Nearly thirty years ago, dog food was just… dog food. You bought a big bag at the grocery store, poured it into a bowl, and called it good. Nobody asked about by-products. Nobody talked about microbiomes. And certainly nobody in Utah was driving across town to buy chicken necks for their dog.

But Alexis Butler was paying attention.

She wasn’t a veterinarian or a nutritionist. She wasn’t a business mogul either. In the mid-1990s, she was a single mom in Millcreek with a ten-year-old daughter, a few thousand dollars in savings, and a gut instinct that said: our pets deserve better.

The idea first came to her during a visit back home outside of Chicago. Driving through Long Grove, Illinois, she passed a small shop called The Dog House, a store she remembered from her younger years. “Oh my gosh, this store is still here,” she told a friend. “We have nothing like this in Utah.”

That moment stuck with her. When she returned to Utah, she called her brother to share her idea of starting something similar. She brainstormed names like “The Barking Cat,” but her brother suggested The Dog’s Meow.

“Oh, I like that,” she said. And with that, the seed was planted.

She filed paperwork with the state. She borrowed against her house. And one day, while driving down 3300 South, she spotted a tiny storefront for lease.

“I think rent was like $800 a month, which at the time felt enormous,” Alexis recalls. “But I jumped in.”

She opened the doors with a vision for something artsy and boutique. She stocked breed-specific accessories, handmade collars, dog-themed books, and a few niche treats. It was less about food and more about curated, artisan items. Within six months, she was nearly out of business.

“I said, I’ll be closed—I can’t do this,” she says. “I have to look at food.”

Before Raw Was Cool

Back in the late ‘90s, raw feeding wasn’t a trend. It was practically unheard of. Brands like Solid Gold weren’t on grocery shelves. Most dog owners didn’t even question what went into their kibble. But Alexis did.

“I refused to carry anything you’d find in a grocery store or a vet clinic,” she says. “I wanted real ingredients, things that actually helped pets live longer, healthier lives.”

That commitment earned her loyal customers, but also brought a lot of pushback.

“We had customers come in almost crying because their vets told them they were harming their pets by not feeding the big-name science diets,” she says. “But they knew in their gut something was off.”

Alexis and her team introduced Utah pet owners to raw meat blends, high-protein kibbles, and supplements like fish oil and probiotics. This was long before it became common practice.

“You can see the difference in the stool,” she says. “The coat, the breath, everything. It’s like with people. What you put in, you get out.”

The Melamine Wake-Up Call

In 2007, a massive recall due to melamine contamination, a chemical used in plastics that was illegally added to inflate protein levels, killed thousands of dogs and cats nationwide. Big box brands were exposed for using questionable overseas ingredients. And suddenly, people were looking for safer, more transparent options.

“That was the moment people started doing their homework,” Alexis says. “They realized, wow—maybe what I feed my dog really does matter.”

Her store carried none of the brands involved in the recall. As public awareness grew, so did her customer base.

“That kind of put me on the map,” she says. “People started to look more closely at what they were feeding.”

Expanding to Draper

Opening a second location in Draper wasn’t easy. Friends had encouraged her to expand, saying there was nothing like The Dog’s Meow in the southern suburbs. But managing two stores came with challenges.

“I wasn’t ready,” she says. “I just did it and figured it out as I went. It almost failed.”

Eventually, she moved the Draper store to 123rd South, where it still operates today.

Creating a Community

Over time, Alexis’s store evolved into more than just a shop. It became a hub for Utah’s pet-loving community. Customers swapped stories. They shared tips. And they kept coming back.

“I feel like I’m a part of their community more than I’ve created it,” Alexis says.

She opened a self-serve dog wash in Millcreek with enough space to host monthly activities, including a pet psychic, adoption days, and nonprofit events. That sense of connection matters.

Competing with Online Giants

Today, The Dog’s Meow faces a new challenge: online retailers like Chewy. But Alexis believes in what sets her stores apart. She emphasizes curated products, knowledgeable staff, and personal relationships.

Many customers assume local shops like The Dog’s Meow are more expensive than online retailers. But that is not necessarily true. “We offer loyalty programs, free bags after twelve, and buyer rewards. But more importantly, we know your dog’s name,” explains Alexis.

Customers come in for food and leave with support tailored to their pet’s needs.

Still Standing

When Alexis started The Dog’s Meow, she wasn’t trying to change the pet food industry. She just wanted a job that made her happy. But in the process, she helped launch Utah’s healthy pet food movement.

“I didn’t have a business background,” she says. “But I believed I could do it.”

Nearly three decades later, Alexis Butler is still doing it. And Utah’s pets are better for it.