BowWow Meow redefining ‘philan-pet-ry’

Rachel Kroeger

Staff

January 5, 2026

STEVENS POINT – Two years after opening her increasingly pup-ular Stevens Point shop, BowWow Meow Boutique, local pet lover Anita Freund said business is thriving.

A realtor by profession, Freund said she launched the store in 2023 to fill a gap in her community.

“I realized there was only one pet store in the community, and then there’s a big-box store, but there wasn’t anyone catering to the experience of… [both the] pet and the pet parents,” she said.

Providing a place for paw-rents to shop and test products with their furry family members on hand, Freund said, was her ultimate goal in opening BowWow Meow.

“There wasn’t anyone who was catering to the experience of shopping with your pet and really getting to try things,” she said “[I wanted to add] value to both of them, but really give a safe place for the dog to come in and try things and to let the pet parent experience that love and community.”

Events, offerings, experiences

Freund – a pet parent herself to two miniature pinschers – said BowWow Meow offers a wide variety of “premium pet supplies for cats and dogs” specifically selected to promote pet health and well-being. 

“One unique thing about BowWow Meow is that we don’t sell any rawhide,” she said. “We have tons of options for collagen and marrow and things like that, but no rawhide. For consumables and chewables, almost everything is made in America, and a lot of the product is even made closer to home in Wisconsin.”

Initially opening the businesses with two partners, Freund said she gradually bought them out to operate BowWow Meow as its sole proprietor.

“Since [then], I’ve hired a team of part-timers who are all superstars,” she said. “I could not ask for a better team who all shine in their own ways, but being able to train them and to make jobs for people, that has been something amazing in my career.”

BowWow Meow’s home base – located at 3449 Church St. – Freund said, used to serve as a gas station.

“It [had] been shut down for seven or eight years – abandoned, basically,” she said. “But, because it’s a gas station, there’s a lot of traffic that [drives] by.”

Regularly driving by the property, Freund said she’d often look at it and think “this should be more.”

That vision came to life, she said, with BowWow Meow Boutique –  which not only serves as a one-stop shop for pet supplies but also partners with local businesses to host pet-themed events in the space.

“We regularly do paint parties, birthday parties – things like that,” she said. “We did try yoga out a couple of times. That one was pretty tough, but the paint your pet portrait parties are very successful. I have partnered with a business owner out of Wausau who owns Paint Party B.”

Events such as Easter egg hunts, pet-friendly holiday meals and Santa Claus meet and greets – as well as a designated photo-op area for pet parents to capture their four-legged friends – all contribute to what Freund said she describes as the BowWow Meow experience.

“I knew I could focus on [not only] bringing the community together and supporting other small businesses, but giving that shopping experience to the pet parent,” she said. “Underneath the canopy where the gas pumps used to be, I put some tables and chairs out there and a little fenced-in area, and – there’s a whole side story of how I got the grass – but I made a green space in a parking lot on the south side of Stevens Point.”

At the beginning of this past summer, Freund said she also partnered with Stevens Point Brewery to host a “Bones and Brews” event series.

“It was a summer series that was [held] every other Monday for the duration of the summer,” she said. “It was free, I brought pup cups, and we just came with our dog vibes. The very first one, 30 dogs came with their parents, because dog people want to hang with other dog people. So, that was a lot of fun, and collaborating with Stevens Point Brewery was amazing.”

Bringing joy to pet parents

Freund said the future of BowWow Meow could include additional staff and in-house services to bolster its offerings and business scope in addition to establishing an online retail selection – soon to be available at bowwowmeowboutique.com. 

“There are future plans to go into other services, as far as bathing and maybe grooming, but right now, we’re doing very well,” she said, “so I don’t want to put too much out there until I am ready to fully staff it and dedicate the time that I need to it.”

Freund said the Stevens Point community has “embraced” her and her business throughout its first two years in operation.

“I know a lot of that has to do with our focus on community and doing well in the community, supporting others,” she said.

Beyond parties, events and shopping, Freund said BowWow Meow frequently plays host to fundraisers to support the Humane Society of Portage County.

“What the pet shop has done for me is given me, even more, a platform for fundraising,” she said. “In May, I have an event that I’ve partnered with a producer for that’s a fundraiser for the humane society, and we have about 40 small businesses that set up in my parking lot. We have live bands and food trucks, and that is contributing to a lot of other folks in the community [by] supporting their small businesses.”

Aside from her passion for pets, Freund said she enjoys operating BowWow Meow for the opportunities it affords her to create a sense of community.

“[Providing] a service and bringing people together in the community – that’s something that I just naturally am able to do,” she said. “To promote and to be able to give a place for others to come and do business is really a big part of my heart.”

Freund said BowWow Meow’s “iconic turquoise sofa,” designated for pet pictures, is a physical demonstration of the business’s commitment to support the community at every stage of a pet’s life.

“We celebrate birthdays, gotcha days and really go all out for the pets, because our pets bring us joy in our lives,” she said. “So, to me, seeing the dogs happy is so much fun, but I’m looking at the expressions of the pet parents, and it is just phenomenal. It is so fulfilling.”

For hours of operation and more information on its products and events, visit BowWow Meow’s aforementioned website, or find it on Facebook.