E.M. Dodger’s Pet Supply comes to Ladysmith Get free “Pet with Santa” photos at grand opening Saturday

Caroline dog and cat lovers wanting the best in nutrition for their beloved pets can now find a broad array of extra-healthy pet foods close to home in Ladysmith.

With a grand opening this Saturday morning, Dec. 12, at 10 a.m. in Ladysmith Commons, E.M. Dodger’s Pet Supply will feature pet foods without the common fillers of wheat, soy and corn, and without animal by-products. The store is full of windows and very sunny.

The healthy brands now available in Ladysmith include Blue Buffalo, Natural Balance, Wellness, Fromm, Engers, and Orijen, considered the best dog food in the world. The cost is competitive with PetSmart and Petco, said owner Greg Dadd, whose background is in finance.

“I can educate my customers about canine and feline nutrition,” he said. He studies pet nutrition online at the Academy of Natural Health Sciences.

Available too are leashes, collars, bowls, beds, health supplements and natural chews and treats.

Originally from West Virginia, Dadd now lives in Lake Caroline. “It’s beautiful to wake up and see the lake out there,” he said. A tall, jolly man, he describes himself as “100 percent Italian.”

The idea for the pet supply store came to him when he realized, just after moving here, that he’d have to drive a half-hour to buy food for his own beloved pets. These include two French bulldogs, Emma and Dodger, whose names were the inspiration for naming the store.

Dodger, who’s nine, gets around with a set of wheels to make up for his paralyzed back legs. When he was four he was afflicted with intervertebral disease which causes deterioration of the spinal disks. A happy, energetic dog, you’ll see him rolling around the store with his pal Emma. You’re welcomed to bring your dog as well.

Dadd’s a cat lover too. He has five: Parker, Frankie, Greta, Sadie and Star. On his back deck he’s set up an exercising and sunning enclosure for them he calls a “catio,” which is connected to the house by a cat door.

He also looks after two feral cats, Baby and Mamacita. He’s built them a little house in the backyard complete with heated sleeping pads.

For the grand opening this Saturday the store is open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., with Santa pictures ending at 5 p.m. Costumes will be available for the pets. There will be door prizes, refreshments and drawings for a $100 and two $50 gift certificates. Visiting customers will also receive a gift bag.

“I’ve always been a lover of animals. I’ve always had a dream of owning my own pet supply store,” Dadd said.

• CP Correspondent Ed Simmons