Pet Shop aims to leave a legacy under new ownership – Times Herald Online

As a staple for local animal lovers, the Pet Shoppe on Springs Road has been a go-to shop for more than 30 years. During the midst of a financial decline, as the pandemic set in, longtime customer Dale Millhollin decided to step in.

As an avid customer and a “big reptile guy,” Millhollin has always held a particular attachment to the place.

Since the age of 18, Millhollin has led a healthy career as an insurance agent. Owned by his father, the Millhollin Agency Farmers Insurance company and his role within it made up a large aspect of who he was.

“I’ve only known insurance my whole life and I thought for sure I would continue to do that for the rest of my life,” he said.

But Millhollin noted a gradual discontent with the work over time. In the company’s final years, this feeling was particularly strong.

“The last five years there, I’d find every reason to get out of the office,” he said. “I wanted nothing to do with it.”

Then the unthinkable happened.

In a spontaneous decision, his father sold the company, leaving Milhollin with a rather life-altering decision: What do I do next? As friends of the former shop owners and as an animal lover himself, the decision was clear. Despite the stark career shift from an insurance agent to running a small business, Millhollin is making the most of it.

Today the shop remains home to dozens of happy critters, from leopard geckos to lovebirds. Working alongside his partner Erin, and daughter Annabella, Millhollin is honored to finally have a business of his own.

“With the insurance, we had a very successful office but it was because of my father,” he said. “I ran it for the last 10-15 years but it was always his. But with this, I can say this is Dale…this is mine.”

Gleaming with a remarkable number of five-star reviews, the Pet Shoppe continues to reinvent itself in the eye of the community. A majority of the more recent reviews speak highly of the shop’s new ownership, describing them as “knowledgeable” and “friendly.”

“Honestly Erin is amazing when it comes to customer service. “I’d say 90% of those good reviews are because of her,” says Milhollin. “I think people know that we care about animals. “We aren’t just trying to make a buck here.”

As most local businesses come to know, during the last few years of his ownership, it isn’t always smooth sailing. His biggest struggle? “Dealing with the City of Vallejo,” Millhollin replied. “The homelessness, the amount of garbage, the lack of community pride we have here in Vallejo … just blows me away.”

Despite the rather friendly customer base he has built, he has had occasional run-ins with city-related issues. One issue in particular is local law enforcement.

“One time I had this guy come in and shoved a $900 bird in his pocket. “I posted it to Facebook, got his name, number, even the address,” said Millhollin. He went as far as reporting to local authorities which, to his surprise, resolved nothing.

Millhollin says part of what he sees as a lack of pride in Vallejo lies in the hands of local businesses.

“I think that not all businesses are ready to step up and do something about it,” he said. Still, he remains hopeful. “I really think we can bring the street back to something better than it was before,” he said.

Through a quick tour of the shop, it is apparent that Milhollin’s love for animals is as strong as ever.

“I love interacting with them or making the enclosures. “It’s like when I was a kid setting up a bunch of Army men or making a fort,” he said. He experiences the same sense of joy in setting up the enclosures for the animals.

“This is supposed to be my legacy so this is what I’m going to do,” Millholin says.

The Pet Shoppe at 2144 Springs Rd in Vallejo will host their annual Harvest Festival on November 9.

For more information visit, facebook.com/thevallejopetshop.