John Nixon Instagram @Apple0Jack _ John Nix
Ron Keller is a dog person. No, no – scratch that. Ron Keller is the dog person. He sports a dog shirt while working at Captivating Canines, a Westerville store he bought in 2013. His own two Chihuahuas come with him to work on Tuesdays and Fridays.
“I like dogs more than people some days,” Keller laughs. “You get home from a rough day at work and the dogs are there. Your wife is in a bad mood? You stay in the other room with the dogs.”
Yes, Keller has always loved dogs. Except there is one tiny issue.
He is allergic.
Growing up, Keller couldn’t be around dogs for long without bursting out in welts and hives. It drove him crazy, especially since he loved anything to do with small animals. Through his mid-20s he dealt with it, until 16 years ago when he bit the bullet and bought his wife a Chihuahua puppy for Christmas.
“That dog sat on my shoulder the whole car ride home and my neck was full of welts from one end to the other,” Keller says. “I remember thinking, ‘What did I just get myself into?’”
Thankfully, he now takes allergy medication, which keeps the effects at bay. Now he can continue to participate in all the dog activities he loves, like greeting visitors of his shop, hosting adoption Saturdays and going to Dog Days of Summer on Aug. 23, part of Westerville’s 4th Fridays series. Keller is known as one of the forefathers of the theme, enjoying the many canine-friendly events that bring the community together. He’s even won second place in the Dog Days dog show, a relaxed contest that’s purely for fun.
John Nixon Instagram @Apple0Jack _ John Nix
“It’s very informal here in Westerville,” Keller says of the show. “It doesn’t matter if your dog has a pedigree, they are judged on friendliness and whatever tricks they can do. We just want you to have fun with your dogs.”
Unfortunately, the forefather of Dog Days had to take a break from the festivities since he suffered from an aneurysm that kept him in the hospital for weeks. When Keller finally was allowed home to recover, his darling Chihuahua didn’t leave his side for three months. He credits her for helping him get through his recovery.
The Adopt-Don’t-Shop initiative, which is why he holds adoptions in his own shop.
“I understand there are people who have their heart set on specific breeds, but if you do shop
John Nixon Instagram @Apple0Jack _ John Nix
for a dog, buy responsibly,” he says. “Demand to see the mother and the father of that puppy - if they don’t give you proper information, turn away.”
As Keller gets back on his feet post-health issues, he’s still brewing up new ideas to get Westerville dogs out and about. One of his most recent ideas that he hopes to put into practice is non-competitive Chihuahua races on Cinco de Mayo. He wants Westerville Mexican restaurants and breweries to participate and seems confident he’ll be out celebrating the day soon.
What simply solidified Keller’s bubbly personality and dog-crazed attitude, was his answer to our final question. We asked what kind of dog he would be if he could be any breed. His response?
“Well, I hope I would be a Chihuahua, but I’d probably be something big and fat like a bulldog,” he says, laughing good-naturedly. “But I like all dogs. I mean seriously. All dogs.”
Mallory Arnold is an assistant editor. Feedback welcome at marnold@cityscenemediagroup.com.
