Pamper pets with accessories from BowWowMeow boutique

Upon entering BowWowMeow Unique Pet Boutique, visitors are welcomed by the wet nose and wagging tail of Kirby, a black Labrador retriever. At 14 years old, Kirby doesn’t move as fast as she used to, but she still walks around with costumers, helping them pick out the perfect gift for their cat or dog.

“I joke that she is my personal Walmart greeter,” said Kimberly Danitz Schmidt, who owns the new pet accessory store at 31 Buffalo St. in Hamburg. Kirby and Danitz Schmidt’s late dog, Guy, was her main inspiration behind opening boutique designed for animals.

“I spent more money on my dogs than I did myself,” said Danitz Schmidt, who added that she loved to spoil them with new beds, balls and any toy they could possibly desire.

BowWowMeow is stocked with items that both animals and animal-lovers can enjoy. Dogs, can travel, eat and sleep in style with BowWowMeow’s fashionable leashes, collars, food dishes, gourmet all-natural treats, toys, beds, and yes - even dog pajamas.

Pets can stay warm during the winter months thanks to the boutique’s parkas, booties and houndstooth sweaters. During the summer, Danitz Schmidt wants to stock pet bikinis.

“I want to carry the fun, funky, eclectic stuff that you might not be able to find at PetSmart,” she said.

Owners can also leave the shop with a treat for themselves. Danitz Schmidt carries home décor items, including wall hangings, candles, hand-painted bowls, mugs and wine glasses and ornamental dog and cat-shaped floor fans. She currently stocks hand-blown paw print glass necklaces made by local artisan Vicky Schneider.

Danitz Schmidt decided to open her own business after lending a hand at women’s fashion boutique What a Woman Wants for friend and former owner, Meredith Tilney.

“I just fell in love with the idea of owning a boutique,” said Danitz Schmidt, who added that she also fell in love with the Village of Hamburg itself. “I fell in love with the customers here in Hamburg. Everyone is so nice and welcoming.”

When Danitz Schmidt moved into the Hamburg area a year later, she knew that it was the perfect time to make her dream a reality.

“I kept thinking that if I didn’t do this now, I never would,” she said. Then Tilney introduced Danitz Schmidt to the storefront at 31 Buffalo St., and the rest, she said, was history.

Now Danitz Schmidt is grateful that she can spend each day visiting with her customers and their pets.

“Paws are welcome,” Danitz Schmidt said. “I love that people can bring in their animals and I get to play with them.” She enjoys posting photographs of her four-legged patrons on BowWowMeow’s Facebook page.

Though BowWowMeow just opened in December, Danitz Schmidt already has plans for the future, including expanding her range of products.

“I am looking into all natural shampoo and cologne, and I definitely want to get into nail polish and hair dye,” she said. “I will definitely keep growing and carrying more and more as time goes on.”

For those who might feel pampering one’s pet is a frivolous expense, Danitz Schmidt reminds owners that their loving companions deserved to be spoiled now and then.

“You’re pets are the best thing in the world, it’s all about the unconditional love they give you,” she said.

BowWowMeow is open Monday through Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Thursday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday from noon to 5 p.m. For more information, call the boutique at 491-8044 or search “BowWowMeow, Unique Pet Boutique” on Facebook.