Growing up in New York City, Michael wasn’t allowed to have a pet, so at a very young age, he started rescuing stray cats.  At 15, he finally got his first dog, a German Shepherd, and trained him to respond to many commands on and off leash.

In 1976, while attending college in San Francisco, Michael started a mobile dog training business to supplement his student loans. By the 1980s, Michael's little business had become the largest professional dog training company in Northern California. He then opened a brick and mortar location in San Francisco where he sold and delivered pet food and supplies, which became known as Pet Food Express. With 64 company owned stores in California and growing, PFE has long made an impact in the pet industry with its emphasis on pet nutrition, very high standards and giving back to 100s of rescues and shelters each year.

Michael’s influence in the pet industry reaches beyond his stores. He has collaborated over the years with retailers (including competitors), distributors and manufacturers in the pet industry to launch and grow many quality pet food brands, as well as advocate for independent pet retailers throughout North America.

A brief history of accomplishments within the Pet Industry & US Retail:

• 1997 Retailer of the Year – Pet Product News

• 1999 Best Independent Chain – Pet Product News

• 2010 Retailer of the Year – Pet Business

• 2014 100 Most Intriguing Entrepreneurs – Goldman Sachs

• 2015 The NRF List of People Shaping Retail’s Future – National Retail Federation Giver Award

• 2017 Retailer of the Year – Pet Business

• 2020 Co-founded The Independent and Neighborhood Pet Retail Association (the Pet Industries’ first independent retailers organization) and serves on the board as VP