All About Us

Although Ms. Razzle Dazzle, the shih tzu hillbilly princess, would like you to think the store is all about her, it actually became a reality due to her adopted older brother, Ripper.

In 2004 when Ripper was seven, we were told by our veterinarian that he needed to be on a prescription diet for life to help him stay healthy. About one week after starting the diet that was supposed to be helping him avoid being sick, he stopped eating altogether. I read the ingredients on the label of the food and thought there has to be something better for him than cornstarch and byproducts! So we started to look for a better way to keep him healthy. Thanks to my good friend (and now business partner) Nikki Smith, we found Dr. Karen Becker DVM, NMD and started on a nutritional program that is species specific. I began making my own raw diet at home, and we saw great results right away -great skin and coat, bright eyes, no tear stains, and lots of energy. Razzle was a puppy then, and we switched her to raw as well. She took to it right away.

When I didn't have time to make my own food, I had to travel 40 minutes to find a store that carried raw. I thought we needed a store close to home, and we opened our location at 918 N 5th Avenue in Kankakee, Illinois. Along with all the great food we have discovered through our research, we added grooming, training, and chiropractic services to help make our bow-tique truly holistic in scope. We hope you enjoy our bow-tique as much as we do.
Jodi Etienne

Ripper (Yes, he has only one eye.)

Razzle and Ripper

Jodi and Afire Rebey aka "Rebel"

Jodi and Kai Du Khan aka"Storm" the Wonder Horse

Primer Belle - the human dog

Our path to a healthy lifestyle for our animals began with our beloved Primer Belle, or Primer the human dog as we called her. She was not an ordinary weimaraner but a most extraordinary and gifted weimaraner.

One day while she was working with me on a horse farm, she was attacked by a horse and broke her paw. We rushed her to a veterinary hospital where they set her paw and put her in a cast. Sadly, she was not given the right antibiotic for her infection and the paw was incorrectly set. Infection spread into her bloodstream. We feared she would never be able to use her leg again, and that it quite possibly may have to be amputated. I could not let that happen as she was an active dog who loved her agility competitions, her obedience work, and her life with four legs. We took her to a surgeon in hopes that he might be able to fix her leg, but he said it was too far gone, too late.

I had a chiropractor out to work on horses and Primer. As I told him of our dire situation, he suggested that I take Primer to a holistic veterinarian, Dr. Karen Becker, in Tinley Park. Dr. Becker did acupuncture, gave us herbal medicine, and educated us on nutrition. After twice weekly trips to Tinley Park for a month, Primer got remarkably better. Soon she was as good as new!!!

That experience led us down the road to good nutrition and the importance of healthy lifestyles for our dogs, cats, and horses. I could not learn enough! To this day, I continue to educate myself with seminars, clinics, workshops, and practicums - all to share with other knowledge-seeking pet owners.

Our dogs, Aubrey and Giorgio Armani, along with our 3 cats, and all our horses are very grateful to Primer and to the journey she provided. Thank you Primer Belle, the human dog!
Nikki Smith