T and T Pet Supply is an independent pet store that’s been family-owned and operated since it was founded in 2011 in Skillman, New Jersey by Mark Hunsbedt. Serving Belle Mead, Princeton, South Brunswick, Hillsborough, Hopewell, Pennington and other communities, the pet retailer has become a destination for pet parents looking to provide the best food, treats and accessories for companion animals that are furry, feathered or covered with scales.
Kyara Donohoe has been with T and T Pet Supply since 2016, and she currently serves as the retailer’s events coordinator. A lifelong pet lover, Donohoe plays a major role in helping to educate the community on the healthiest ways to raise everything from California kingsnakes to Siamese cats.
However, Donohoe has lived a life that reads like a thrilling narrative, full of plot twists. Pet Age recently spoke with her to learn more about the person behind the expert customer service.
Where did you get your love for animals?
I pretty much came out of the womb with a love for animals. Both of my parents had their two dogs when I was born, and then my dad got me my own dog before I could even walk. I’ve had pretty much every domesticated animal imaginable before I was out of high school. Everything from dogs, cats, guinea pigs, rabbits, hamsters, gerbils, chinchillas, ferrets and fish. My true love for animals really came from my mom who, unfortunately, passed away of cancer in 2022. She had the biggest heart for every animal, big and small. We rescued greyhounds growing up, and she even let me start my own little rodent rescue in high school. I can’t express my full gratitude for this woman and how much of a rock star she was, even at the end of her life. I wouldn’t be where I am without her constant support and direction. She always wanted me to be the crazy cat lady (where I currently am today).
How would you describe your current pet situation?
Welcome to the Funny Farm! It’s a good thing that I work at a pet store. Every critter found past the date of my mother’s passing, I can only guess has been sent from her. Her most recent addiction sent to me has been an all-white, blue- and green-eyed Maine coon who is deaf as a doornail. He can’t hear a darn thing. Welcome to the Funny Farm, Casper Cat! I also have one German shepherd doggo (my ride or die), one pot-belly piggy (she’s the resident princess), 10 cats, one house rooster (we don’t talk about Bruno), four parrots, three very senior aquatic turtles and one very old bunny. All these critters have been rescues of one shape or form. It’s like a Disney movie over here.
What cryptid creature do you think is most realistic?
By definition, a “cryptid” is an animal or other beings whose present existence is disputed or unsubstantiated by science. Some examples are Big Foot, Mothman, the Jersey Devil and the Loch Ness Monster. If I had to pick one to be most realistic and truly exist, it would have to be the infamous Big Foot. Have you ever been out in the woods and wonder if there is more than we know about in there. Like something big and hairy might be watching you. Standing on two legs and about eight feet tall? How could we possibly miss it? But you can still feel your hair standing up just thinking about it. Watching you from just behind that big oak tree. We don’t know what exists in the deepest of seas, so why can’t a giant hairy monster live in the woods?
If you were stranded on a deserted island, what book would you want to have with you?
First off, let’s state that I would not do well by myself on a deserted island. I crave attention and need animals or people around me. I also love reading horror books. This is probably not a great choice for being stranded on an island. But if I had to pick one it would have to be “House of Leaves” by Mark Z. Danielewski. I wouldn’t recommend this book to everyone. It’s pretty much three different stories tied into one. But who doesn’t enjoy a horrifyingly grief driven coming of age story, plus a fictional history lesson, plus a house with infinite rooms and the scariest staircase even written onto the printed page? I could probably spend a lifetime analyzing this story. And really, who doesn’t want to be scared out of their pants while stranded, alone, on an island. And if you think I’d pick something animal-related, no – my friend – my mother trained me to like strange and unusual things.
