Wet dogs, blue rats and TAB

By Cami Beiter  You have to see (and maybe smell) it to believe it.  A pungent, expired retail facility that’s been transformed into the dog food mecca and soda establishment of Hampden County Massachusetts.  Our aging Black Lab, Tuff, has some newly discovered food allergies and is now on a special diet. Intrigued by the pet store/soda shop combination, I headed out to locate his new kibble prescription. I walked into Dave’s Soda & Pet City in Agawam not knowing what to expect.  I’d heard stories, but nothing prepared me for the real life experience. Once inside the I grabbed a rusty cart with a shaky and bumpy wheel. A wad of aged gum embedded on one wheel caused an annoying, thump...thump...thump... with each rotation and it followed me around like a persistent mosquito on a summer afternoon. I looked around, feeling like a fish out of water. I focused on the neon decals on black walls and then scanned the vast aisles of pooch supplies.  The rear of the store was a large open area... bringing to mind an 80‘s roller rink or video arcade. Interrupting the Blue Oyster Colt instrumental, the loud speaker called for an employee to empty the overflowing Read more...