{image1}Inspiration comes in all shapes and sizes. Sometimes, it comes on four legs.

When Geri and Augie Ray, who run Brady Street's Metropawlis adopted an abandoned and abused shorthaired cat named Sassy being Good Samaritans made them feel warm and fuzzy. A contagious reaction, Augie's brother and sister-in-law, David and Sarah, also took in a spunky Shiba Inu named Taro.

That's when the couple apparently recognized their true calling.

For better than 10 years, the couple talked about opening a retail store but could never agree on what would be appropriate. Geri had spent 20 years as a legal secretary. Augie had been in human resources and is now a strategist for an internet development company.

Back and forth they went. Then it hit them. It practically was staring at them all along. Perhaps the waging tail and the gentle purrs were dead give-aways.

"We moved downtown about eight years ago," Augie says. "Things are happening down here with new shops opening up all over the place. We just couldn't click on the right thing. Then it hit us about opening a pet store. There really weren't a whole lot of them on this side of town."

"It was one of those light bulb moments," Geri says. "It truly was."

This past summer, a ray of light flashed on the Rays when their search for the perfect location and store front guided them to Milwaukee's historic lower East Side.

"We came up with the idea in July and starting putting together a business plan in August and it quickly came to our attention that Brady Street was where we wanted to be," Augie explains. "Geri started making some calls for space. That's when we learned that this place was going to be available. We quickly came down here. Looked at all the shops around here and said to ourselves, 'we've got to make this happen.'"

{image2}They did. In October, Metropawlis opened its doors and heart to all felines and canines at 1327 E. Brady St. To say the least, the Rays, as well as the neighborhood, are quite happy with the fit of a boutique for the urban pet.

"We did our research and saw how shops that are boutiques would differentiate us for the norm," Augie says. "We don't want to scare off too many people by being too different. We're still feeling out the process. I think it's working out pretty well. I'm confident."

So is Geri.

"For being open such a short time, we are very pleased with the way business has been," Geri says. "And I'm pleased with how quickly we've developed repeat customers."

By looking into Augie's eyes, one quickly sees the contentment he sees in Geri's eyes.

"This is great for Geri," Augie says. "She loves it. I'm still holding down a job (at Full House Media, an Internet development company), but I like coming here to relax and help out after work.

"Geri always talks about how much she enjoys seeing the neighborhood kids stopping by. There's a little boy who stops in every day and talks about his dog."

Geri grew up with pets all her life. Augie, who has a slight allergic reaction to certain cats, never owned a pet until Sassy five years ago. But Geri is quick to point out how it's Augie who's having the most fun owning Metropawlis.

"Now when dogs come into the store, he's the first one to go up to them," Geri observes. They even fall asleep in his arms.

"But, I must say, this is a fun shop. We allow the pets to bring in their owners. At times, I'm somewhat embarrassed though, because I know all the pets names but I tend to forget their owners names."

And entertaining is what Metropawlis is all about. This is not your typical pet shop. As the Rays describe it on their Web site, "at Metropawlis, you'll find many products that are difficult or impossible to find elsewhere in Milwaukee."

An exclusive distributor of Royal Canine and Companion Natural Pet Foods, Metropawlis is all about natural and safe products for pets.

"Companion is made in the Riverwest neighborhood," Augie says. "It's raw food so it appeals to people and their pets around here. Royal Canine is a French company, a very international and respected company for both cats and dogs."

When it comes to treats, Metropawlis knows what pets like and need. Geri points to three favorites among the bins full of doggie delights.

"Many people asked about Three Dogs Bakery products, and since it was a franchise that used to be in the neighborhood, we decided to bring in their treats," Geri says. "We have another favorite called Beef and Liver Rollos. There's a real appeal to those treats. It's real beef. And, of course, we have Greenies, it's a natural breath freshening treat shaped like a toothbrush."

Geri adds that the treats Metropawlis carries, for the most part, do not contain salt or sugar and are not sold in larger pet shops.

Catering to the urban pet, Metropawlis also understands that space can be a concern for most owners. Planet Dog has introduced the perfect bed and litter box that fit in the corner to utilize every precious inch in a room. "The corner beds and the corner litter boxed are perfect for urban dwellers," Geri says.

Another novel idea for urban pets is the Bowhaus Coffee Table. "It's a dog crate but also looks like an end table," she adds. "Very practical, again, for urban living. It's great if your dog needs to be in the middle of all activity but wants its own space."

Some other interesting items progressive thinking pet owners will find are strollers and Puchi Bags, AngusWare Cashmere Sweaters, Fido Fleece Reversible Coats and Doggles sun glasses.

"We like to be unique and fun but the items we carry are also practical," Geri says. "The pet strollers are perfect for cats and dogs, which may be older or disabled and need to go for walks. The Puchi bags are very durable and are perfect to carry smaller pets around with you. The Doggles are going over very well. They are UV protection for dogs that may have glaucoma problems."

Metropawlis also sells a variety of fashionable food and drinking bowls that have unique shapes as well as special caddies according to Geri.

"We have some hand painted bowls by Melia that are selling very well," she points out. "What makes these bowls unique is the caddy which raises them off the floor. There's a lot of new studies that show that pets digest food better when their bowls are elevated.

"Another type of bowl is the Wet Noz, which is a stainless steel bowl shaped like a scoop. It has a build-in handle so it acts like an all in one bowl."

And when it comes to toys, pet owners will find more than just run of the mill tug and chase playthings.

"Our favorite is the Humonga -tongue," Geri chuckles. "It's a solid rubber ball with a tongue attached. So when your dog goes for the ball, it's like he has this huge tongue hanging out.

"Cats are really interesting with the Magic Cat Hat. It's a hat with all the toys attached inside. Cats can actually go inside the hat or the owner could hang the hat and the toys dangle out of it.

"Another toy we carry is made in Fredonia. Even our cat loves this toy. It a sturdy down feather chaser."

"We love this product so much, we had to put our name on it," Augie says. "It's actually our only branded product in the store."

Though it's a fun shop, Metropawlis is also serious about pet care. The Rays haven't lost their focus as to why they opened it in the first place.

The Rays started a VIP (Very Important Pet) Program designed to inform pet owners of special discounts by e-mail on a monthly basis.

"We ask customers to sign up their pets," Geri explains. "Not only will it alert pet owners of discounts, but it will give us a chance to send messages to celebrate birthday and other occasions. It's going over extremely well. It's our way of making pets and owners feel very important and appreciated."

Metropawlis also wants to show its appreciation to loyal customers in another manner.

"We call it Humane Mondays," Geri says. "We believe in giving back. So, we've designated Monday's as a Humane Society Day. We give 5% of our sales on Monday's back to this worthy foundation."

"It's different," Augie adds. "A lot of places donate to local charities, which is always good. We decided to give to the Humane Society. We wanted to institutionalize it so that if people knew that if they wanted to do a little shopping but also wanted to do a little giving, this would be the best way to do it."

Metropawlis is open six days a week, Monday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-7 p.m. and Sunday, noon-4 p.m. It is closed on Tuesday. For more information about the VIP Program, call (414) 273-PETS (7387) or visit its Web site at www.metropawlis.com.