Local girl makes good and keeps getting better. In 1969, when Natalee was a toddler, her family moved to Healdsburg from Ukiah because her dad had bought an old building at 212 Healdsburg Avenue for his glass business. In no time at all, both Harry and Karen Tappin were firmly entrenched in the Healdsburg community, consistently involved in numerous school and youth sports activities, while their three girls — Lauree, Natalee and Cheree — were attending school. Whatever their parents were doing, whether it be girls kickball, softball, basketball or CYO sports, Natalee and her sisters joined in too.
“I was always in tow with my parents’ volunteerism,” Natalee tells me. “Mom and Dad were among the few who started many youth sports activities in town. Mom chaired the Relay for Life, wrote numerous grants and always handled the team books while Dad coached and I ran the food stand as a kid. My dad coached in various capacities all through school and helped make Pop Warner football very successful here in town. My parents also began a youth program, teaching basketball skills to local girls. Cheree and I played a ton of sports — I played them all.
“Back in the day, I roller skated from our home to the Tappin Building, a former car dealership and originally a place where horses were shod. It had one of those big roll up doors and Dad had his glass company there. That part of Healdsburg Avenue was considered the outskirts of town and there was basically no foot traffic for many years.”
After high school, Natalee went off to college. Upon her return, she observed, while car shopping, that car dealerships were completely devoid of women salespeople.
“I knew Mike Forchini from Sanderson was very successful and wondered why there were no women selling cars anywhere. I went down to Marin and found a dealership where I was hired. On my first day, the manager who was high on coke, said, ‘Yo, Nat! You’re here to sell ***** cars?’ I knew I could do better.
“Then Bruce McConnell, who knew my family, hired me. Right away I developed an attitude of honesty and wanting to provide for my customers. I next worked for Tim Sanderson and broke records by selling five cars per day! At Sanderson Ford I got a following — I became known as ‘that girl’ who could facilitate the needs of her customers no matter what the situation. I discovered I had a knack of knowing just what they needed and soon I was ‘by appointment only.’ I went out of my way to please my customers and to help them understand the transaction. Folks still call me to coach them in buying a car!”
Natalee’s development of neck and shoulder pain caused her to become bedridden for six months and led to a major career change in 2000. After talking to friends and thinking of her deep love for animals, one day she discovered the full-product doggie boutique George in Berkeley. Instantly, she knew her calling.
“At the same time that a serious group was forming in town around dog needs and a dog park, I began researching dog bedding, collars, toys, etc. and saw a big need here for a specialty store addressing the blossoming dog culture. I recall sitting in dad’s office, looking at him, and saying, ‘These will be the first two walls to come down!’ So, with friends, I designed and converted Dad’s business into Healdsburg Dog House. When we first opened for business in 2001, I put a sandwich board on the plaza and we began getting foot traffic. We gave out free doggie ice cream bars and dressed up girls and dogs to hand out treats on the Plaza. We began the Howl-o-ween Parade in October, the May Canine Carnival and Santa photos. Our events have always been partnered with a shelter or rescue organization for adoption or fund raising.
“Like any business, we’ve had our ups and downs, but our ties to the community and our bond with locals keep us strong. When h2hotel was being built, all the shops on our end suffered through the construction. When a similar dog business came into town several years ago, local web designer Dia Misuraca approached me, offering to really ramp up my website. One day I closed the shop to go out for a sandwich, came back, and my dad was standing behind the counter! At times I struggled to survive, but it turned out to be a good thing because the locals became even more faithful.”
Healdsburg Dog House is considered a dog boutique — much more than a pet store, with a range of prices and products. They do a great online business, shipping harnesses all over the country. They do onsite grooming, sell food products and plenty of cute doggie clothes. What’s most interesting is — as with trucks and cars — Natalee has become Healdsburg’s “go to gal” for all things dog and cat. She gets great vet referrals for different products and local vets often brainstorm with her.
“Being able to figure out what someone needs and make the right match just comes naturally,” Natalee says. “For instance, Susan Preston wanted goat collars. I asked if these were working collars or for identification only and did research to make sure they were right for her needs.
“After helping someone decide on the right dog for them, I put it out into the universe and the exact dog arrives! It always works. We’ve also done 105 cat adoptions out of the store for the shelter. We’re ambassadors for the new shelter that’s coming and are asking people to drop off any doggie stuff right here. Our plan is to have some events with the shelter. Come to the Dog House to talk to us about adoptable dogs and cats now. We’re doing adoption events out of the store and trying to involve other local businesses and wineries as well. Our goal is always to spread goodwill and create community involvement without cost.”
Shonnie Brown is a local author and memoirist who is interested in fostering connections between people and their community. Shonnie writes personal and family histories through her business, Sonoma LifeStories, and is also a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. She can be reached by e-mail at
sh*****@so***.net
or on the web at www.sonomalifestories.com.
