The Hungry Puppy Turns 40

Ruby Jubilee · 1987 to 2027

The Hungry Puppy turns 40!

40th Anniversary Weekend
Thursday, August 5 to Sunday, August 8, 2027

--Days

--Hours

--Minutes

--Seconds

until the party starts, 9am Thursday, August 5

1288 Highway 33, Farmingdale, NJ · 732-938-4470 · Dogs welcome, never required

The Hungry Puppy · Family owned since 1987
1288 Highway 33, Farmingdale, NJ 07727 · 732-938-4470

1. The Hungry Puppy opened its doors on Wednesday, August 5, 1987. Our 40th birthday lands on a Thursday...and you're invited.
2. Our very first store was at 78 Main Street in downtown Farmingdale, right near Foodtown.
3. That first Main Street store was only about 1,200 square feet. You could fit it inside today's store more than seven times.
4. The Hungry Puppy was founded by Frank and Teresa Frattini.
5. Before there was a store, Frank and Teresa showed Newfoundlands...and bought more than 100 pounds of dog food a month for them.
6. Our phone number has never changed. 938-4470 rang on opening day in 1987 and it still rings today.
7. Frank Frattini left a career in finance to open a pet food store. Forty years later, we'd say it worked out.
8. The Frattinis moved from Brooklyn to Howell in 1984, three years before opening The Hungry Puppy.
9. In December 1987, our first year, we were already listed among the first local stores carrying Purina Pro Plan.
10. Delivery is in our DNA. Our October 1991 ad from 78 Main Street already offered free delivery.
11. Our delivery service started with one van making after-hours deliveries. Today our own trucks run Tuesday through Friday, year-round.
12. We have never used DoorDash or any third-party delivery service. Your order comes on a Hungry Puppy truck with a Hungry Puppy driver.
13. In July 1993 we threw an Expansion Sale for the "Bigger & Better Hungry Puppy" at our new home, 1288 Highway 33.
14. Our new store's grand opening was Sunday, September 26, 1993, 11am to 3pm, with free pet photos for a $1 SPCA donation, free nail clippings, balloons, food and prizes.
15. From the 1993 Expansion Sale: all 7 lb bags of Bil-Jac were just $1.95 with a coupon (regularly $6.99 to $7.99).
16. Our area code changed from 908 to 732 in the late 1990s. The 938-4470 part never budged.
17. Our first big charity party was the Puppy Luau in August 1995. It raised about $540 for the Monmouth County SPCA.
18. In October 1995 we held a Puppy Sock Hop. Poodle skirts optional.
19. From 1995 to 1997 we hosted Dog Eat Dog Day...a hot dog eating contest.
20. On Sunday, October 1, 1995, we hosted a Blessing of the Animals open to all species and all denominations.
21. Our Too's Day toy sale on the 2nd Tuesday of every month is named for our dog, Too. That's 20% off all toys, no exclusions.
22. In the late 1990s our property was a 3-acre site with a petting zoo: about 125 rabbits, plus llamas, goats, ponies, pigs and even a baby steer.
23. Our annual Pups-Giving is a turkey dinner for the pups. This year it's Friday, November 20, 4 to 7pm at The Hungry Puppy Dog Park, with turkey paw painting too.
24. Meet the 1999 zoo crew: Daffy the mallard, a sheep, and Roy the llama.
25. From 1996 to 2000 our petting zoo with pony rides was open March through November, sponsored and monitored by the SPCA. We even had a mobile petting zoo.
26. In 1997 we held a doggy kissing contest, Puppylympics, a sheep shearing day and a Miss Bow-Wow beauty contest, with proceeds to the SPCA.
27. Thankful for you: in 2003 we were making about 400 deliveries a month. We're still knocking on doors all over Monmouth and Ocean counties.
28. Our store is closed Thanksgiving Day so our crew can be home with their families (and their pets).
29. Back in 1998 our free delivery reached Toms River, Englishtown, Marlboro, Hazlet and Keyport with a $40 minimum. Today the minimum is just $20.
30. Forgot the dog food again? Our January 1997 ad said it best: "Don't worry...we deliver! Anywhere in Monmouth County."
31. Senior Discount Day is the 1st Thursday of every month. If we're ever closed that day, it moves to the next day we're open...it never gets skipped.
32. In December 2000 we were one of the places to buy buttons for Manasquan's First Night New Year's Eve celebration.
33. Pictures with Santa is a Hungry Puppy tradition. We did Santa photos for the SPCA in 1999 and again in 2003, when we raised $525.
34. Santa is back! Pictures with Santa and Mrs. Claus are every Wednesday in December, 5 to 7pm. Free, no appointment, and pets of all kinds are welcome.
35. In 2003 we carried about 11,000 products and offered free delivery Tuesday through Saturday.
36. Today we carry over 12,000 products for dogs, cats, birds, small animals, wild birds, horses, livestock and backyard chickens. If your pet barks, meows, neighs, clucks or moos...we've got you covered.
37. In 2005, when Spanky the cat was stuck up a tree in Ocean Township, Frank was the first of more than a dozen people to offer to pay a tree climber to bring him down.
38. In June 2004 we hosted speed dating for singles and their dogs. Tickets were $25 and proceeds went to the Monmouth County SPCA.
39. In 2008 Frank and Teresa were honored at a Monmouth County SPCA fundraiser.
40. Asbury Park Press readers voted us Best Pet Store in 2011, 2015, 2017 and 2018. Thank you!
41. Readers also voted us Best Pet Services in 2013, 2015 and 2017.
42. Our Wheel Wednesday is the 3rd Wednesday of every month. Everyone gets a spin of the prize wheel, no purchase needed.
43. Military and veteran discounts run every single day at The Hungry Puppy, and on the 4th Friday of the month they go up an extra 5%.
44. Our food guarantee is simple: opened food is guaranteed to the last bit in the bag.
45. In November 1998, sales associate Tami's homemade peanut butter dog cookies were featured in the newspaper. Tami is still with us today as our office manager and buyer.
46. The Great Dane taste-testing Tami's cookies in that 1998 newspaper photo was named Ruby. So our Ruby Jubilee has a real Ruby behind it.
47. The Hungry Puppy Dog Park is FREE and open to the public, with two separate play areas, a double-gated entrance and 5-foot fencing.
48. Our Rainbow Bridge Pet Memorial Park is free and open to everyone. Paint a memory rock, leave a rock, take a rock...or ask us to paint one in memory of your pet.
49. Caring for pets at the end of life is nothing new for us. In 1990 we carried Pet Heaven burial boxes made right here in Wall Township.
50. Our frequent buyer programs cover 60+ brands and track automatically. No receipts, UPCs or bag labels to save.
51. Caturday Saturday happens on the 5th Saturday of a month. Bring your cat in a carrier or on a leash for an extra $5 off.
52. Leashed, friendly dogs are always welcome inside the store with a current rabies vaccination...and they might end up on our Facebook page.
53. Express Delivery gets your order to you within 24 hours for $9, for when you pawsitively can't wait.
54. We deliver Tuesday through Friday to about 90 towns across Monmouth County and parts of Ocean, Middlesex and Mercer.
55. Farmingdale is the only town that gets our trucks twice a week, every Tuesday AND Friday.
56. Tuesday is western Monmouth day: Freehold, Marlboro, Manalapan, Colts Neck, Englishtown, Millstone and more.
57. Wednesday is Bayshore and coast day: Middletown, Red Bank, Keyport, Hazlet, Rumson, Long Branch, Asbury Park and more.
58. Christmas Eve we close at 5pm, and we're closed Christmas Day so our crew can celebrate at home.
59. Merry Christmas from all of us at The Hungry Puppy! Forty Christmases of stocking stuffers and counting.
60. Thursday our trucks go down the shore: Wall, Manasquan, Brielle, Point Pleasant, Belmar, Spring Lake and on to Barnegat.
61. Friday is our deep south route, the farthest we go all week: Toms River, Jackson, Lakewood, Manchester and Whiting.
62. Howell is split down the middle: north of West Farms Road gets Tuesday delivery, south of it gets Friday.
63. Our drivers carry the 50 lb bags so you don't have to, to your home, office or farm.
64. In October 1991 our 4-H Week ad at 78 Main Street offered $2 off any 40 or 50 lb bag of dog food.
65. New Year's Eve we close at 5pm, and we're closed New Year's Day.
66. Happy New Year! 2027 is our 40th year. Ruby is the traditional 40th anniversary gem, which is why we call our celebration the Ruby Jubilee.
67. Remember our "Who Needs the Giant?" sale? In October 1995 a 40 lb bag of premium dog food was $21.99.
68. From November 2001 to July 2002 our ad offered 100 lbs of dog food, delivered free, for $21.98.
69. In March 1999, $19.98 got you 80 lbs of dog food, delivered free.
70. Horse people, take note: in May 1998 our 10% horse pellets were $4.99 a bag.
71. Also in May 1998: pine shavings for $2.30 a bale with a bag of Buckeye feed.
72. Holiday gift idea from November 1999: a 5 lb bag of Buckeye peppermint horse treats for $8.99.
73. We've been feeding Monmouth County's farms right alongside its pets since 1987: horse, livestock and backyard chicken feed, bedding and shavings.
74. Our store today is about 9,000 square feet, roughly seven times the size of our first Main Street shop.
75. During COVID in 2020 we had 80 dog food brands and 21 employees, and curbside pickup and delivery never stopped.
76. Curbside pickup is always free, and after-hours pickup is available 24/7 when you arrange it with us during store hours.
77. Our website has been through four lives: an online catalog, then WooCommerce, then Miva, and Shopify since 2018.
78. Freeze-dried food ships free nationwide over $75 from thehungrypuppy.com.
79. Free 45-minute Personal Pet Consultant appointments are available. Bring your questions about food, allergies and picky eaters.
80. Want to help a local shelter? Buy a donation in store and we'll deliver it to a local animal shelter for you.
81. Today's owner, Theresa, started working at The Hungry Puppy in high school. The store is now second generation and women-owned.
82. In 2026 our warehouse manager Tony celebrated 30 years with The Hungry Puppy.
83. Friday Night Bites, our free yappy hour, runs every Friday 4 to 7pm from the Friday after Easter through October.
84. Our Easter Biscuit Hunt kicks off the outdoor event season at the dog park every spring.
85. Our dog park hosts doggy birthday parties: 1½ hours of private park time, with hosted packages that include a dog cake and goodie bags.
86. Every October we host our Howl-O-Ween Party & Pet Costume Contest. In 2026, 3 anonymous judges picked Best Overall, Best Group and Most Original.
87. Treat Testing is the 2nd Sunday of the month and Pet Food Tasting is the 4th Sunday, both noon to 2pm.
88. Yes, we have our own video game! Play The Hungry Puppy Bone Run at thehungrypuppy.com/pages/bone-run and race from Highway 33 to the Rainbow Bridge.
89. In October 2026 we launched Browse and Bark, a local vendor market at the dog park on Wednesday evenings.
90. We carry handmade dog cookies from Emanuel's Place, a program right here in Howell.
91. Want first dibs on our anniversary deals? Text RUBY to 732-592-2315 and every new deal comes to your phone before it's posted anywhere.
92. Want a text when we pop up at the dog park? Text DOGPARK to 732-592-2315.
93. In 2026 our pack marched in the Farmingdale Memorial Day Parade, and customers and their dogs marched with us.
94. Our May 1996 Dog Food Special: a 40 lb bag of premium dog food for $19.99.
95. In 1998 a 37 lb bag of Pro Plan came with a free storage container.
96. In 1997 and 1998 we stocked over 7,000 products. Today it's over 12,000.
97. Frank was quoted in a 2003 newspaper story on rising pet food prices. One bag of dog food went from $28.99 in 2002 to $33.99 in 2003.
98. Our trucks cover four counties: Monmouth, Ocean, Middlesex and Mercer.
99. Brick gets two delivery days by zip code: 08724 is Thursday and 08723 is Friday.
100. The Hungry Puppy is a member of LeTip of Freehold, a local business networking group.
101. Our 40th Anniversary Weekend is Thursday, August 5 to Sunday, August 8, 2027. Mark your calendar...and keep checking back for more facts!

1. 40 Fridays to go! Every Friday until our 40th Anniversary Weekend we share a sneak peek...and one lucky customer wins $40 in Ruby Bucks.
2. Before Highway 33, there was 78 Main Street in Farmingdale, right near Foodtown. That's where The Hungry Puppy first opened its doors on August 5, 1987.
3. 938-4470 rang on our very first day and it still rings today. The only thing that changed was the area code...(908) became (732) in the late 90s.
4. Every story needs a beginning, and ours is Frank and Teresa Frattini. In 1987 they opened a small pet shop in Farmingdale with a simple idea: take care of the people and pets in your town.
5. Thank you to every customer who has walked through our doors, called in an order or waved at our delivery truck.