When For Other Living Things (FOLT) owner, Anita, was just a wee thing growing up on Long Island, NY, she was already a hopeless animal lover and advocate. She became more and more frustrated with the lack of appropriate products for animals. Remember, this was back in the dark ages when KONGs didn’t exist. She knew she wanted to open a pet store, she knew she was going to call it ‘For Other Living Things’, and she knew she wasn’t going to sell items that were, at best, a waste of money, and at worst, downright harmful for our pets.
Fast forward about 50 million years to the year 2,000. Knowing all about Anita’s dreams of opening FOLT, her husband, Dennis, bought her the domain name www.forotherlivingthings.com. She started selling healthy food, hay, and toys for rabbits online. Why did she start with rabbits? Well, her first 2 rabbits came to her completely unplanned (they were hopping around in her front yard). She discovered soon after how hard it was to find not just healthy products, but reliable information about small animals. Luckily, in her quest for information she found The House Rabbit Society and Oxbow. When she started forotherlivingthings.com, she wanted to share her knowledge as well as make these healthy products easily available to other rabbit guardians.
In 2001, she and Dennis started looking for a storefront. Our current location was available for rent. Having been a bakery for 30 years, it was also covered with cake batter and flour dust. It took months to clean, paint, prep and ready the store to open. It was challenging, fun at times, and a lot of work. The family dogs had the hardest job though. If you’ve ever noticed what look like muddy footprints on the floor near the pellet stove, those were the 4 family dogs. They came in, walked through paint and across the floor. All but one have since passed away and the store, with those footprints, is a lovely reminder of how enriched our lives are by sharing part of it with them.
December 3, 2001 FOLT officially opened its doors. It has continued to be challenging, fun, and a lot of work.We look forward to another 12 years with you all!
Fast forward about 50 million years to the year 2,000. Knowing all about Anita’s dreams of opening FOLT, her husband, Dennis, bought her the domain name www.forotherlivingthings.com. She started selling healthy food, hay, and toys for rabbits online. Why did she start with rabbits? Well, her first 2 rabbits came to her completely unplanned (they were hopping around in her front yard). She discovered soon after how hard it was to find not just healthy products, but reliable information about small animals. Luckily, in her quest for information she found The House Rabbit Society and Oxbow. When she started forotherlivingthings.com, she wanted to share her knowledge as well as make these healthy products easily available to other rabbit guardians.
In 2001, she and Dennis started looking for a storefront. Our current location was available for rent. Having been a bakery for 30 years, it was also covered with cake batter and flour dust. It took months to clean, paint, prep and ready the store to open. It was challenging, fun at times, and a lot of work. The family dogs had the hardest job though. If you’ve ever noticed what look like muddy footprints on the floor near the pellet stove, those were the 4 family dogs. They came in, walked through paint and across the floor. All but one have since passed away and the store, with those footprints, is a lovely reminder of how enriched our lives are by sharing part of it with them.
December 3, 2001 FOLT officially opened its doors. It has continued to be challenging, fun, and a lot of work.We look forward to another 12 years with you all!
