Pets R Family Buy Local, Invest Local: Saint Johns Family Businesses!

from St. Johns Magazine June 2023

The Pet Issue

by Brad Deckard

Owning and operating a family-owned business is still a wonderful dream in America. Did you know that 90% of businesses in the United States are family owned and operated. That means that over 5.5M family-owned businesses exist today in the US and employee 60% of our countries workforce. Those statistics have a very dynamic financial and employment impact on our nation. Family-owned companies are the life blood of our country and the pride and quality of our communities.

We all have our favorite pizza place, our favorite hairdresser, our favorite dentist and veterinarian in the areas in which we live. But have you ever stopped and thought about the number of local, family-owned businesses that are in our area that make up the texture of our community? These places are the fabric of what makes us proud to live in the Saint Johns area. Certainly we all have our corporate chains that offer something to our palate of family needs. But it’s the family owned and operated companies that make us special, and bonded together. There’s a special feeling we all get when we realize the owners are neighbors, or remember when their retail store began. In a country with a free market system, we get excited to “Buy Local” as we support those around us that have a real point of difference in the quality and type of products they sell. And when exhibiting American Pride, is there any better way than to support those who have dedicated, worked and sacrificed to provide a good or service to the community in which they live.

Our family moved onto CR 210 twenty-five years ago. At that time there was little more than rows of pine trees on both sides of the two-lane road. We had to drive to the truck stops near I-95 to get a gallon of milk, and over 10 miles to the nearest grocery or drug store. Certainly many things have changed over that time, including the lanes of traffic. One of the most impactful, exciting and alluring changes has been the growth of family-owned businesses. So many of our neighbors and friends have taken the risk and the dedication to bring CR 210 a cornucopia of offerings to meet the needs of the amazing influx of people moving to this area. And whether you are looking for retail goods or service needs, you can find a business here that is locally owned and operated.

As a family that has chosen this path, we can tell you first-hand that our decision to start a local company first came from the love of our community. We declared this wonderful place home when there was virtually nothing here. And as it grew, our excitement for variety and community grew with it. We’ve seen the growth of our neighborhoods and schools, church’s and ballfields. We’ve experienced the exciting addition of grocery stores and doctors offices, and enjoyed the variety of dining experiences we now have. And as part of that community of business’s, we longed to invest in our community and provide needed services to those who call it home. And for us, as with many, it was a desire to raise a family, and invest in the area we live.

This is how many small businesses begin. It’s a dream to be part of something bigger than yourself, and to serve those around you. And with it comes a long-term dedication to quality as you provide for the clients that are your neighbors. What a joy to work and live in the area where your children go to school, and where your family is involved in church activities. What an amazing honor to care and support those you call friends and family with a business you operate from your heart.

The truly amazing result from our locally owned businesses, is without a doubt, the quality and dedication our community receives. As a local business owner, I can attest to the fact that there is no better quality control agent, than to be serving someone you know and love. The level of heartfelt effort is truly endless, and nothing is more satisfying than to serve them well. In direct relation to that effort, is the level of joy that caring for a local client brings those of us who are part of this community. The satisfaction of accomplishment in knowing that you provided a truly positive outcome for a person you live near is second to none.

The level of personal and financial sacrifice to be a local business owner is absolutely a challenge to us all. There’s not a small or large family business that hasn’t felt the impact of time and money in starting a business and then keeping it going successfully. It’s a deep and heartfelt dedication to the companies business plan and the impact on the community. But it’s a labor of love, and a focus on the great things the business can provide those it serves.

I can share that our family has absolutely felt the influence of many dedicated hours in the office that can stretch our few hours at home together very thin. But the rewards of our families involvement in a dedicated effort to serve our community, is a family bonding experience with lasting impact on us. I’m not sure there’s a better way to raise children than in a family-owned company, dedicated to serving.

So what’s the bid deal? Why focus on “locally and family owned?”

First of all, these are the people of your community that are sacrificing to serve your community. They have taken the risk to provide the goods and services your community needs and wants. So support them! Take a chance on them as they took for you. Second, these business owners are most likely, supporting a level of quality that you may not find in a large corporation or entity that is so much larger than a community business. And thirdly, these businesses are the independent texture of who we are in the Saint Johns area. Is there a better way to differentiate ourselves as a community, than through the quality, customer caring businesses we propagate?

Buy local and invest in local. Our Saint Johns Family businesses and our community thank you!

Brad and Dr. Kathleen Deckard with their children

Abigail and Gavin Deckard, are the owners of Pets R Family Veterinary Hospital on CR 210 since 2015.

Meet the Furry Friends of St. Johns

“Such short little lives our pets have to spend with us, and they spend most of it waiting for us to come home each day. It is amazing how much love and laughter they bring into our lives and even how much closer we become with each other because of them.” —

John Grogan, Marley & Me

Bara A095 Bob

Bara medically retired from Air Force Lackland and became my PTSD service dog. Bara has been part of our family for over 5 years and people continue to know her throughout St Johns because that’s the area I work for the Army National Guard.

Bara was trained to be an EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) bomb dog. Unfortunate she didn’t pass all sections and was medically retired. After knowing that they would put her down I decided to bring her home.