Looking for a vintage T-shirt for your dog? How about preservative-free, freeze-dried burgers or a $200 collar lined with Swarovski crystals? These items and more can all be found under the roof of Starpups Depot in Stevenson Ranch. “Basically, I’ve gotten all our dog beds there,” Newhall resident Julia Evans said. “We’ve gotten the steps to go up to their beds. I’ve gotten all of the carriers there. I’ve gotten all their collars there, the little special tags. I go in there all the time because they have the latest toys.” Evans first visited Starpups Depot two years ago, not long after the store’s grand opening. Starpups is the brainchild of Stephanie Duke. A former video game developer, Duke was inspired to open the dog boutique in the beginning of 2005. At the time, she was ending a marriage and grappling with the illness of her beloved dog. “My life changed dramatically,” Duke recalled. “Scooby died of cancer. She was so full of life. She was super sick. I had to put her down. I just needed to do something for dogs and people who love their dogs. It was the one joy I had in a really dark part of my life.” Uncertain how she would accomplish her goal,she considered participating in a cage-free kennel or a dog rescue,Duke attended a trade show in February 2005. She then began to do Internet research. “I literally had the loan money in my hand in three weeks,” Duke said, still amazed by her kismet. By June, Starpups was open. Located in a mini-mart on Hemingway Avenue near Stevenson Ranch Parkway, Duke knows the depot’s location is off the beaten path, but she has managed to generate buzz about the store via local advertising and a word-of-mouth campaign. It also helps that the depot is just a few doors away from a veterinary office. Some clients turn up at the store simply because a dog boutique is a rarity for the Stevenson Ranch area. “A lot of people thought we were a groomer,” Duke said. Others, such as Evans, visited the store to get a firsthand perspective on it. “I went right over as soon as they opened because I was curious,” Evans admitted. “I’ve gone to different pet stores all over, but I couldn’t believe [Starpups]. It was so adorable. It was a boutique, all the different things they had, and I couldn’t believe we had a store like that in our valley.” For Canyon Country resident Devon Cormier, the opening of Starpups Depot meant the end of time-consuming trips to dog boutiques miles away, as Starpups is just a 15 minute drive from her home. “We were very excited when it opened,” she remembered. “We didn’t have to go to the (San Fernando) Valley anymore. We had an upscale dog store in town.” With only one full-time employee besides Duke, Starpups managed to generate about $80,000 in revenues in 2005. In 2006, it generated twice as much. This year, the boutique is projected to generate $210,000 in revenues. Duke credits the store’s success in part to her human resources and business plan acumen, knowledge she gained when she worked in video game development. There’s also the Paris Hilton factor. In recent years, the public has grown accustomed to seeing the pampered, well-groomed dogs of celebrities on television. “The celebrity thing has really helped boost the market,” Duke said. The owner of three dogs, Duke, 39, said that many of her clients resemble her in that they’re single, middle-aged and don’t have children at home. That’s certainly been the case for Evans, who is the mother of grown children living outside of her home and teenagers who live at home but aren’t very needy. “Being that they haven’t needed as much attention, I’ve devoted all of my attention to my dogs,” Evans said. At Starpups, Evans can not only find collars that begin at $6 and average in the $20 to $30 range, she can also find beds in a variety of fabrics and patterns. Of particular note is the trundle bed, which can convert into a sort of knapsack in which owners can tote dogs. As for food, in addition to burgers, there are all natural chicken-strips and birthday cakes covered in yogurt. There are dresses for small dogs and designer knockoff clothing from brands aptly named Bark Jacobs, Jimmy Chew and Pawda. Cormier is particularly appreciative that Starpups carries clothes for dogs of all sizes. “She’s got a great selection,” Cormier said of Duke. “I shop here exclusively for my dogs. The great thing about her shop is that other stores focus on little accessory dogs,Malteses, Chihuahuas,I have cocker spaniels, which aren’t big dogs, but they’re bigger than the trend. She carries products for dogs my size.” Duke, who grew up in Sherman Oaks and Van Nuys, feels carrying apparel in a range of sizes is a must, as Santa Clarita Valley residents typically own either small dogs or large breeds like labradors and golden retrievers, she said. Even the toys featured in the store, from makers such as Planet Dog, are labeled with “chew meters” so owners can determine which are most suitable for their breeds. Throughout the year, Starpups hosts different activities for dogs. On holidays, portraits, called, of course, pawtraits, of dogs are painted by artist Robyn Feeley. There are also group trainings for dogs, parties for puppies, dog adoption days and rescues for basset hounds, California labs, boxers and smaller breeds. Owners can take courses on how to perform CPR and first aid on their dogs and participate in raffles. Now, Duke is in the works of organizing a fashion show, featuring owners and pets in matching wardrobe. “I wanted to do something different from Petco and the groomers but reasonably-priced,” Duke said of her store’s mission. Cormier, for one, describes the services Starpups offers customers as outstanding. “They send my dogs birthday cards,” she exclaimed. “Their customer service is unmatched with any retailer I’ve shopped with.” Having suffered the loss of a dog, Duke doesn’t find it difficult to relate to fellow dog-owners with compassion. “It’s a place where you can share your grief with another dog owner,” she said of her boutique. “I connect on their emotional level. I understand when someone loses a pet, where another person would say, ‘it’s just a dog.’ People open their hearts more when they’re in here.” SPOTLIGHT Starpups Depot Year Established: 2005 Location: Stevenson Ranch Revenues in 2005: $80,000 Anticipated Revenue in 2007: $210,000 Employees in 2005: 2 Employees in 2006: 2
