The process is not easy and it is not overnight. It is
one day at a time. It’s methodical and requires a great
deal of patience and caring, but with it comes amazing
results. Tini and the staff at Thistle Dew put in the
work and it means they have become the go-to for
people far and wide with horses that need an extra
level of care. In addition to training, the 21-stall farm
offers boarding and riding lessons for the public. The
operation is a labor of love and the horses know it as
they give that love right back.
2725 Thompsonburg Rd., South Londonderry.
802-379-1904
pets etc.
80 manchester life | www.manchesterlifemagazine.com
Over the years, they have also infused the business
with their individual passions, adding expertise and
distinctions that help make the place so special. With a
love that began when Kaki owned her first Labrador in
1974, she now breeds and shows them; her 2013 entry
into the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show garnered
Best of Breed. She is much in demand for showing
dogs and returned to Westminster this year with Jack,
a 4-year-old Belgian sheepdog who also won Best
of Breed.
Ann gets to know many of the Manchester area’s dog
residents through her training classes. Owners often
bring in both new puppies for basics and older dogs for
UR
Opened in 1987 in a 750-square-foot space on Depot
Street, the owners of Pets Etc., Ann Gavett and
Kaki Fisher, have transformed their small pet store
operation into a local staple. When the two met
in the early 1980s while working for a breeder of
Newfoundlands in Rupert, they recognized that with
so many dog and animal lovers in the area, there was
a need for a pet supply store in Manchester. Having
moved to different locations around town throughout
the years, they landed in their current building 20
years ago. The larger space now accommodates all of
their needs. It houses their supply store, grooming
space, and a large room for training classes. On the
latter, they previously had to get creative, asking favors
and holding classes wherever they could around town,
including at the high school.
Along with the
physical space,
their offerings have
also evolved over
the years. Ann and
Kaki frequently
attend conferences
and keep up with
continuing education,
certifications, and
the latest in pet care.
Now, with the online
accessibility to pet
products, Pets Etc.
has found its way by
offering items unique to Vermont and those shoppers
may not be able to find at larger box stores.
Rossi is Tini’s own horse that came to the 24-acre farm
as nonfunctioning. He was angry and his caretakers
had given up trying to work with him. When he first
arrived, Rossi pulled the nails out of the wall that were
holding him tied in the barn and took off running.
Through Tini’s methods that focus on rebuilding a
horse with emotional issues from the ground up, Rossi is
now loving and happy. She has adopted him as her own
and he now serves as an example of the wonderful work
that happens every day at Thistle Dew.