Our Story
We opened Most Valuable Pets, Inc. on August 23, 1993. I had the dream of owning my own pet store since I was 15 years old. At age 12, I volunteered at a local veterinary hospital and by the age of 15, I was their veterinary assistant. At this time, I also began working at my first pet store. By the age of 17, I was the assistant manager of the pet store. At age 20, I moved to Atlanta and was the youngest sales representative ever at Southeast Pet Supply, which is the largest wholesale distributor in the south east. In Atlanta, I worked in and managed several pet stores
ranging from single operations to four store chains. I graduated from Auburn University with a degree in Zoology. I bring to Most Valuable Pets a wealth of experience with animals and knowledge of their care.
I met Vince at Animal World in Atlanta. We worked together at this four store chain. Vince has always shared my enthusiasm for animals and is a very business minded, practical person, with extensive pet store management experience in addition to a Business Management degree from Lexington Community College. Upon my graduation from Auburn we made a decision to return to my hometown, Lexington, and open a store - Most Valuable Pets. This name was selected because it also happened to be my initials - MVP. Vince and I work as a team managing and operating the store. Vince also owns, operates, and manages our Aquarium Maintenance Service. He has clients in many different industries including restaurants, doctors, lawyers, and private individuals who use his service. Vince and I were a perfect match and in January 1998, we married.
We are the only Certified Companion Animal Specialists in the state of Kentucky. I was the first woman in the nation to complete all five certifications and Vince and I were the first to complete the sixth designation. The six certifications include: freshwater fish, canine, feline, avian, small animal, and reptile. We encourage education. Education is power and the key to success.
In 1996, Most Valuable Pets was voted "Best Single Pet Store" in the country. We continue to play a vital role in the industry as well as our community. In 2008, we were named "Companion Animal Retailer of the Year" by Pet Product News, proving we are a leader in the industry in animal and customer care. We are often featured in many trade magazines and we support many local charities and groups. We recognize that we are in the pet business but we also say we are in the "people business." One key to our success is loyal customers. Our goal is to have Most Valuable Pets be an enjoyable place to work and for our customers to love to do business with us.
-Melissa V. Poynter Whitton
