Buying Local, Responsible Pet Care and Pet Products

Tara Belzer does not talk about pet retail like it is only a sale. She talks about it like a responsibility. When Tara describes Pet in the City, the thing that keeps coming up is service and quality, and the belief that the person behind the recommendation should actually know what they are selling. More than a year after her appearance on the Sweet Tea and the Economy podcast, I asked what she most wanted Charlotte pet owners to know. Her answer was simple: come and see me.

That invitation reflects the relationship Tara wants with customers. Come in, explain what is happening, ask questions, and get guidance from someone with more than 25 years of industry experience. It also reflects the local accountability behind her business. Tara is not separated from the products, services, or people carrying her name.

Buying local supports small businesses and strengthens the local economy. At Pet in the City, it also offers something more immediate: access to someone who knows the industry and can help customers make responsible choices for their pets. Pet owners make daily decisions about food, grooming, wellness, and comfort, and the options can be overwhelming when labels look similar, prices vary, and every animal has different needs. Tara built her store to make those choices easier.

Meet Tara Belzer

Tara Belzer is a Charlotte pet-care entrepreneur with more than 25 years of experience in pet retail, wholesale, and operations. Her flagship business, Pet in the City, is an independent pet supply and grooming store at 9600 Monroe Road that offers food and supplies, one-on-one dog grooming, a self-service dog wash, local delivery, and a monthly veterinary clinic for dogs, cats, and small animals. She also owns Dilworth Dog Grooming, a separate cage-free grooming business in the Dilworth area.

What connects the two is not a product line or a method. It is Tara. Both businesses run on the same thing she has spent a career building: real customer service and a standard for quality that she stands behind personally.

You get better care and better quality when you walk into my store.

Buying local should give you more than a transaction

Supporting a local business is good for the community, but customers still deserve value in return. At Pet in the City, that value begins with a real conversation. A customer may arrive looking for food, but the actual question could involve a sensitive stomach, a changing appetite, age, or budget. Tara and her team ask what the customer has noticed, what they have tried, and what they hope to improve. The goal is to help someone make a better-informed choice.

Responsible pet ownership does not mean buying the priciest item on the shelf. It means understanding the animal and choosing products and services with purpose.

Boutique quality without the boutique pressure

Tara describes Pet in the City as a store that carries "boutiquey things" without trying to be an intimidating boutique. She wanted a neighborhood store where people could find specialty products and better-quality options without feeling judged, overwhelmed, or priced out.

We carry boutiquey things, but we are not a boutique.

Some customers want premium foods, supplements, or specialized products. Others need a more accessible choice that still supports better care. Pet in the City makes room for both. As Tara put it, you can feed better than the mass-market brands and still save money at the same time. That down-to-earth approach helps build trust. Expertise should clarify the options, not make people feel small for asking.

A trusted resource has to earn that trust

Tara entered business ownership after decades working with national retailers and supplying independent pet stores, giving her a view of what happens before a product reaches the shelf. Customers see food, toys, and supplements. Tara also sees sourcing, vendor relationships, availability, product changes, and value.

She follows trusted pet-health resources, including naturalist veterinarians she has come to rely on, speaks with vets she knows through her network, and questions vendors directly about how they source and what is changing. When a product becomes difficult to source or no longer meets her expectations, she looks for a better option. As she explained, when a food brand goes mass-market, the original formula often quietly changes, and pet food is loosely regulated enough that owners may not be told for a long time. That is exactly the kind of shift she watches for so her customers do not have to.

Products can arrive late or disappear, but Tara's responsibility remains the same: communicate honestly, find another solution, and protect the quality of what the store recommends. Trust is not created by calling a business local. It is earned when the person behind that business consistently does the homework.

One-on-one grooming at Pet in the City

Grooming at Pet in the City follows the same standard Tara brings to everything else in the store. It is a one-on-one service. A dog receives individualized attention and goes home without spending the day around other animals or waiting in a crate. It can be a strong fit for nervous dogs, dogs that do not enjoy being around others, or owners who simply want a focused appointment. The dog comes in, works directly with the groomer, and leaves when the service is complete. It reflects the way Tara approaches the whole business. Start with the animal in front of you, understand what creates stress, and build the service around what will help.

Local convenience still matters

Responsible shopping has to work in real life, and a local business is more useful when customers can access it easily. Pet in the City offers local delivery to homes and businesses across greater Charlotte and Matthews, with limited service into Indian Trail. Customers can order online or call the store the old-fashioned way.

Orders placed before 1 p.m. are eligible for same-day delivery. Delivery is free for orders over $49, with a $4.99 fee for smaller orders. Customers should check the website for the latest delivery policies and service area. For someone managing a busy schedule, a heavy bag of food, or an animal that does not travel well, delivery combines convenience with access to a knowledgeable local team.

More ways Pet in the City cares for pets locally

Pet in the City offers a self-service dog wash for owners who want a hands-on option without turning their bathroom into a splash zone. No appointment is required, and the team can help first-time customers. The store also hosts a monthly veterinary clinic with Carolina Value Vet, bringing routine services into the neighborhood, generally on the second Sunday of the month, although customers should confirm the schedule.

People forget about their cats. We are trying to dive right into it. They need fun.

Pet in the City also has a strong cat customer base, and Tara continues expanding its selection of foods, interactive toys, and other cat products, including raw and gently cooked options that are harder to find at the big chains. The store carries items for small animals too, including hamsters, guinea pigs, and rabbits. Together, these services make Pet in the City more than a place to purchase supplies. They make it a local resource for caring for an animal.

Tara's second business: Dilworth Dog Grooming

Tara also owns Dilworth Dog Grooming, a separate business in the Dilworth area at 2620 South Tryon Street. It is a cage-free dog grooming service, which means dogs are not kept in cages while they wait before or after grooming. Instead, they move through designated, supervised spaces where they can play, rest, or take a break between stages of their appointment. The shop has separate areas for small and large dogs, along with an outdoor space where dogs can use the bathroom.

It is an in-shop, dog-only service, and the same standard applies here that Tara sets everywhere else she puts her name: do the work well, and keep the experience as calm as possible for the animal. To learn more or schedule a cage-free grooming appointment, visit Dilworth Dog Grooming.

Responsible local spending builds stronger communities

At CLGBTCC, we often talk about the importance of supporting local and member-owned businesses, and that support is not meant to be symbolic. Spending with a trusted local business helps keep expertise, jobs, and relationships within the community. It also allows owners like Tara to invest in services that respond to local needs.

The customer receives accountability, too. When the owner is accessible and connected to the community, there is a person behind the recommendation and a relationship beyond the transaction. This is what small business visibility looks like in real life. It is not just a logo on a directory. It is the person who did the homework so you do not have to.

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