For years, Pete VanVranken has advised veterinary clients on the best ways to feed and nurture their beloved pets. With the opening of his new store last month, VanVranken hopes to make that information more accessible at the retail level.
VanVranken is the owner of The Scoop, a specialty, drive-thru pet food store at 250 S. Washington Ave., in Battle Creek. The business, which opened Dec. 1, fills a building near Dickman Road that used to be occupied by the Drive-Thru Party Factory, a neighborhood convenience store.
The Scoop is something of a passion project for VanVranken, a veterinarian at the nearby Dickman Road Veterinary Clinic for more than 40 years.
Instead of trying to compete with area veterinary clinics, he said he wants The Scoop to act as a companion to their work, providing brands on the shelves that all are hand-picked after careful research and consideration of the ingredients of the food.
“We don’t sell much dog food at our place because it’s a busy place — you have to come in and wait in line and you’re waiting with people who have sick pets,” he said of the clinic. “This is the retail version. We sell a ton of dog food down there and most of it is prescription. This is non-prescription, so this will be less expensive than prescription food.”
VanVranken purchased the 4,064-square-foot, two-story property in May for $110,000, according to city records. The building, which VanVranken said was in “bad shape,” was renovated before the opening.
The business of information is deeply personal to VanVranken after the 2014 death of his family’s 6-year-old dog, Cookie. In August, he told the Enquirer that a biopsy of Cookie’s liver found 40 times more copper sulfate, an inorganic compound found in some dog food brands, than normal.
A large photo of Cookie and VanVranken’s daughter hangs on the wall in The Scoop’s still-to-be-opened drive-thru area.
The untimely death prompted the longtime veterinarian to ask questions about why dog food companies are using copper in their products, given the long-term damage it can cause to a dog’s health.
VanVranken selected brands of food and treats for The Scoop that have been engineered by industry experts with knowledge of proper nutrition for animals. The business also offers nutrition, health and training information for pet owners. He said this might make prices higher — though not much higher — for consumers in some areas, but he’s aiming for the business to provide a high level of service and convenience that will make up for when prices are higher.
“The science thing, we’re trying to make it convenient for you,” he said. “We’ve research a fair amount of this and almost everything I’ve got my hands on is designed a veterinarian with a Ph.D. in nutrition. That’s who you want making your stuff.
“If your mother is going in for an operation, you want her to go into see somebody who’s done a bunch of it and is damn good at it. That’s the way it is.”
Richland resident Irena Rees, manager of The Scoop, said she was turned on to the project in early 2015 after having discussions with VanVranken about it. Rees, who used to operate a pet store in Kalamazoo, said she was drawn to VanVranken’s extensive experience with animals, knowing what he can bring to a business — and to a community.
“I admire him,” Rees said. “I would send my children (animals) to him and did for years. When I worked at the other pet store, folks would come in and say ‘Irena, I don’t know what to do.’ I said, ‘Stop, you need a second opinion.’ Go to him, get a second opinion and it’s worth it.
“The 16 years I’ve known him, he’s cured more dogs and found things others didn’t find.”
More information about The Scoop is available by contacting the store at 962-0228.
Contact Dillon Davis at 269-966-0698 or dwdavis@battlecreekenquirer.com. Follow him on Twitter: @DillonDavis
