About Us
Pet Stop of the Fox Valley has a new owner & management team that is no stranger to pet fencing.
Bruce Peterson founded Hidden Fence of Minnesota in 1992 as a Local Hometown Family Owned Business.
In 2013 Bruce’s brother-in-law David OBrien came on board to help facilitate growth. Together they continued putting transparency & excellent customer-service at the forefront of the business model.
Our team has since grown to include more family members and close friends that are equally dedicated to providing the highest level of customer satisfaction for our clients.
Mark Beresford
Mark Beresford & his wife Kay have been Pet Stop dealers serving the greater Fox Valley area for the past 22 years. For personal reasons they have decided it is time to begin their transition into retirement.
Mark & Kay wanted to say thank you and express their sincere appreciation to all of their wonderful customers they have served over the years. They have truly enjoyed the journey.
Mark & Kay chose to sell the dealership to fellow Pet Stop dealer Bruce Peterson, owner of Hidden Fence of Minnesota, because they wanted to be sure their loyal and valued customers would be getting the best possible service available moving forward.
Bruce Peterson has been a dealer in the Electronic Pet Fencing industry for 30 years and is extremely pleased to be the new owner of Pet Stop of the Fox Valley to continue Mark & Kay’s legacy.
Hidden Fence of Minnesota has a proven track record of over 800 5 star reviews as well as the staff and technology in place to provide the fastest response times in the industry to Pet Stop of the Fox Valley customer needs.
There are boots on the ground in the Fox Valley area for installation and service needs and with the technology we have in place you should never sense that our administrative offices are 3.5 hours away in Minnesota.
During this transition Mark plans to remain involved on a limited part time basis doing site visits and basic service visits through the end of 2023.
Bruce Peterson
Hello, my name is Bruce Peterson, I am the new owner of Pet Stop of the Fox Valley as well as Hidden Fence of Minnesota.
I grew up in Prior Lake Minnesota at a time when leash laws existed but were seldom enforced. For the most part dogs were free to roam as they pleased as long as they didn't cause any trouble. When I was eight our dog Caesar was killed on the highway not far from our house while I was at school. It was an awful way to lose a dog. I was always concerned about having to tie up our dogs as it seemed inhumane to me.
In early 1992 after struggling unsuccessfully to make a living from our first business I was given the opportunity to sell the newest technology in pet containment systems. My wife Debi and I knew right away that it was the perfect business for us. It seemed like a dream traveling around the city helping people keep their dogs both free and safe. At that time there were no systems available with an adjustable correction level which at times made the training more stressful then I thought it needed to be. I discovered that using different values of common resistors from Radio Shack placed between the collars contacts would reduce the correction level down to as little as a tickle. Gentle training has been very core of our methods ever since.
For the longest time Hidden Fence of Minnesota remained just me and one or two employees. 10 years ago my brother-in-law David joined us and his sales and marketing skills have grown the business tremendously. We have since added a sister in-law, sons-in-law, adopted sons, nieces and nephews and a number of friends. It is very satisfying to see the next generation stepping up to continue keeping dogs all over the area both free and safe. Our entire team is very eager to serve the Fox Valley area and continue the legacy that Mark & Kay started over 20 years ago.
David OBrien
My name is David OBrien and I'm in my tenth year as the Director of Sales and Marketing with our family owned company.
I never imagined I would find this level of career satisfaction. I am a very blessed man to be able to work in a family owned business that is passionate about providing our customers and their furry companions the highest level of service.
I've often told Bruce that nobody could offer me enough money to work somewhere else. You simply can not put a price on the serendipities I have experienced with this company.
We have a fantastic team and we have a world class vendor in Pet Stop that provides us with unequalled products that are safe and extremely effective.
I have been a dog lover all my life so having the ability to help people provide the safest & most effective pet friendly containment option is extremely satisfying.
Courtney OBrien
Hello my name is Courtney OBrien and I started as Sales & Marketing Assistant for our family owned business in November of 2020.
Working with my family and helping to keep your furry family members safe over the past 2 years have been the greatest parts of my job since day one! Growing up I have had many pets.
I fell in love with the loyalty of my German Shepherd, the gentleness of my Yellow Lab, and the bravery of my Yorkie - who's heart and spirit was as big as a St. Bernards! Also, my Persian 'Princess' was the sweetest and most loving kitty I've ever known and I still miss her dearly
Before this position, I loved being in a classroom filled with toddlers (up to 14 at a time!) teaching for a little over 9 years at the YMCA. Some of my favorite things to do: enjoying our 4 seasons outdoors, spending time with family, and finding ways to help others.
Julie OBrien
Hi, my name is Julie OBrien. I have been working for our family owned business since 2019. My position in the company is billing, accounting and customer service.
I genuinely enjoy my job and all of the people that I work with. It is refreshing to work for a local family owned company. Our owner Bruce Peterson is an honest, kind & ethical man. You will not find a person who is more dedicated to customer satisfaction than Bruce!
One of my favorite aspects of my position is talking with all of the wonderful customers we have. I am an animal lover and it makes me happy to know that the product we sell is the safest and best one out there to keep your dog or cat safe and secure!
Kenny Alexander
Hi my name is Kenny Alexander, I've been a technician with this company for six years.
Right after I graduated high school Bruce offered to teach me how to install and fix dog fences. Interestingly enough the first job I ever did was to help install a fence for a cat in Minneapolis.
I enjoy working for this company because we strive to be the best in every way. We want to have the best customer service, the best and most invested staff, and the best products to keep our customers pets safely contained and free in their yards.
I really enjoy the work that I do and the people I work with. I am invested in and plan on working for this company for many years to come.
Mike Stephansen
My name is Mike Stephansen, and I am the Service Manager for our family owned business.
I started with the company in 2015 as a service & installation technician and moved into the role of manager in 2021.
I have always loved animals and have greatly enjoyed being able to help families keep their pets happy and safe. I loved meeting new pets and their family every day as a technician, and I appreciate that I get to continue helping ensure that customers are getting the help and advice they need as quickly as possible as I help with scheduling and customer support.
I have also enjoyed working in a family owned business where we can quickly make changes and adjustments as needed to better help and serve our customers in a timely and personal manner.
Dominic Probst
Hello, my name is Dominic Probst
Ben Alexander
My name is Ben Alexander and I am beginning my 8th year working for this company.
I started working here just helping with service calls throughout the summer, and was part-time through college picking up work whenever I was available and now I am working full-time with the company. I found that I genuinely enjoy what I do, and have learned a ton as well.
Not only have I learned a lot about how to do and handle my work from my co-workers, I also learned a lot from customers I met along the way.
As a pet owner, it feels good to help other pet owners keep their pets safe. And I am excited to continue working with everyone who needs our services.
Dallas OBrien
My name is Dallas OBrien and I have been with this company on a full-time basis as our Senior Staff Accountant, since January of 2022. I am actively transitioning into the Controller role, as I continue to learn the business and help establish strong Accounting & internal processes.
The growth that this family owned business has experienced over the past decade, and future growth that both Bruce & David envision, is very exciting to me.
After 5 years of full-time Accounting experience with various small & large businesses, I know I am very blessed to have been brought on, and offered the degree of opportunity & latitude I have been given with this opportunity.
It is an honor to work for a family owned & run business which prides itself in excellent customer-service & integrity; and to be able to stand behind products I firmly believe in.
James Fischer
My name is James Fischer and working for this company is a job I never thought I’d have. I’ve known Bruce for many years as he was a good family friend and also knew how generous he was for what he did for my brother in law, Kenny Alexander & his brother Ben.
Bruce has continued that same generosity I saw from him years ago and it has translated into our workforce. Because of the many years he put in himself and so much he has invested we are able to be in this position today where he takes such good care of us employees.
Growing up I’ve always had dogs in my family and my old dog had spent his entire life on the same tether to the same tree for years of his life. He was too big for anyone to handle except my father, but as I’ve learned through this business, that is no way a dog should have to spend his life.
That is a big reason why I do this job and enjoy it so much because I am bettering the life of all these pets by providing a safe way to give them more freedom to roam the yard and play.
I’ve been with this family owned business for a almost three years at this point and I will continue to invest in this future with Bruce and the rest of the wonderful team we have here and to provide safe containment for the pets we all call family.
Tyler Hunger
Ty Hunger is a junior member of our team. After finishing his internship with us during his senior year of high school Ty is following in the footsteps of his sister Courtney, our sales and marketing assistant.
Ty is currently part time and provides much needed back up support with our IT systems that allow us to respond to information requests in a timely manner.
Our Promise to You
At Pet Stop of the Fox Valley, our goal is to help people choose a product that is better, safer, more affordable & user-friendly, and meets their specific needs; as well as provide industry-leading information & service.
As an independent Pet Stop® dealer, we’re glad to say we have the same experts in our corner that first revolutionized the pet-containment industry, and brought it to its nationwide success.
We now service the greater Fox Valley area, as the longest-standing underground pet-containment dealers in the state – with over 30 years’ experience in this field!
We encourage you to check out our reviews from our Minnesota market – over 800 five-star customer reviews!
We have the shortest wait-times and our goal is that you will experience this same level of excellent customer service!
Pet Stop of the Fox Valley has New Owners - See their Customer Reviews
Serving the Following Communities Since 1999
