In this, our “Biz on Biz” feature, we ask an owner or employee at one New Canaan business to tell us about a favorite thing at another business: an item, a quality, a service, anything.
So when Sonny Yi, on-site owner of the popular FroYo purveyor Swirl, told us that he loves the way fellow Cherry Street merchant Shirleen Dubuque, owner of Village Critter Outfitter, deals with her customers, we pressed Yi for more specifics.
“A few days ago, there was a lost dog, in the parking lot here,” Yi said, pointing out the window. “It was a family that actually stopped into our store. There were like four kids and one adult so it was kind of crazy, and when the kids jumped out of the car, the dog must’ve come out too, but they didn’t realize. They just hopped back in the car and drove away. So the dog just kind of was wondering around, looking into our shop.”
Shirleen Dubque, owner of Village Critter Outfitter, swaddled up a lost dog in the parking lot outside her shop over the weekend, and saw it back to its owner.
The dog was a female King Charles Cavalier Spaniel, and every time Yi went to pick it up, the dog moved away.
“And Shirleen must’ve seen that, and so she ran over and boom, picked her up and kind of caressing it, looked at it, and took it back to her store and called the owner,” Yi recalled. “So that’s what I mean, those little things, she really cares and is passionate about what she does. She’s passionate about taking care of the pets.”
Dubuque, who constantly has leashed dogs walking into her store, said the incident marked the first time she spotted a lost dog in the lot, just off of heavily trafficked Cherry Street.
She held out her hand so that the dog would come toward her, careful not to reach out over the top of the animal’s head, and the little Cavalier allowed Dubuque to pick her up.
Asked what it means to her and to the identity of Village Critter to be involved with her customers and with the town—such as in the “Dog Days of Summer” event coming up in June (which benefits PAWS and STAR Relief, both serving needy animals)—Dubuque said it’s “very, very important.”
“Being part of these people’s lives,” said Dubuque, who serves as vice president of the New Canaan Chamber of Commerce. “Growing up with their families. Growing up with their dogs. Understanding all of these things. Their vacation time. We are friendly with each other and understand what’s going on with each other. And it’s familiar. Customers like to deal with people who are ingrained in the community.”