Next to Nature was founded in 1995 by Liz and Paul Laballarte to provide healthy pet treats and foods and quality accessories to the pet lovers of West Seattle. Liz, as the daughter of the owners of Crown Hill Pet, had extensive experience in pet supplies retailing and wanted to offer healthier alternatives to the products then offered at the local big-box chains. With their family growing, Liz and Paul decided to sell Next to Nature to one of their employees, Summer Preston, in August of 1998.
