Tropical Paradise Pet Shop marks 50 years of business in Minerva

Looking around the Tropical Paradise Pet Shop in Minerva, owner Sheree Butler is still amazed that half a century has passed since opening the shop in 1975.

“I have to punch myself, it’s hard for me to believe it’s been 50 years,” Butler said. “I’m proud of myself, but even more grateful for my customers. They’re not just customers anymore, they have become my friends. I’ve got three and four generations coming in now.”

Butler said she has always had a love for animals, and she started volunteering at a shop called Minerva Pet when she was only 13. She then worked at Clarkins Department Store in the pet department in Canton when she was about 15.

“I wrote an essay when I was a sophomore in high school and they asked what you wanted to be when you grew up and I said I wanted to own a pet shop,” Butler said. “This 50 years has really been a dream come true. When I first opened, I said we’d give it three years. If we made it, we’d stay. And here we are, 50 years later.”

While Butler has carried freshwater fish, birds, lizards, guinea pigs, hamsters and other small animals, she made a conscious choice never to sell cats or dogs. She considers freshwater fish her specialty, and many of her tanks — built by her uncle Junior — are still original and in use today.

Butler said she read a lot and gained experience at Clarkins and Minerva Pet regarding how to care for animals. She studied compatibility between fish and experimented with combinations to make sure which fish got along.

Over the years, the shop has had its fair share of characters, but one in particular made a lasting impression: Gunther, the blue-and-gold parrot she purchased in the 1970s. Gunther would sit in the corner of the shop outside its cage on a perch and spoke well. It would tell customers to “shut up” and “stop that.”

One day, Butler and the shop started with a big surprise: An egg was laying in Gunther’s cage.

“We thought it was a joke or something and someone was placing an egg in there, but it turns out after many years that Gunther was female,” Butler said.

Gunther enjoyed being in Minerva parades, screaming at people as they yelled back and cheered.

“Gunther wasn’t just a bird, she was family,” Butler said with a smile. “I loved her so much, right up until the day she died of natural causes.”

Gunther lived a long life of more than 90 years. Butler said the parrot was about 40 years old when she bought her in 1976.

Gunther’s legacy lives on in the shop, in Butler’s heart and in customers’ memories. Today, Peewee, a parrot more than 20 years old, welcomes customers. Other memorable animals over the years included Lips, a red devil cichlid, and a playful ferret.

Over five decades, Butler has watched the pet trade evolve, including bans on invasive species, dyed or tattooed fish, import methods and more. Today it is safer, healthier and more common to inject jellyfish DNA into fish eggs, producing glowing fish that pass the trait down genetically.

“This was never about the money,” Butler said. “I wanted to help animals and care for them. Any money goes back into the shop.” After all, there are many mouths to feed, cages to clean and animals to restock.

Looking to the future, Butler has no plans to retire or stop anytime soon.

“As long as my health is good, I’ll keep going,” Butler said. “I don’t regret a minute of this past 50 years. It’s been a dream come true.”

Butler said none of this past half-century of caring for and selling animals would have been possible without the support of her sister, Debbie Bevington, and her parents, Pearl and Ralph Bevington. She is thankful for her helpers in the shop, including Chris Kubankin, as well as those who participated in the recent 50-year celebration. Butler raised funds and collected items to benefit local animal shelters and the humane society.

“I wish to thank everyone who came together and helped me with the 50th anniversary, it meant the world to me,” Butler said.

The Tropical Paradise Pet Shop is located at 202 West St. in Minerva and can be reached at 330-868-6265. The shop is closed Wednesday and Sunday.