Greensburg pet supply shop files for bankruptcy

Firm cites online shopping pressure

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

The owner of a Westmoreland County pet supply shop is closing one of his four stores, citing intensifying competitive pressures from online shopping.

Venture Investments Group Inc., doing business as Burton’s Total Pet on Route 30 in Greensburg, has filed for protection from creditors under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. The filing holds creditors at bay while the business reorganizes financially.

Although the Greensburg outlet is closing, Burton’s Total Pet stores in McIntyre Square in McCandless, Irwin and Cranberry will continue to operate. The company ran eight stores at its peak, company founder Burton Patrick said.

“There’s not much I can do about Chewy.com or Amazon,” where pet owners can buy supplies online, said Mr. Patrick, 73. “I’ve really enjoyed helping people with their pets.”

The bankruptcy filing cited estimated company assets of $ 100,000 to $500,000 and liabilities of $1 million to $10 million. Among the creditors were Phoenix, Ariz.-based First American Fund Inc., $2.28 million loan; Kim Kohlenberg, of Fremont, Ohio, vendor/loan, $404,944; and Rolf C. Hagen Corp. of Mansfield, Mass., judgment lien, $169,000.

The Greensburg store is the second Burton’s Total Pet to close this year. The company’s Monroeville outlet closed in January.

Few employees would be affected by the closing, said Mr. Patrick, adding that he had no plans to retire. Mr. Patrick, a Chicago native with 49 years experience in animal husbandry, was operations manager of the Detroit Zoo when the opportunity to run a pet supply store arose in Pittsburgh, where he opened his first outlet in 1993 on McKnight Road in the North Hills.