Spokane pet supply retailer Prairie Dog Pet Mercantile has debuted an expansion to its South Hill location at 5608 S. Regal.

Dog trainer Amy Barker, and her husband, Daniel Pringle, co-own the business, which has two stores that carry pet foods, treats, and general pet supplies.

 “We hadn’t really planned to add to the South Hill store,” Barker says. “But our landlords asked if we’d be interested, and I decided we just couldn’t pass up that opportunity.”

She says the expansion added about 1,700 square feet of space, formerly occupied by Well Life Pharmacy, to the existing 2,000-square-foot South Hill space, which the business leases from HA&F Family LLC, of Spokane.

Barker says Mike Galles was the contractor for the expansion project, which took about a month to complete.

“We really didn’t have much to do besides tearing down the connecting wall and some of the former pharmacy counter space,” she says. “So far, our customers are really enjoying the added room between aisles, which makes it easier to shop, especially for customers who bring their pets along.”

Barker says the space holds mostly retail items, which are displayed on wheeled trollies so they can be moved in order to set up the space for hosting dog training classes.

“We’ve partnered with Diamonds in the Ruff to host their dog training classes a couple times a week in the new space,” she says. “Eventually, we also plan to host mini seminars too that will cover behavior and training as well as pet nutrition topics.” 

The couple purchased Prairie Dog Pet Mercantile from its previous owners in 2013 and moved the original store in 2014 to its current location in the 57th & Regal Center from 2917 E. Palouse Highway.

Last September, Barker says, the couple opened the second Prairie Dog store, which occupies 700 square feet of retail space at 1206 Summit Parkway, in the Kendall Yards neighborhood northwest of downtown Spokane.

Barker says between its two stores, the business has a total of 10 employees, several of whom are certified professional dog trainers.