Care-A-Lot Pet Supply
Everything You Need to Care for Your Pets
When Care-A-Lot Pet Supply opened in 1988, it started with a black and white catalog that was handed out at dog shows along with a small showroom where products were sold and shipped. Since then, the company has expanded to include five retail stores in three cities where co-owners Denise and Bobby Clarke sell food and supplies for dogs, cats, birds, fish, reptiles, and small animals. Each store has a salon that provides dog grooming services.
Their story is one of resilience to changing consumer habits, and a story of a local couple’s commitment to their community and its pets. “Above all, we are a local company,” says Denise, who added that people are surprised to learn that their business isn’t part of a national chain. “We are Virginia Beach natives and grew up in the Kempsville area.”
Care-A-Lot Pet Supply offers self-serve bathing stations with three different size tubs so pet owners can bathe their dogs in an easy and convenient way. Plus shampoo, towels, air dryers are available, and a treat for the sweet pups.
The company’s values and the Clarkes’ desire to serve the community are reflected in the organizations they support. They started the Care-A-Lot Charitable Foundation, “for the purpose of helping pets in need while they wait for their forever homes,” Denise says.
“It’s that commitment to animal welfare that makes our relationship so special,” says Kathy Ferebee, TowneBank executive vice president and commercial banker, who has worked with Denise and Bobby since 2015. “They are very supportive of animals,” she adds.
Care-A-Lot Pet Supply also contributes to the National MS Society and the Special Olympics, through the Polar Plunge. They work with other animal welfare organizations, including the Norfolk SPCA, the Peninsula SPCA, and the Currituck Animal Shelter.
Dick Clarke and his wife, Mary, long time dog enthusiasts, showed Airedale Terriers as a hobby. Dick came up with the idea for the store as they struggled to find the grooming supplies for their Airedale Terriers. They would have to buy supplies from a catalog or at shows because they weren’t available locally.
 | Care-A-Lot Pet Supply owners, Bobby and Denise Clarke, with their beloved dogs. The Clarkes are committed to animal welfare and started the Care-A-Lot Charitable Foundation to support a variety of nonprofit organizations. |
Bobby worked with his father from day one and they settled on the name Care-A-Lot Pet Supply and opened their initial Diamond Springs Road location. It served as a warehouse, call center, and mail-order center, with a small retail section in front. In the 1980s, the mail-order business was booming, and the family spread the word by distributing catalogs, particularly at dog shows. At the height of the catalog business, they shipped out about 5,000 packages a week and 10 million catalogs per year.
Denise and Bobby were married in 1994, and when Bobby’s parents retired in 1996, Bobby took over as president. Denise joined in a part-time role and later became vice president.
As more people acquired home internet, the demand for catalog sales declined. The couple responded by growing the retail business and providing services, including animal grooming, daycare, and boarding.
In 2005, Care-A-Lot Pet Supply moved from the original warehouse into its current location at 1924 Diamond Springs Road. A store opened in Newport News that same year. Expansion followed with two additional Virginia Beach locations and one in Moyock, North Carolina. The company has about 150 employees who play a huge role in its success, Denise says. “We’ve been in business for as long as we have because of our employees.”
Today, Care-A-Lot Pet Supply still sells online, but much of their business is in person, and interacting with customers is one of the greatest rewards. “When people come into the business, they’re happy because they’re buying something for their pet,” Bobby says.
The couple’s own dogs, one mixed breed and two Labradors, often greet Kathy when she goes to the office on bank business. “When I go in, their precious dogs always greet me. It’s so good to have a dog’s head in my lap,” says Kathy, an animal lover committed to their welfare. Every day offers extra smiles when it’s Bring Your Dog to Work Day!
To learn more, visit CareALotPets.com.