Clarksville, TN – Legion Dog and Cat Supply, owned by Brad and Christie Sanders, was just named Clarksville Area Chamber of Commerce Veteran Business of the Month. Legion is a business that was born out of a love for their Mastiffs Bentley and Maddox who both faced unepected serious health issues.
“We opened a brick & mortar location in November 2024,” Brad said. “The reason we opened the store was Bentley, who had a spinal stroke about two years ago. We were having dinner. He walked in fine. But when he went to get up, his back half was paralyzed. Finding supplies for a dog that size was very difficult. Thankfully, he is mostly recovered now.
“Maddox was diagnosed with lymphoma just before he turned 3, which is very young. He died right after he turned 3. At that point, we did a bunch of research into the pet industry, the foods, the supplements, flea and tick treatments, and what was in them, all that.
“When we looked at quality products, we found that there wasn’t anywhere in Clarksville that really focused on that. So, we thought we could provide something to the community, and so far it has been doing very well.”
Christie joined the conversation, and started by listing several of the products that Legion carries. “Let’s see, as far as dog food brands, we have Open Farm, Fromm, Earthborn, Taste of the Wild, Diamond Care, Hill’s Science Diet, Stella & Chewy’s, and Vital Essentials. We sell a lot of natural treats and chews for dogs, but there is no rawhide in our store. We also have limited-ingredient treats. The majority of people who come in say their dog can’t have chicken or meat protein. We offer a plant-based protein product. We really have a lot of options for people with dogs that have allergies and issues.
“The foods that we do carry, we did a ton of research on them to ensure they only use quality ingredients, that they have no lawsuits, recalls, and things like that. Anything we sell, we would give to our dog. We also have frozen raw foods, goat’s milk, omegas shampoo and grooming products for dogs and cats that are groomer’s grade, with no paraffins or dyes.
“For example, scented cat litter is harmful to animals, so you won’t find that here. Holistically, we provide dog and cat supplies that are just better. We have Wondercide flea & tick treatment, and yard treatment that uses plant-based products and essential oils that repel and kill ticks, fleas, and mosquitoes.”
Brad and Christie provided some statistics. E.g., lymphoma is an environmental cancer, and 1 in 3 dogs die of cancer. In dogs that are over 10, 50% die from cancer.
“This is something that we really need to look at,” Christie continued. “I’m an RN. We know that Roundup causes cancer in humans, but we don’t think about our dogs walking through it, smelling it, absorbing it through their tissue.
“We love our fur babies just like our own kids. For some families, fur babies are the only kids they have, and they want to keep them in their lives as long as they can. We just want to offer effective, healthier options than they can find anywhere else.”
Brad served in the U.S. Army from 2000 to 2022. The majority o his time was spent in 5th Group, Special Forces.
“I got incredibly lucky when I got out,” Brad said. “I worked with Trent Knott -owner/co-founder of The City Forum and Miss Lucille’s Marketplace. He taught me so much about how to do business the right way, and how to be an entrepreneur. That in part inspired me to make that leap to open our own business.
“We’re growing every month. The community around the store has been amazing with all the text groups and word of mouth. We just had a neighborhood block party on Saturday and hundreds of people came out. We had 14 local vendors that showed up. They are new to being entrepreneurs, so I wanted them to be able to get in front of people. We also had dog and cat adoptions.
“For now, we’ll just look at growing what we’ve got, and we’ll see what the future brings. We started our business offering only in-store shopping, then we added online and pick-up in the store, and now we’ve added same-day delivery.”
Christie added, “We also have two private self-wash stations in the store. We use groomer’s grade products. We offer an unlimited household membership. We also do walk-ins, and there are a couple of options.”
Legion Dog and Cat Supply is located at 3900 Hollingwood Boulevard, Suites G & H, at Tiny Town and Trenton. Contact them at www.legiondogandcatsupply.com. Find them on Facebook and Instagram at Legion Dog and Cat Supply.
