A love story since 2005
A company born from a family wish to better feed pets
Pitou Minou & Compagnons is the leader in natural pet foods in Quebec since 2005. Born from the desire to offer better quality foods to the Quebec pet owners. Since the opening of the first store in 2005, the chain has opened 35 other stores in Quebec, spread out between Outaouais, Montreal area and Quebec City. Proof that offering better quality nutrition for overall animal welfare can lead to great accomplishments.
Offering better for his own pets
It all started when the founder of Pitou Minou & Compagnons, Richard Bégin, and his wife Denise noticed the lack of the quality food offering in Quebec. They were looking for a store that could sell foods that were in line with their pets’ needs to ensure a healthy life. They knew they were not alone with the disappointment of the lack of available products. Noticing the lack of availability of quality natural pet foods in Quebec, they decided to look into starting their own business. After considerable research, they fell upon Ontario based Global Pet Foods that had been waiting for an opportunity to enter the Quebec market.
After a few months of negotiating, the parties came to an agreement to develop the franchise in Quebec. Finally, a chain of pet food stores dedicated to promoting health through natural nutrition in Quebec. That’s when Richard got the idea of sticking with the well-known Canadian brand Global Pet Foods, and offering high quality products made in Canada. In this way, he was able to ensure that the kibbles and raw food for cats and dogs sold at Pitou Minou et Compagnons were indeed healthy and natural foods.
« We only recommend products that we would feed our personal pets. We sell the same quality foods made with natural ingredients that we feed our own pets with. » Richard Bégin, founder, Pitou Minou & Compagnons
Values
Product quality
We look carefully at the ingredients of our pet foods to ensure that they are healthy and natural. There is no way we would sell you a product with ingredients we don’t know about. We do not sell food products made in China or from other countries where we cannot certify the quality of the ingredients. You can be assured that no matter what food product you find at Pitou Minou & Compagnons, it will contain only healthy and natural foods. For us, the quality of our pet food is the priority.
Focused on ingredients, not brands
We make a point of choosing each product we sell for its ingredients, not its brand. We avoid the popular brands found in grocery stores because they contain ingredients that may be harmful to the well-being of animals. In addition, the majority of the products sold in Pitou Minou & Compagnons stores are made in Canada to ensure a superior and reliable quality of ingredients.
Expertise in animal nutrition
Nutrition plays a very important role in the health and well-being of animals. All of our employees are trained to become experts in animal nutrition. Just like humans, animals can have certain conditions or diseases that require special attention. Our team of experts in animal nutrition will be able to guide you towards the product that will best suit your animal according to its specific needs.
Mission
Our mission is to promote healthy and natural pet food products throughout Quebec. We want every pet owner to have access to quality pet food with ingredients that are beneficial to their cat or dog. This is why we sell products under the Global Pet Foods banner.
It is also our mission to help and support animal shelters.
Pitou Minou & Compagnons regularly collaborates with the shelters near its stores. We know how important shelters are in raising awareness about animal welfare and fighting animal cruelty. That’s why we often contribute to their fundraisers and provide them with good quality pet food on a regular basis.
Involvement
Every year, more than half a million animals are abandoned in Quebec alone. Shelters work very hard to take in these animals and to find them new homes. We believe that their mission should be highlighted. This is why we are very involved in helping them to raise funds.
Several fundraising events are organized in our branches to help animal shelters throughout Quebec. Pitou Minou & Compagnons works with the shelters to support them and offer them the space they need for their fundraising events. Several locations are available to shelters for adoption days. Each year, we launch the “Show Us Your Heart” campaign to raise funds for many shelters across Canada (with the Global Pet Foods banner). In 2021, we raised over $1,250,000 in donations and helped over 120 shelters across the country.
This is also why the Pitou Minou & Compagnons stores do not sell any animals. The company does not encourage puppy mills in any way. Instead, we promote responsible adoption through shelters. You will find, at each of our locations, information about nearby shelters.
35 stores in 2022, going on 50
The ambition of the founders is to open their 50th franchise in 2025. With the ongoing growing demand for natural pet foods, this objective is not only possible but very probable. The market has been in full swing for the past 20 years and we expect it to attain even greater importance in the next 10-20 years. If you have any interest in participating in this trend, see our “Franchise” section in this site.