Making the "Ruff Life" of Our Pets a Little Easier

I stumbled into Ruff Life during my 30 day challenge last fall.  I had heard that there was a great pet specialty store and thought I would check it out as we practically have a zoo at our house.  Okay,  we are not that bad - just 3 dogs and 1 cat (there are no fish or partridges in a pear tree quite yet).  I went in with the idea to just check it out and get a few treats for our furry members of the family.  In that visit I met Chris, the owner of Ruff Life.

Chris and I had a great talk about local business and how as a community member he opened Ruff Life to serve a need in the community and that he was a big fan of Elmhurst.  I have been excited to tell his story about he and his wife Eliza and their vision and passion around Ruff Life.

Here goes...

Chris and Eliza live and breathe retail.  Both of them have spend considerable amount of time running large specialty retail stores such as Walter E. Smith and Dicks Sporting Goods.  In fact, Eliza is still at Walter E Smith - hmm..I see some cross over here.  Can they make a couch that just has an official scratch post on the side since my cat seems to think that is what it is for anyway?? Sorry to digress.  Back to Chris and Eliza...

Chris and Eliza moved to Elmhurst about 12 years ago as they want do join an amazing community for their boys (who now go to York).  It is no wonder with their background that they would eventually open a store of their own.  They opened Ruff Life in May of 2014.

So why a specialty retail store?  Well - it was all about two little furry family members:  Their dogs, Bradley and Lucy.

Chris explains it like this:

"Both have allergy issues...both food and external such as grass. We used to drive about 30 minutes to buy food for Bradley...We decided to rescue Lucy about 2 years ago and she was in even worse shape...After researching and learning constantly, we decided that Elmhurst needed a store like this.  We knew there was a need based on location and how much people love their animals here".  Below is a picture of Lucy - such a cutie!  Ruff Life is also very active in supporting pet rescue organizations and often have adoption events in store.

I love that the store was based on both a passion for them and our community as well as a need.  Ruff Life fills that need by having products that have zero wheat, corn or soy.  The other thing is that they pride themselves on providing these foods without breaking the bank.  They are often times cheaper (YES, cheaper) than the big box retailers that carry the same brands.  In addition, they have a rewards program that gives you $25 for every $250 your accumulate.  In addition, they have some interesting supplements, treats & toys that you can't find everywhere.  Some of them look so good, you will want to eat them (ha!).

I find that local businesses are about personal service.  If you have any pet food, treat or toy need, stop in to see if they can help. When we adopted our latest puggle, Buddy, we realized quickly that he is a chewer..of everything..all over the house.  Chris helped us find  a few toys and treats to help keep him occupied and stop chewing up our daughter's Playmobil princesses.  (whew- that was some drama in our house which was solved by some very specific toys based on his size and the things he was chewing).

So, why do Chris and Eliza love Elmhurst?  Quite simply it is because "We are so close to Chicago, but you can't tell.  It has a small town feel where everyone looks out for one another.  We love our community and want to see it thrive." say Chris.

When they are not minding the store or participating in an local event, their family is spending time together at Cubs games, watching the Butler Bulldogs in Indy or working on cars.

So if you have furry family members (or know anyone who does) please stop into Ruff Life and say hello!  They are located at 126 W. Vallette.