Doggie Style Pets Opening New Store In Cinnaminson Thursday

CINNAMINSON, NJ — A site that was formerly occupied by Pet Valu on Route 130 in Cinnaminson will be home to dogs and cats once more, beginning this Thursday.

Doggie Style Pets opens in The Shoppes at Cinnaminson Thursday morning, according to owner Howard Nelson.

It will occupy the space that formerly belonged to Pet Valu, which closed all its stores last year amid the coronavirus pandemic.

“The Route 130 corridor is a great area,” Nelson said. “We like the space, we like the complex. We think it’s a great match because Cinnaminson is a town that loves their pets.”

Doggie Style Pets prides itself on selling high quality food and thoughtfully curated supplies, and offering nose-to-tail grooming and dog training.

A resident of Center City, Philadelphia, Nelson said he worked in “Corporate America” for years. The lifelong animal lover said he wanted to find a way to help animals, and transitioning to a role with Doggie Style Pets gave him that chance.

He ran a store for several years before he and a business partner purchased the company in 2014. The Philadelphia-based company had six stores when they bought the company, and they’ve since added seven, Nelson said.

While most of the stores are in Pennsylvania, the Cinnaminson store will be his second in South Jersey. The other is in Somers Point.

Nelson is able to help animals through the “Saved Me Rescue” initiative. They rescue dogs and cats from shelters where they would be euthanized due to limited space.

“We provide quality medical care, shelter, food, and a safe and healthy environment for our rescues,” the store says on its website. “Our focus is to save as many lives as possible. We take animals out of the kennels and into our stores, increasing their visibility and chance of being adopted. Emphasis is placed on finding great homes for our animals, and we ensure that all adopters provide a safe, responsible and loving home.”

Since the launch of the program, they have rescued 11,500 animals, Nelson said.

“Even growing up, I would rescue animals,” said Nelson, who said he rescued raccoons when he was a child.

As an adult, Nelson continues to rescue animals on his own. He personally owns a rescue dog. Abi is a 7-year-old pit bull mix.

The business accepts volunteer dog walkers, and each store has a cat that represents that store. They are in the process of selecting a cat for the Cinnaminson store, which opens Thursday morning.

Doggie Style Pets is open 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., Monday through Saturday; and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday. For more information on the store, visit doggiestylepets.com.