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Feed Depot Cares For Animals From The Inside Out

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By ELAINE MARKOWITZ

The Tampa Tribune

Published: August 23, 2008

ODESSA - Nestled in Fox's Corner where Gunn Highway meets North Mobley Road is the Feed Depot, a one-stop shopping mecca for some of man's best friends, not only dogs, but cats, goats, sheep, rabbits, ducks, birds and - primarily - horses.

First opened by Tom and Eleanor Fox in 1949, it began as an all-purpose country store called Fox's Corner. At that time, it stood alone in what is now a small shopping center bearing the same name.

Anyone owning a pet or raising horses need travel no farther than the Feed Depot to get supplies. The variety of products provides a feast for the eyes and addresses almost every grooming and health need of creatures both furry and feathered.

Toward the entrance are shelves packed with sacks of bran, flax and alfalfa. These fibrous products keep the digestive processes flowing in farm and domestic animals. Large bags of food for cats, dogs and birds are piled up as well.

A row of rich leather saddles catches the eye, as does a large cage filled with rabbits nestled in wood shavings.

Horses, though, reign supreme.

"A majority of our business is dedicated to the equine industry," said Bob Thackeray, store manager, one morning. "In this area we have a lot of horse farms, training farms and boarding facilities."
Thackeray said the store also draws business from the nearby racetrack, Tampa Bay Downs, during the season.

From Head To Hoof

Halters are strung on one wall, and nearby shelves are filled with canisters of fly spray, feed supplements, joint supplements, and hoof and wound care products. One warehouse holds feed for a variety of animals, but the other holds up to 50 tons of horse feed, along with bales of hay.
Thackeray came on board at the store, owned by businessman Donald Vincent, in 2000 and took over the manager's job in 2001. He said the job brings joys and challenges. Mingling with the customers is a pleasure, he said.

"Our clients are good people who care about animals and will go the extra mile for their pets," he said. "Most are country people who have lived here a long time."

Ken Vollmer, who recently retired from Verizon Florida, began working at the Feed Depot 10 months ago. He also said he takes pleasure in talking with pet owners, especially those who feed wild animals and birds near their homes.

"Many people feed ducks, wild turkeys and deer," he said. "Some have rescued abandoned animals and turned them into pets."

Most of the challenges involve feeding the animals, particularly horses.

"One of the biggest challenges is meeting the feed need because they constantly come out with new kinds," Thackeray said.

Knowing Their Stuff

In 2000, he went to a Purina research farm in St. Louis, where he watched scientists testing feed for horses, goats, rabbits and other animals.

"You have horse conditions that require different kinds of feed," he said.

Those conditions include illnesses, age and the amount of work a horse does.

One of the most common illnesses, said Thackeray, is laminitis, a foot and circulation problem. A horse afflicted with this disease, he said, requires a feed with a lower starch and sugar content.

"There are so many kinds of feed," he added. "You have to learn what they all do."
Thackeray noted that clients today are computer-savvy and often come to the store armed with knowledge and questions of their own. That client awareness is a further incentive for the manager and other store employees to keep abreast of new developments pertinent to the pets they serve.

The busy manager said he faces other challenges apart from horses - from fish, for example.

In the garden room behind the store is a large tank of fresh-flowing water filled with shiners and minnows. They provide bait for local fishermen.

"You have to keep the water recycled and clean," he said. "Keeping the fish alive is a challenge."

Customers appear pleased with the store's offerings.

Ben Jensen of Odessa works for Noah's Ark on Wheels, a portable petting zoo that travels to local children's parties. He said he depends on the Feed Depot for all the supplies for the zoo's horses, donkeys, goats, sheep, rabbits, turkeys and ducks.

"They have everything I ever need right here," he said.

IF YOU GO

WHAT: The Feed Depot

HOURS: Monday through Saturday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Sunday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

LOCATION: At Fox's Corner, 16820 Gunn Highway

CONTACT: (813) 920-2514

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