Meet Lori, 21 years in Georgetown Neighborhood.
Photo of Lori Anderson by shon’t.savage
Name: Lori Anderson (she/her)
Residency in Georgetown: 21 years. Lori purchased her home in 2003.
How you might know her: As the pet store lady, the egg lady, and the person with the Girl Scout, who happens to be her 15-year-old daughter.
Lori is the neighbor I knew without knowing I knew her. For years, we communicated solely via Facebook to coordinate my purchase of fresh eggs laid by her hens. Only recently did I assign a face to her name; her association to the neighborhood pet store, an added surprise.
Sitting in her shop, A Dog’s Dream Natural Pet Supply, 5913 Airport Way S, I learn more about Lori, her tenure in the neighborhood and hopes for its future.
What do you do? (e.g., your profession, personal mission, passion, etc.)?
”Initially, I was a scientist who worked on vaccine development for malaria,” Lori says. Owning a dog with special dietary needs and working a part-time gig at a pet store in Atlanta created the potential for what is now A Dog’s Dream.
“My first dog had a lot of food allergies,” Lori continues. “Because I am a scientist first, I did a lot of research on pet nutrition, so it was a natural progression.”
As a condition of starting a family, Lori approached her now ex-husband and said, “Let me open a pet store and we can have kids.” Although his “OK” did not immediately follow suit – in fact, it came a year and a half later – Lori opened A Dog’s Dream 17 years ago on Bailey Street in a space currently occupied by the Seattle Drum School.
What brought you to Georgetown? Why this neighborhood?
“I applied to a Ph.D. program [at the University of Washington] and was waitlisted. They (school administrators) said, ‘Move out here, get a job in one of our labs, and then reapply.’ So I moved out here [from Atlanta] with my dog.”
After experiencing some challenges identifying pet-friendly housing options, Lori opted for homeownership: “I bought a house in Georgetown as a single person with a dog. It was the only place I could afford. And then just lucked out on the community.”
What keeps you here? What do you like about our ‘hood?
“The community! Back then, 10 years or so ago, we were a really tight-knit group of people who all knew each other. I used to say Seattle had a 1950s feel. I could walk to work and people outside would say, ‘Good morning, Lori.’”
When prompted to share her thoughts about the current culture of our ‘hood, Lori states, “It’s changed. We are losing a lot of personal space with the increased density and I don’t know as many people as I knew 10 years ago. Would I move? Probably not. There is still a core group of people I see and interact with daily.”
A piece of advice for your Georgetown neighbors, new or old?
“Get to know your neighbors. If it’s just the two on the sides or the one in the front and the one in the back, I challenge you to go out and learn their names.”
Your future Georgetown looks like …
A community where people are vested in knowing each other.
A Dog’s Dream, 5913 Airport Way S, celebrates its 17th anniversary this month. Everything in the store will be 20 percent off on Feb. 17-18. Purchases must be made in person to receive this discount. There also will be raffles, give-aways, and vendors onsite distributing samples. Go say hello to Lori and her wonderful staff … and while there, remember to exchange names!
To be featured in “Peeps in the Neighborhood” or to recommend someone for us to consider, email shon’t at shontofTheGtownGazette@gmail.com.