The brains behind the store reside with our Chief Feline Officer Hana {on the left}, who is a canine. (Our former Chief Canine Officer Jasper {on the right}, who served from 2005 until 2009, passed away on Nov. 7th, 2009, having lost his battle against lymphoma.) Hana does product testing and makes product recommendations. And, yes, our Chief Feline Officer is a dog; we are an equal opportunity employer. However, lacking opposable digits, she finds working at the store tiring and prefers to direct her human, the store owner, to complete the day-to-day store management. She also feels she is a little too busy being a search dog to bother with too much store work.

Her human, the store owner, is Cyndi Wells. Cyndi Wells joined the staff of Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) in 2000 and has lived in Los Alamos since that time. She was a Technical Staff Member and then a Senior Project Leader. She received a B.S. with high honors in chemistry and Japanese from the University of Michigan. In 1999, she received a Ph.D. in physical chemistry from the University of Texas at Austin. With her background, she really enjoys learning about pet nutrition and taking a hard look at those ingredient lists on pet foods.

She grew frustrated by being forced to drive to Santa Fe to purchase dog food after the pet store in Los Alamos closed in late August of 2004. (Pet Pangaea LLC is not in any way related to the store that was in Los Alamos up until 2004.) She thought the community deserved a local pet store that carries quality supplies, has good prices, and is a fun, clean place to shop with friendly, knowledgeable staff. So, the process of conceiving of Pet Pangaea LLC and making the store a reality began in September 2004. She planned the store from the perspective of what would make her happy as the customer. Pet Pangaea LLC opened its doors on February 19th of 2005 and has made many pet friends since that time.

She is an active member of the search and rescue community, having participated with Hana on numerous searches as a member of Mountain Canine Corps, is a triathlete who founded Triatomics Multisport Club, and is a member of Friends of the Shelter. She continued to work at LANL until 2008, working over 100 hours a week between LANL and the store for 3 years, so she is, obviously, not sane. But, if you see her in the store, don't worry. She is friendly and has never bitten. Pet Pangaea LLC also employs a great crew of friendly folks, eager to help you and your pet in any way we can.