The Smith Family: Wild Times At Fin & Feather

Of my sentiments for Fin & Feather pet store, I think Elizabeth Barrett Browning said it best: "How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. . ."  

A bit lofty and overstated in reference to a pet store, I know, but honestly, where else can you banter on about your beloved pet to an interested crowd, visit 'Thor' the 20-year-old iguana, hold a dumbo-eared, hairless rat or pet a native sugar glider? 

If you have ever been to Fin & Feather, a.k.a. the Groton Zoo, you know this is a local social hub, a black and white ball for kids and families.  With all of the big box pet stores moving in, small, family-owned businesses like these are rare and one of the few crowned jewels in Groton. 

The Smith family opened Fin & Feather in 1968.  Pat and John Smith bred show parakeets, this evolved into a pet store and with five young children, it became a family affair.  All of the children have worked at the store at one time or another and now Laura Smith-Wainston, an emergency medical technician, phlebotomist, 1984 Fitch graduate and animal lover has stepped in to help keep the family business going. 

“I was young, but helped out a lot," she says.  "I used to hang out at Benny’s or I would sweep the hair and shine the shoes at John’s Barber Shop.”

Back in the day before stringent regulations, Fin & Feather had the occasional exotic pet, such as a monkey, toucan or ocelot.  Smith-Wainston says she was pretty young in the early days, but she remembers watching the store octopus have babies.

Never a dull moment with furry creatures, she says. “It’s always a fiasco when a bird gets loose and I’m running around the store with a net,”  she says.

Once, a snake escaped and made its way to the bathroom of a neighboring store.  Coiled up in waiting, the critter was found by employees. 

“They were hysterical," Smith-Wainston says. "You can only imagine!  Luckily, they were younger people that worked there.”

Although not available for public viewing, Fin & Feather once had a Siamese kitten with two heads.  Brought to them by a friend with a fresh litter of kittens, the staff did what they could, but unfortunately, the kitten died.

“Awhile back, someone left a box of 10 ferrets outside the front door," Smith-Wainston says. "Ferrets can carry rabies, so we had to call the police and they took them away."

With a background in nursing, owner Pat Smith is a caretaker of both animals and people.  She says with much experience under her belt, she is highly selective and can tell when she’s got a good, healthy pet to pass on to customers.

She hands me a hefty binder containing more than 100 drawings, thank you letters and commendations from customers and local community members in appreciation of Fin & Feather’s contributions and good citizenship in the community.

It’s clear the business is cherished in Groton, though with tough economic times and corporate competition, the store has had to downsize by almost half – but the Smiths keep it going.

“I love coming to work, because I love seeing the animals and seeing the people," Pat Smith says.  "Animals bring you a lot of comfort, and I feel that we’ve helped a lot of people over the years."