World Pet Association recognizes Petland’s founder
Ed Kunzelman received the WPA’s Lifetime Multi-store Achievement Award.
The association believes that Kunzelman, who opened his first Petland store in Chillicothe (Ohio) in 1967, spread a simple message that “pets make life better.”
“The Petland mission is to pair the right pet with the right customer. If you’ve ever walked into a Petland store, you see hamsters, birds, ferrets, dogs, cats, and beautiful tropical fish – all accessible to the customer,” said WPA board member Jeff San Souci.
Kunzelman’s relationship with pets began as a child. He always loved to visit pet stores and, at 15 years old, opened his first business, breeding and selling tropical fish. Kunzelman graduated in education and worked as an English and history teacher.
The World Pet Association highlighted that Ed’s knowledge and background as a teacher made counselor training “a pillar of Petland’s business model and its success.”
Petland has 301 locations across the United States, Canada, China, Mexico, South Africa, Brazil, El Salvador, and Saudi Arabia.