Despite last week’s bittersweet news of Island Pet Center’s closure and owner Brian Knoll’s retirement, he wants the community to know it is cause for celebration.

“I know it’s hard — it’s hard for me, too,” Knoll said. “But I hope that everybody can see the joy in what I was able to create and just carry that forward and remember all of that shared love that we had more than anything.”

Since its founding in 1977, the family- owned and operated Island Pet Center became a trusted source for pet supplies and advice through its emphasis on genuine, compassionate customer service. Knoll said he thought of him and his employees as being problem-solvers, a philosophy which made Island Pet Center “one of the area’s longest-standing locally owned businesses,” according to a release.

“People come in with a problem or an issue — my dog has a hot spot, he’s allergic to this food, or my fish tank looks like this — and we fix those problems,” Knoll explained. “In the course of that you’re doing business, but in the very best of ways.”

With Knoll already considering retirement and the buildings’ owners selling, he said the decision to close the store came down to timing. Running a small business can be a demanding commitment, Knoll explained, and he is looking forward to enjoying more free time and involving himself in the community in other ways.

The community made its love for the store known at a retirement sale on Monday. Knoll said many hugs and stories were shared with those in attendance.

“It has been a beautiful expression of love and complete, total chaos from the time that the doors opened,” he said. “I’m overwhelmed, at this point, by the outpouring of support. It’s amazing.”

Plenty of memories will stick with Knoll in retirement. He fondly recalled dressing up as Santa Claus and taking pictures with customers’ pets during the holidays, including horses and chickens, as well as an anniversary sale which drew long lines of people to the store’s doors each year.

Creating a warm, welcoming environment for customers is what Knoll sought to do, something small businesses can offer but which large chains may not be able to. With Island Pet Center’s closure, pet owners in Oak Harbor looking for dedicated pet stores are limited to Petco.

Knoll hopes the city continues to support business owners “not only open, but succeed” in entrepreneurship.