Spotlight Blog: Animal Crackers

Owner: JJ Diaz

Animal Crackers is a Miami-based pet business that offers premium, all-natural and organic foods, supplements, toys, accessories, and grooming services for your pet. Founder JJ Diaz has been operating Animal Crackers out of his downtown location since October 2010. We’ve known him for years- his advice helped us calm our beautiful sharpei’s skin allergies when no amount of testing and veterinary visits helped, and he’s helped countless clients of ours with their pets’ needs. We highly recommend his services!

Healthy Food. Healthy Pet!

JJ’s adventure began when he was unsatisfied with the unhealthy food options available for his pet in the surrounding Miami area. He wanted to create a way for pet parents to have access to healthy food, so he decided to find a solution and brought to life his motto: Healthy Food, Healthy Pet!

Six years later, JJ is running a successful storefront and delivery service for all Miami pet parents and fur babies.  The business provides many local products as well as national brands. “We primarily like to offer locally sourced food made here in Florida by smaller family owned and operated companies, you can really guarantee a quality product when you’ve seen where it’s made and have a relationship with the people making it.”

In addition, JJ stays up to date with pet nutrition as a whole to keep our pets fit and healthy. “We offer products made all over the USA and Canada. It’s really important to follow the bigger companies, stay on top of who is manufacturing the food and where they source their ingredients from,” he explains. Whatever product your pet prefers, Animal Crackers has it covered!

Animal Crackers Location and Hours:

Animal Crackers has a storefront downtown where you can shop for goodies or drop your dog for a spa day to be groomed. If you need your pup picked up and dropped off for grooming, JJ’s staff is happy to accommodate.

Downtown Address: 280 NE 2nd St, Miami, FL 33132

JJ’s team is equipped with two groomers and three assistants who operate the store 6 days a week. They store is open Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM – 8:00 PM, Saturday, 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM. They’re closed on Sundays.

Does Animal Crackers Deliver?

Yes! Animal Crackers delivers product from Miami Shores, Miami Beach, Coral Gables, South Miami, and all neighborhoods in between. Any delivery is free for orders over $35.00. His staff has found the secret to getting around too. When delivering to the Downtown area or Brickell, you can see the team on bike or skateboard delivering treats all day. You can place your order online or give them a call at 305-374-8004.

Finding the Right Food for Your Dogs 101:

We asked JJ how he helps clients personally find the right food for their pooches, and we loved his simple yet compassionate response, “By listening to owners concerns regarding any ailments their pets may have.” How refreshing- a business owner who listens! This is someone who truly cares about the well-being of your pet.

Latest Trend in Pet Food? Farm Fresh!

Currently, the latest trend in Florida pet products come from Farm Fresh Pet Foods, a company based out of Hollywood, FL. JJ swears by their latest dog treat called Farm Fresh Beef Lungs, essentially dehydrated lungs for your pup to munch on. JJ also treats his own pup to kibble incorporated with Farm Fresh cooked meals and a couple of duck feet thrown in for good behavior.

What Is the Secret to the Right Diet?

We dove deeper into the quest of providing the right diet and the answer is portion control. A common issue JJ has seen in pet clients is overfeeding. JJ stresses, “It’s important to understand the ratio on the packet is a major generalization, every pet has his or her own specific needs. Overfeeding is bad for your pet and ultimately your wallet.” He suggests pet parents need to maintain control, and not cave whenever a pup begs for food. “We need to understand that your pet is always going to seem hungry.”

We agree with JJ when he contemplates all food choices for pets. “When you consider the many benefits of all natural foods, such as a healthier coat, better immunity to sickness, and overall improvement of health, the benefits of feeding your dog a healthier diet far outweighs the alternative.”

Raw Food Diets?

To add to his argument as said on the website, “Raw food diets have been shown to help the body deal with many common ailments such as flea infestations, hot spots, continual shedding, poor dental & gum health, allergies, gastrointestinal problems such as Inflammatory Bowel Disease, immune disorders and degenerative diseases.” A huge factor pet parents need to acknowledge.

Diet: The Foundation of Health

JJ leaves us with a final note, “Diet is the foundation of health. The fresher the diet, the more nutrients are available for the animal’s system to utilize in building immunity, healing from illness and warding off disease.” We will take his expert advice any day! Stop by the store or place an order online. Animal Crackers is here for your pets everyday health care needs!

Frankie Berti

A founding member of the Equipaws family, Frankie can mostly be found working behind the scenes, helping co-create online branding, managing several social media accounts, designing brand collateral, writing copy, and managing events. She also fills in for pet sitters and dog walkers when needed in Palmetto Bay, Pinecrest, and South Miami. Her own small pack consists of Boots the Shih Tzu mix and Nutmeg the Chiweenie.