You responded:

"Yes! So many Christians are looking for ways of sharing their faith and Christian pet products are a given. I can see Christian women, youth and kids getting so excited to find cute things for their pets in Christian retail stores and love the idea that they have versing and cute Christian sayings on them. The men will enjoy them, but may not make the fuss over them as others."
Connie Abbott
Executive administrative assistant
Carpentree

"Absolutely! I would focus on dogs and cats. I buy an outfit and hairbows for my Shitzu at least once a month at Wal-Mart. Collars, leashes, hairbows, bandannas ... test the outfits. I dress up my dog for others to see. What a great evangelizing tool."
Sue Paulson
Senior account executive
Kerusso

"I am not a retailer, but I do buy a lot of merchandise from them. I was a bit dismayed to see this week's question about whether Christian retailers should get more involved in selling pet products.

"The only thing I would say (without having seen any of said products) is I would start questioning the motive of the Christian retailer.

"I love the Christian stores I go to because they sell what I am looking for. If I saw products like what I might imagine would be in the pet product line, I would cringe and wonder if the owners of this store were no different than the owners of many other kinds of stores in that, really, they just want me to open my wallet and be a consumer when this may not be in my best interest.

"Realistic or not, I set Christian store owners apart from the rest and assume that they run their business more as a mission than as purely a money-maker. Obviously everybody needs to make a fair and decent living, but if I see the lines blurring between what the Christian store sells and what the regular store sells, I will probably bring my business elsewhere or just keep my money if I start feeling that the owners see me more as a 'consumer' than a Christian or someone who can benefit from their products because they can help them in their life journey by bringing them a little bit closer to Christ."

Paula Young

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