The Power of Pets with Peticular
Ever wondered why we’re so addicted to our furry family members? They hold the power to release the happiness hormone oxytocin in humans, and can change our lives. That’s what happened to Ben and Kaitlyn Akers when their dog wandered into the Sunshine Coast’s favourite luxe pet destination, Peticular. Carlie Wacker doses up on the dopamine delivered by the new owners and their clients.
It’s unlikely you need any more reasons to love pets, but I’ll share some with you anyway. Furry (and even fur-less) pet companions do several things for us: they provide company, encourage exercise, reduce anxiety and stress, and lower our blood pressure – how clever!
Our fur kids are powerful and we must applaud their mighty ability to do all these things. A simple cuddle with your canine will increase oxytocin, serotonin and dopamine, which are essential to wellbeing.
So, it’s no wonder we are spending and doing more for these formidable forces in our lives – our little love bugs that feed our need for all the feel-good hormones.
With a lifetime of loving dogs, the new owner of Peticular in Peregian Beach, Ben, says it was his late Golden Retriever Connie that delivered the biggest dose of dopamine before she crossed the rainbow bridge. Connie was a former working dog who retired into the loving home of Ben, his wife Kaitlyn and their friendly Golden Retriever Ika.
“Connie was a fire ant detection (sniffer) dog, and before retiring she had never eaten roast chicken, she had never swum in the Maroochy River blowing bubbles from her snoot, she had never napped snoring and drooling on a white leather couch, and never chased crabs on the beach on an evening walk,” Ben fondly shared. “We changed her life when she retired into our care.”
In return, she changed theirs.
Ben had spent the last 20 years in the Qld Dept of Agriculture & Fisheries’ QBFP (Qld Boating & Fisheries Patrol) based in Noosa. Kaitlyn had been in business on the Sunshine Coast for decades; she is
a career executive with an MBA and extensive experience in financial services, not-for-profit, disability and aged services.
The two had held high-pressure positions for decades and the stress was becoming evident, but Connie the Golden Retriever must have sensed that even more deeply than her humans on one random day in mid-2024 when she led Kaitlyn into every dog’s favourite shop in Peregian Beach – Peticular.
While chatting with the owners Brett and Jon, Kaitlyn discovered the boutique was looking for a new owner.
“Nine weeks later we had bought the company, I had left Fisheries and we had lost Connie,” Ben shared.
“It’s like she repaid the favour and changed my life just before she left us.
“The change has been very beneficial for my mental health. I miss my old girl, but I know I gave her the very best retirement.”
In my experience, losing a dog feels like losing a limb. My heart hurts so much knowing that Connie never got to experience the perks of being a luxury dog shop owner, and that she didn’t get to sneak a few free ‘puppuccinos’ and ‘pawtinis’. Connie would have loved the new life she created for her people.
To complete this exciting next chapter in the Akers adventure, Ben and Kaitlyn have welcomed another fur kid into their family: Qio the Tonkinese kitten (meaning Tiger shark in Fijian).
The new team at Peticular have settled in purrfectly – allowing every bit of the happy hormones to fill their souls and hearts each and every day.
I asked Ben what a day is like working with furry folk.
“Honestly, it’s a pleasure to help people spoil their pups,” he grinned.
“I help people find solutions to their pups’ behavioural, diet, allergy, boredom or reactivity problems and the great untaxable perk of the job is all the puppy cuddles I get.
“Some clients recently brought a 12-week-old Golden Retriever in and she gave me a thousand puppy kisses and gave my beard a good chew – they were lucky to get her back.”
Puppy breath is the best!
Being in business is a new trick for Ben, but with Kaitlyn’s experience, support and guidance plus the help of his super-patient staff members Louise, Paige, and Amika, “we are doing OK,” he laughed.
I cannot think of a more therapeutic job than petting puppies all day.
Ben has a few top pet picks for the season: “The interactive Bin Chicken puzzle with three squeaky bin chickens is currently my favourite,” he said, “With the adorable dolphin cat bell as a close second.”
Whether you’re a feline or canine pawrent, Peticular is your place.
In fact, drop in for a hit of happy hormones even if you don’t have a pet.
Connie the Golden Retriever would have been so delighted to see the lovely new life she helped shape for the humans that completed hers.
I can see her tail wagging outrageously over that rainbow bridge. Everyone is peticularly happy!
