For Patricia Benit-Laing and her son Wyatt, working together at their Pet Wants franchise in New Orleans has been a natural next step in their family’s journey. As a family that has always had pets, the mother-son duo are leveraging their passion and knowledge about pet nutrition to deliver premium-quality pet food made from natural ingredients to their French Quarter community.

Before deciding to pursue a new path after the COVID-19 pandemic, Patricia Benit-Laing was an art teacher for gifted students for 26 years. 

“I was ready to do something else,” Patricia said. “At the same time, I had a dog dealing with unknown allergies. I wanted to try different food, and I came across Pet Wants. I inquired about it, got a bag delivered and we really loved it. So, I started looking more at Pet Wants and realized it was a very affordable franchise. I had owned my own small business — an art school — in the past and I really loved working for myself. I wanted to get back into that.” 

But it wasn’t just an entrepreneurial side that drew Patricia to Pet Wants. She also had a lifelong passion for animals. “I always wanted to be a veterinarian,” she said. “But as I went through high school, I wasn't great at math and science, so I gravitated more towards art and music. Working with animals was really my first passion in life, so I knew this was the perfect fit.”

The Benit-Laing family officially signed on with Pet Wants in 2021. Patricia’s son Wyatt, 27, joined her in the venture shortly after, training to learn the ins and outs of the business. Today, his main role is attending markets, but he also helps with deliveries whenever needed. Patricia is impressed with Wyatt's kindness and attentiveness towards customers, traits that blend well with the pet-loving community.

"Working with family has been an amazing journey," Patricia said. "I went from just being a mom to being a partner listening to my son and his brilliant ideas. He has become better than me, which is what you want in an employee so you can focus on other things that need to be done. He is so very kindhearted and always listens well to customers, which is important when you are talking to people about their pet family members. I am really impressed.”

As they continue to grow their business, Patricia and Wyatt hope to open a brick-and-mortar storefront and eventually expand to another nearby market, adding grooming services. Patricia's daughter Eve, 32, is also planning to join the family business when she moves back to New Orleans.

"We always had pets in the house growing up — bearded dragons, birds, cats, dogs — so it was natural to share this passion with my kids in the business,” said Patricia. “Hopefully one day I’ll be able to hand off this business to them, if they want it."

Overall, the Benit-Laing family in New Orleans has found that Pet Wants ownership not only allows them to help pets live longer, healthier lives through high-quality nutrition, but also brings them closer together.

“I love connecting with the community and talking about dogs and cats to people all day long,” said Patricia. “Similar to teaching, when you have passion for helping people, you fit right into the pet industry. When you find something that you love, it is so easy because you are spending your days focused on what you believe in.”

Pet Wants seeks dedicated and passionate franchisees like the Benit-Laing family in markets across the U.S., targeting Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Kansas, Missouri, Idaho, Texas and Arizona. The franchise offers a flexible and proven business model, coupled with extensive training and support, allowing franchisees to thrive and make a meaningful impact in their communities.

To learn more about Pet Wants franchise opportunities, visit: https://1851franchise.com/petwants/info