Another Region 9 Success Story: Wild-n-Crazy Critters
Surviving six months with no business income might sound like a reason to quit but that’s not the case for Trevor Gregory, owner of Wild-n-Crazy Critters. The same day he put his sign out and opened his doors he found out that he and other businesses had to vacate. He packed up his critters and got to work finding a new home for his business.
Trevor describes himself as a “farm kid from Kansas”.
He says, “I come from a hard-working family. Persistence doesn’t scare me.”
When it comes to housing and selling animals it’s all about location. He learned about State requirements to meet for room set up, flooring and plumbing. After lots of looking, Trevor landed in his current location at 9 Solomon Dr. #2, Pagosa Springs, Colorado.
Trevor credits a lot of organizations for helping him get started. 1st Southwest Bank referred Trevor to
Region 9 for financing. The Pagosa Springs Chamber helped Trevor put together all the needed documents and tighten up his business plan which, “is not an easy process but well worth it”, he says. With his financing in place, Trevor was able to purchase all his equipment and housing for the animals.
Trevor’s love of animals began traditionally growing up with dogs and cats. His first exotic pet was a leopard gecko he bought when he was nineteen. This spurred his interest in a variety of reptiles. Researching and designing the proper environments for these special creatures became a passion. As a young adult, Trevor spent several years working for a big box pet store where he expanded his knowledge about small animal care and running a pet store. His personal collection of snakes, lizards and spiders has grown over the years. He extends this passion into his pet store. Educating customers about the animals they are buying is one of his favorite parts of running his business.
What’s next for Wild-n-Crazy Critters? Trevor wants to grow his business reach into surrounding towns as the place to visit whether you are looking for furry pets such as bunnies or exotic reptiles and amphibians. He feels like word of mouth is an important and powerful marketing tool in a small community like Pagosa.
“If people stop in and see that I run a clean shop, offer a variety of pets and supply them with what they need to be successful and happy pet owners; I hope they will spread the word”, says Trevor.
You can meet some of Trevor’s personal collection and hear more about them including a Red Eared Slider Turtle which was only the size of a quarter when Trevor took him in as a rescue.
