AfFORDable Pet Center in Northampton passed a milestone any small business should be proud of. On Saturday, May 15, the family-owned pet store celebrated its 15th anniversary. Since the pet supplies and pet food store was founded by Mary Ellen and Bill Ford in 2006, it has become Northampton’s go-to shop for quality foods and expert advice when it comes to your furry or feathered friend and their health.
The Mardi Gras-themed celebration brought the party inside and outside. Outside, pet food vendors like Royal Canin were on hand to offer free samples and consult. Inside, there were over 80 raffle baskets for nearly any and every interest, from treat baskets for cats, dogs, rabbits, and even lizards to baskets for the pet parents who deserve a little treat themselves, featuring movie night prizes, relaxing candles, sweet chocolates, and even a “Claws for Paws” White Claw giveaway. The proceeds from the basket raffle were donated to Road Trip Rescue, which rescues dogs and puppies from kill shelters and finds them their forever homes.
The Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce was there to help the Ford family celebrate, along with State Representative Zach Mako and his dog Winston, who presented them with a certificate from the PA House.
“Any time a business thrives like AfFORDable Pet Center, we love to see that in the community,” he said.
He praised the Ford family for helping him when he first adopted Winston. Not knowing anything about dogs, he admitted, he turned to them for advice.
“With that kind of service,” he told them, “you are going to have another 15 years, plus.”
The Ford family was also presented certificates from Northampton County and Senator Pat Toomey.
Mark Haldaman, a Lehigh Valley Chamber Board of Governors member, called AfFORDable Pet Center a “true community partner.”
“It is so nice to have such a hard-working group,” he said. “We love what you have done for the community.”
“We never expected we would be doing this for 15 years,” Bill Ford told the crowd of family, friends, and long-time customers who came out to celebrate.
“It grew into more than what we wanted at first,” he added with a laugh. “[But] we look forward to making lives happier and healthier for all of God’s creatures.”
