Napa's Milo & Friends Pet Boutique celebrates four

Items for sale at Milo and Friends pet boutique.

Milo and Friends pet boutique opened June 6, 2020.

Items for sale at Milo and Friends pet boutique.

Milo and Friends Pet Boutique opened at First Street Napa on Saturday, June 6. The 868-square-foot store is located at Suite 317, across from Compline. Chandler Manasse is the business owner.

Chandler Manasse, the owner of Milo & Friends Pet Boutique at 1300 First St., Suite 317, has been living with Milo, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, for six years now. Manasse is from a big and very close family, and within a couple of weeks after moving out on her own for the first time, she was lonely.

"I realized I needed a pet," she said.

Two weeks after Milo moved in, Manasse's sister found two, 2 ½ week old kittens by a trash can. Her sister kept one of them, and the other, which Manasse named "Otis," came home with her. "He and Milo have been besties from the start." Three years later, another dog, Chief, joined the family. If she wasn't before these three joined her, Manasse is now a confirmed animal lover.

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Manasse is a very busy woman, which is how she likes it. She's a full-time surgery nurse at Napa's Providence Queen of the Valley and recently received certification to be an RN First Assistant. She loves her job, but had an itch to make animals a bigger part of her life.

In October 2019, the family had dinner downtown. Waiting for the right time, Manasse casually brought up that she was thinking about opening a pet boutique. She braced herself for a chorus of "No's," and was surprised when everyone said, "That's a good idea. You should do it."

"I’ve never owned a business. Soon as I got home from that dinner, I jumped on Google, researching properties, pet boutiques, animal food — all of it." Manasse found space in First Street Napa. She began negotiations with the landlord and signed a lease — one week before COVID began to shut down the world. She opened June 6, 2020.

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"The first couple of years were tough," she said. "We had to hold events outside, and had paw prints six feet apart for social distancing."

Still, locals, thrilled to have a great pet boutique in town, started shopping at Milo & Friends. It helps that Milo & Friends offers free front-porch delivery to locals. Don't want to pick up that 25-pound bag of food? Manasse will see to it that it gets delivered.

"We’ve had regular customers, who come in weekly, since the very beginning. I’ve met so many amazing people. I didn't think about it when I planned on opening, but that's been the biggest and best surprise about owning this business."

It's no surprise that folks flock to Milo & Friends. Manasse has done her homework, and in her words, "Milo & Friends is a carefully curated boutique with unique items for dogs and cats." She buys from smaller businesses, staying local whenever possible with products like "Drool" Dog Cookies, "Napa Dog Treats," "Soapy Tales" Bath Bars and "Rovers Relief," a CDB product from San Francisco.

Pet food is handled the same way, with an emphasis on limited ingredient foods and organic products. Her lines include, "Small Batch Pets," offering raw food and treats; "Pure Vita," organic, limited ingredient foods; and ‘Green Juju," freeze dried treats.

In an answer to the inclement weather, she stocks "Ruff Wear," an outdoor-based collection that includes snow jackets, grip tex boots and waist worn leases. "We’ve been on the waiting list to represent them since we opened. With the weather we’ve been having, it's perfect that we carry Ruff Wear now." And at the end of the day? "We have Best Buds Brew," a truly non-alcoholic beer your dog can enjoy as you have your cocktail.

"The best part is that suppliers are now seeking us out, asking us to try and carry their products," Manasse said. Although she seems to have nailed the mix from the beginning, Manasse has and will make changes to her product line, to best serve her customers.

To balance her life as a nurse and business owner, Manasse employs four people. Linsey Westrope has been at Milo & Friends from the beginning, and is the operations manager. Westrope joined Manasse for what was her first buying show in Las Vegas recently. "She was shocked at how many people were there and the number of products being shown."

Even if you don't shop with Milo & Friends, Manasse invites you to follow them on social media.

"We have lots of fun events, including Yappy Hour, Doggie Kissing Booths, Pet Portraits with Santa, even an Easter Egg hunt."

Milo & Friends is open daily. Info: 707-637-4265.

There are many reasons why a dog might start howling, including to get attention and announce its presence.

Summer can bring scorching temperatures that leave responsible dog owners wondering when it's too hot to take their pup on a walk. Dogs tend to overheat more quickly than humans, so paying careful attention to the temperature and your dog's body language is essential.

As a general rule, if the temperatures are over 90 degrees, you’ll likely want to wait until the cooler evening for a walk. You can also place the back of your hand on the sidewalk or pavement and hold it there for seven seconds. If that's too hot for your hand, it's also too hot for your dog's paws.

Following a few simple safety tips can make long summer strolls just as fun for your dog as they are for you. Here's what you need to know as the temperatures rise.

When the sun is at its peak, pavement can become scorching hot. It's best to save walks for early mornings or late evenings when the temperature is cooler. Skip mid-day walks when the sun is blazing unless you can stroll in a wooded area where the ground gets plenty of shade.

Just as it's important for people to get plenty of water on hot days, it's also important for dogs. When walking in the summer, grab a cold water bottle and a collapsible dog bowl. If you notice excessive panting or salivation, take a break and give your dog time to hydrate. Freezing low-sodium broth in an ice cube tray is also a great way to get your dog more fluids in the summer.

Staying in shady wooded areas is ideal, but for city-dwellers, it's best to cross to the shady side of the street. Plan your dog's walking routes in areas with more tree or building coverage to keep your dog's paws cooler. As a bonus, it might help you avoid your next sunburn.

As mentioned before, if the sidewalk is too hot for the back of your hand, it's also too hot for your dog's paws. Stick to grassy areas, or get some breathable dog booties to protect their paws from hot pavement.

Dogs produce far less sweat than people, so they’ll need your help to stay cool in the summer.

Watch for common signs of your dog overheating which include:

Excessive panting

Difficulty breathing

Drooling

Weakness

Fatigue

Collapsing

If you notice any of these symptoms, get to a shady spot and offer your dog plenty of water. Wetting your dog's paws, belly, and ears with cool water can also help bring down their body temperature. You can even store some dog ice cream in the freezer for a special treat when you get home.

When walking your dog in the summer, it's important to keep the warning signs of overheating in mind, especially with dog breeds that have short noses or thick coats. If you follow a few simple safety tips, your dog can enjoy the long summer days and all the extra evening walks that come with the season.

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