Delilah’s Pet Shop reopens

Delilah’s Pet Shop is open for business at a temporary location after a fire destroyed the building last week.

The former College Avenue location was destroyed Nov. 3 after the Bloomington Fire Department worked for three hours to extinguish the fire. About 20 animals were killed in the fire.

The business has set up shop in a commercial space under construction at 1040 W. 17th St., said pet shop owner Karene Kidwell. This location is only temporary. The new pet shop will be located at West 11th Street and College Avenue in a former walk-in health clinic.

The temporary location was provided for free by Kelly Slinkard, Kidwell’s friend and customer for 20 years. Slinkard’s family owns the empty commercial space.

“I don’t know how long she is going to stay – it doesn’t matter,” Slinkard said. “(They) need all the help and support they can get to get back on their feet.”

Slinkard said Kidwell stands out because of how much she cares about the animals, not just the business aspect of Delilah’s Pet Shop.

Kidwell said her top priority was getting nutritional supplements ordered so her customers would be taken care of. Kidwell also said she has food to sell at the 17th Street location, but there are no animals.

Bloomington resident Julie Routon went into the temporary shop Wednesday to buy the food for her miniature schnauzer that has few teeth.

“I had just gotten down to a little bit,” Routon said. “Them bringing the food back was perfect.”

Routon has been a customer since 1999 and said it is the only place where she can find the right food for her dog.

All of the animals rescued from the fire were taken to Arlington Heights Veterinary Hospital to be checked out and then were taken to the Howl ’N Dog Inn in Nashville, Ind.

Karen Tice, owner of the Inn and a friend of Kidwell, offered to care for the animals so that Kidwell could get back on her feet.

Of the animals that were rescued, only three remain. The rest were sold. Tice has 2 beagles, 1 black cat and 1 Pekingese.

Kidwell said she wants to be moved into the new location within three weeks.
“We’re doing a lot better since we’ve got something to do,” Kidwell said. “As long as we were busy, it keeps your mind off things. I think it’s very important in the healing process.”