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How It
All Started
Chi-wa-wa Ga-ga was conceived in 1998 during an explosive epiphany
while Elayne Angel labored feverishly on the Crossrobics Exercise
Trainer during her usual morning visit to the gym. She was huffing,
puffing and daydreaming. She contemplated the fate of a small retail
space in the building housing her original New Orleans enterprise:
Rings of Desire,
New Orleans' first and only exclusive body piercing studio.(Closed
following Hurricane Katrina)
She was ruminating on how difficult it was for her and her pal Justine
Roig to find clothing, sweaters, festive holiday gear and the like
for their treasured pet Chihuahuas. Dinky dog brothers Angelo and
Tweaky like many small dogs get chilled very easily in even slightly
cool weather. And they look so glamorous in garb.
All of a sudden, like a light bulb going off above her head, Elayne
had the wild and crazy thought of a specialty shop for dinky dogs!
Chi-wa-wa Ya-ya? No. Chi-wa-wa Ha-ha? Uh, nope. Chi-wa-wa Ga-ga?
YES! That was it; the idea was born and tumbled into being with
a life of its own.
Justine took a small bit of convincing to leave her position handing
out pigs-in-a-blanket and crackers with cheese spread at the local
supermarket for a life as a canine clothier. Initially she was dubious,
but once the vision was clear to her she dived right in and hasn’t
come up for a breath yet!
In addition to a tremendous selection of festive commercial gear,
we're delighted to design original clothing and accessories for
our precious pet patrons. An astonishing array of items is available
to adorn your adored animals. We were one of the first online businesses
to offer pet apparel!
Our Philosophy: “Pets are people, too!”
Like it says on the door mat at the shop:“Pets are welcome
in the store, but children must be kept on a leash” (Sense
of humor!!)
Your pet will NEVER take the car without permission, be caught playing
with matches or smoking, or need an expensive college education.
They love you unconditionally, and therefore surely deserve a great
new outfit now and then!
We are all about CUSTOMER SERVICE! We want to make you ecstatic,
and we want you to feel excited about enjoying your pet to the fullest
extent of the law. We want you to dress your dear, darling, doggie
in a delightful outfit and squeal; jumping up and down, clapping
your hands, screaming in an uncontrolled falsetto, “That is
SOOOOOOO CUTE!!!!”
That’s what makes us happy!
Where We Are
Chi-wa-wa Ga-ga is now located in New Orleans' historic French Quarter
district at 511 Dumaine Street, just off Decatur Street. We're right
next door to Pet Asylum (grooming, food, and treats 504-302-9845),
so you now have a convenient one-stop pet shopping location!
Shop Hours:
Noon to 6 p.m.
We are open 7 days a week Noon - 6PM CST.
The “Small Store for Dinky Dogs” got larger when we
moved from our original location on French Market Place over to
a larger store in Dumaine. Justine has managed to acquire an incredible
selection of interesting items to tantalize your pup’s taste
for treats or your hankerin’ for a cowboy hat, leather biker
jacket or flannel pajamas for your little darling. Your pet is welcome
to try on sweaters, collars and clothing, etc. in the store.
We are very happy to work with you on custom orders to create the
perfect ensemble for your esteemed animal kin. It's easy to figure
out what size you need. Just use our handy charts!
The atmosphere is festive and fun (we’re in New Orleans after
all!) and animals are welcome, if their owner’s are well behaved.
We always carry gear for special holidays and events: Mardi Gras,
Jazz Fest, Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick's Day, the 4th of
July, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and so on.
We have also got a sizable (if compact) variety of dog collectibles
including key chains, rubber stamps, figurines, signs, stickers,
note pads and so on for different breeds.
While the main focus is on dogs, we do carry items for cats, ferrets,
rabbits and other small pets. |
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