Cindy Pedroncelli has been around animals all her life — growing up, at the pet shop in Lakeport, helping out at Our Happy Tails Etc. and in her role designing and maintaining aquariums and ornamental fish ponds. Pendroncelli owns Fishy Business. But she also supports dogs, cats and other animals at home. For the last 14 years she has lived in Lakeport. Before that she called Kelseyville home. In fact, she has been around the lake at one point or another her entire life. No wonder she appreciates fish — and would want to help out at the new shop selling homemade dog food.
1. So are you tempted to try one of these dog treats yourself?
Paige [points at her daughter] loves them. They are all totally food grade. They don’t have sugar, so they really don’t taste good to us.
2. What’s her favorite?
She likes the Puppy Love cookies. They’re made of oat flour, apple sauce, molasses, honey, coconut oil, eggs, ginger, cinnamon and blueberries.
3. Were you surprised that there was a market for homemade dog treats?
No, I wasn’t. Somebody needed to do it. All her recipes are so good. You look at commercial brands and some of the ingredients are also used in nail polish remover, things like that. She uses real ingredients. The cool thing is that everything is easy on your pocketbook.
3. Why are you so fond of animals?
I’ve grown up with them. My mom is a game warden. I grew up not knowing what animal would be in our house that day.
4. Why fish?
It was a business opportunity. You jump on something you have fun doing and no one else is doing.
5. But you can’t cuddle fish.
No. You can talk to them, though.
5. How elaborate do people get with aquariums?
The things people want, they see on TV and think it’s easy — just pouring water in a tank. But it’s more complex. I can set up and maintain ponds, anything.
6. Is the drought difficult on business?
It is and it’s not. I recycle water for my ponds and use it on the vegetable garden. A lot of people have had tanks for a long time. The drought is awful, but there haven’t been too many setbacks. It’s just that conservation is important.
9. You can’t just do shallower water?
No.
10. If you had to do without animals …
You might as well put me down. That would be hard. Animals are the most loyal things ever.
