Pet Sitting Services

Pet Sitters of Santa Barbara

682-2822

In business now for nine years, the
folks at Pet Sitters have taken a variation of the Hippocratic
Oath. “We try to disrupt their lives as little as possible,” said
Renee Trenholm of the animals left in her care. “Except that their
parents are gone, we try to make like nothing is unusual. Why
should their lives change?” Pet Sitters cares for almost every kind
of domestic animal, drawing the line at horses. They promise also
not to steal your pet’s affections.

Finalist The Happy Dog

Toy Store

Kay-Bee Toy & Hobby Shops Inc.

136 S. Hope Ave., 682-6026

Parents know that toy stores hold not products but rather
objects of obsession. From the latest schoolyard fad to the
collectible action figure or doll your child must have to alleviate
the awful stress of contemporary American childhood, it’s nice to
know there’s a store stocked reliably with the newest product and
the classic plaything. With Japanese electronic pets as well as
Duncan Imperial yoyos, Kay-Bee’s here when the terrible need
arises.

Finalist Kernohans Toys

Pet Hospital/Clinic

White’s Pet Hospital

532 E. Haley St., 966-1604

“It’s a real honor,” said Bob Blamire, hospital manger at
White’s. “We owe it all to our clientele. This place has been here
since the 1920s, so people’s grandparents and great-grandparents
also came here. We are going to do our best to ensure that their
great-grandchildren come here, too.”

Finalist San Roque Pet Hospital

Veterinarian

William J. Otto, DVM

585 Walnut Ave., Carpinteria, 684-3617

Dr. William Otto thinks he has the best staff and the best
clients, and, of course, great care for the pets in his community.
“What really sets us apart is that we try to provide care for the
families of the pets who come in here,” said Otto, who has been at
his Carpinteria offices for 23 years and been voted the best by
readers four times now. “We try to be in tune with the family’s
needs, too.”

Finalist David Dawson, DVM

Pet Store

Petco

3985 State St., 964-2868; 19 S. Milpas St., 966-7292

Sometimes, only the big chains will do. Cost of living being
what it is in this town, it’s nice to know that you can get good
prices on pet food, litter, chew toys, and leashes for the ones you
love. Maybe it’s not the old neighborhood place where you stop in
and get a surrogate thrill looking at baby pets, but it’s a solid
place to take careful care of the ones you already own.

Finalist Pet House

Place to Get Children’s Clothes

This Little Piggy Wears Cotton

311 Paseo Nuevo, 899-2570

It’s a tiny chain that really got off the ground here. The
concept, which sounds obvious or maybe a little picky depending on
your socioeconomic status, plays out in natural fiber fashions that
include all-cotton separates that are surprisingly hard to find
elsewhere. It’s the place S.B. parents have preferred for at least
a decade now.

Finalist Chicken Little

Daycare Facility

YMCA

591 Santa Rosa Ln., Montecito, 969-3288; 36 Hitchcock Wy.,
687-7727; 900 N. Refugio Rd., Santa Ynez, 686-2037

Imagine dropping off the kids for care at a place where family
values rule and there’s some of the best gym and recreational
equipment in town. So many people do imagine this that there’s a
waiting list, but don’t let that deter you: the YMCA is affordable
and good for your young ’uns on many levels.

Finalist Girls Inc.

Pet Boarding

Camp Canine – Animal Inn

803 E. Montecito St., 962-4790

They used to be known as the Animal Inn, but they’ve officially
changed the name. It’s really the same people who started the place
in 1984, according to Melanie Robbins, an employee. It’s just for
dogs, but that’s where the limitations end. They do overnight,
long-term, and daycare — extras include grooming and training. So
drop off that old mutt in the morning, and later that day bring
home a sophisticated bowser, groomed and polite. Well, at least
he’ll be safe and clean.

Finalist The Cat House Hotel

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