Nederland is more than just a pet-friendly community, it’s an animal-friendly community. Whether you’re going to do some essential shopping in town, or stopping by the post office, or just going for an afternoon walk, you’re bound to run into at least four dogs you know, and maybe a few you don’t know but are more than happy to meet. But in addition to cats and dogs, Nedheads love all sorts of animals, from pets to farm animals.
“Birds, rabbits, guinea pigs, cats, dogs,” Adam Pause listed just a few of the animals that his store, Nederland Feed and Pet, provides food for. “And then we’ve got the livestock alley over here: goats, chickens, pigs, horses, llamas, alpacas. A lot of those animals can eat the same thing, but we do carry specific llama food and pot-belly pig food…”
Adam, who has owned and operated Nederland Feed and Pet for nearly eight years alongside his wife Abby, excitedly spoke with The Mountain-Ear about the variety of animals he works with in Nederland.
“People here have so many different kinds of animals. We even carry live crickets and mealworms for geckos and bearded dragons, and frozen mice for snakes. We really try to have a little bit of everything.”
Adam grew up working with animals on a self-sustaining farm in western New York, about an hour south of Buffalo. One of his first paying jobs was on a horse boarding ranch. After working as a carpenter, and for University Bicycles in Boulder, Pause began working with animals again at Only Natural Pet.
Abby also worked at Only Natural Pet and worked there for four years. When Abby became pregnant with their son, Only Natural Pet was also being acquired by PetSmart, so the Pauses felt it was time for a change. After their son was born Abby worked at Nederland Feed and Pet under the previous owners, who at that time were thinking of retiring. Within a year, on November 1, 2015, the Pauses became the new owners of Nederland Pet and Feed.
With Adam’s background with livestock and Abby’s experience in pet-based retail and expertise in pet grooming, the Pauses, who themselves have seven dogs, seven goats, and two sheep, were a perfect fit for taking over the store. The location of the store, however, proved to be a challenge for their first few years.
“In 2016, our first year in business, they tore up all of 2nd Street, we had to somehow run business through a back alley on East 3rd Street,” Abby told The Mountain-Ear. They moved to another location on East 2nd Street and were there for five years before moving to their current location on 74 Highway 72 in Nederland.
The move allowed them to expand their inventory and services. Log Cabin Grooming, Abby’s pet grooming business, operates in the back of the store while the rest of the space is dedicated to a variety of pet and animal foods, toys, and accessories.
Nederland Feed and Pet provides specialty, non-traditional foods such as grain-free and frozen raw foods. The Pauses showcase their love and care for animals in the products that they sell, focusing on quality ingredients and proper pet nutrition. Nederland Feed and Pet also highlight locally sourced products, such as KONG out of Golden and CBD products from Aurora, and other local companies and artisans.
Along with amazing staff members, Cale Ackerman and Haley O’Donovan, the Pauses have created the perfect small-town retail environment by providing the Nederland community friendly service combined with expertise and knowledge. Adam travels all across the state to ensure a variety of choices for his customers, having to purchase feed wholesale when bigger name companies won’t deliver to the mountains.
Nederland Feed and Pet guarantees the quality of what they carry by paying close attention to ingredient labels. Customers who aren’t satisfied can return food for their money back and that food will be donated, along with other donations from Nederland Feed and Pet, to the Nederland Food Bank or to animal rescue shelters and operations.
“We do it for the animals,” Adam said when asked about his favorite part of the job. “Definitely our favorite part is supporting everyone in having their animals and, not just selling food but educating, whether it’s nutrition or anything to do with caring for animals.”
“We don’t just talk the talk, we have all these animals so we have hands-on experience with almost everything that we sell food for.”
Nederland Feed and Pet is located at 74 Highway 72 in Nederland and is open Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information call 303-258-3411 or go to https://www.facebook.com/NedFeed
