, including traditional kibble-based, raw and freeze-dried diets,” Wesner described. “We also carry natural chews and treats for every shape and size of pup. Not to mention our cookie table of fun and tasty iced cookies! We offer services as simple as cutting or grinding nail[s] to full grooms – including special conditioners, seasonal packages such as pumpkin spice baths, deshedding treatments, facials, tooth brushing, as well as full cleanings by a dental professional.”   

One thing you may not be aware of is that Woof Gang Bakery Lake Nona is a family-owned business. The business offers free delivery for any purchase over $49 in the area. Wesner explained that Woof Gang Bakery Lake Nona is the only pet supply small business in the Lake Nona market with a brick-and-mortar store. So, what sets them apart from other pet businesses?

“We are a locally owned and operated company that strives for great customer service. The owner and manager both live here in the area within a few miles of the store and are always available to help. We also try to stay as active as possible in our community, which is admittedly a growing task [as] the area grows. We welcome it, though, and look forward to welcoming and serving new dog owners to the area,” stated Wesner. “It has always been our policy to stay competitive even when we were the only game in town. That said, we can’t compete with Amazon and Chewy on sticker price. … But what people don’t realize is that if you add in the free bag program we offer [that] they do not, they really aren’t saving money in the long run, along with getting no service and no expertise in the products.” 

For a local small business that is family-owned right in your neck of the woods and cares about your four-legged family member just as much as you do, consider Woof Gang Bakery Lake Nona. They even have a “buy 12 bags of dog food and get one free” promo for most of the brands they carry, as well as monthly specials! 

The specials for December are: 

• Buy three Primal Treats, get one FREE
• $5 off Holistic Hound Full Spectrum Healing Balm (one ounce)
• Purchase any 16 oz. or larger Grizzly Product, get a 16 oz. Joint Hemp Enhanced Liquid Bottle FREE
• Buy two Vital Essentials Freeze Dried Treats, get one FREE
• And more!

Don’t forget to submit your dog to our Dog of the Month contest with Woof Gang Bakery Lake Nona by visiting nona.link/dog. For more information, please visit: https://www.facebook.com/WoofGangLakeNona/